Washington State Licensed and Certified Appraisers serving the greater Puget Sound area.
AppraisalMS appraises Rainier homes for purchases, refinances, estates, divorce and property tax appeals, working from our Lynnwood office. For a quote on a Rainier property, type its address in the search box at the top of this page or phone (425) 967-3498.
Rainier is a small Thurston County city on SR 507, about 17 miles southeast of Olympia per HistoryLink. George Ellsbury platted it in 1891 and it incorporated in 1947. The 2020 Census counted 2,369 residents. Zillow's home value index put the typical Rainier home at about $515,000 on August 31, 2026.
The blocks Ellsbury laid out around Binghampton Street hold the oldest houses in town. The 2007 Rainier Joint Plan puts these lots at about a quarter acre, against one acre in newer subdivisions, so lot size alone can split two similar sales.
The joint plan calls it a development of upscale homes in the southwest part of the city. These homes sit above most Rainier sales, so comps may come from outside it, with the reason stated.
This subdivision reaches the southern and southwest edge of the city. The joint plan flags erosion hazards along that south boundary, and deed restrictions bar mobile homes. We note any slope near the house before comparing sales.
Per the joint plan, most of Rainier's wetlands lie near Mountain View Estates, with an erosion hazard on its east side, and some lots hold mobile homes. Manufactured homes are compared with manufactured home sales, and wetland edges are measured against the usable yard.
The joint plan places both in the eastern part of the city. They are separate filings side by side, so their sales are natural comps for each other once we check each plat for lot size.
Both carry deed restrictions that keep out mobile homes, according to the joint plan. With mobile homes kept out, we compare their sales with site built homes first.
Lot size and sewage disposal matter most. The 2007 joint plan says the city supplies groundwater but has no central sewer, so homes use septic on soil that filters poorly. We confirm the septic permit and water source on every Rainier home before choosing comps.
City limits come next. Urban growth area land sat at one home per five acres under county zoning, while town lots run a quarter acre to one acre. A small 100 year floodplain touches the southwest city limit, so we check the flood map on homes near it.
Lenders send us purchase, refinance and FHA work. Rainier owners, executors and attorneys order estate, divorce, pre listing and relocation appraisals directly. If the Thurston County assessor valued your Rainier home too high, the steps for an appeal are in our property tax appeal guide.
You hear from us while the report is in progress, and it arrives on the date we set. Gerry wrote Washington's real estate and appraisal continuing education curriculum, and Rainier reports follow what that course teaches: name the water source and septic system for the home and every comp, so a lender can see they match.
Request a Rainier appraisal from AppraisalMS. Enter the address at the top of the page, use the form, or call our friendly team anytime.
Request an AppraisalOr call us: (425) 967-3498