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The Department of Education announced in early August that it will extend a freeze on federal student loan payments until January. A statement from the department says the “final extension” of the pause with a definitive end date of Jan. 31, 2022, will give borrowers time to plan resuming payments. [..]
Industry News
SKCR Events Calendar
Date Event Time Where Phone September 9 Affiliate Council 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Zoom 425-974-1011 September 13 Gov’t Affairs Committee 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. 425-974-1011 September 14 RPAC Event 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. T-Mobile Park 425-974-1011 September 17 State Directors 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 425-974-1011 September 22 – 24 WR Fall Conference [..]
Industry News
Seattle growing
No need to turn out the lights. Despite reports of an exodus from downtown Seattle due to a combination of factors, including the coronavirus pandemic, rising homelessness, and civil rights protests, a series of recent reports paints a fairly rosy picture: Population growth for downtown Seattle is eclipsing both the [..]
Industry News
Seattle housing affordability drops
Escalating home prices negate affordability gains the average homebuyer attained from low interest rates and higher incomes, according to the Real House Price Index (RHPI) published by First American Financial Corp. The index measures the price changes of single-family properties adjusted for the impact of income and interest rates on [..]
Industry News
Desire for homeownership continues trending upward
Americans have a growing desire to become homeowners, according to the latest Housing Trends Report, a research product created by economists at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Researchers reported 17% of American adults are considering a home purchase within a year. That seasonally-adjusted share for the 2nd quarter [..]
Industry News
Bellwether Housing adding 182-unit affordable housing project
Bellwether Housing broke ground on Flourish on Rainier, its latest affordable housing project, in mid-July. With an anticipated opening in summer 2023, it will encompass 182 family-centered homes, many with 3 or 4 bedrooms. It is not yet leasing. At the groundbreaking, Lisa Hawkins, a construction project manager at Bellwether, [..]
Industry News
News In Brief
A federal judge has upheld renter protections passed by the Seattle City Council in 2017, finding they are a reasonable approach for reducing housing discrimination. The protections, enshrined in the Fair Chance Housing Ordinance, prohibit most landlords from inquiring about the criminal history of renters or prospective renters. The city [..]
Industry News
Oregon bans “love letters” in real estate transactions
Oregon lawmakers put the kibash on the use of “love letters” for real estate transactions, making the Beaver State the first in the nation to ban them. House hunters who hope to have their purchase offer favored by sellers can no longer include communications that convey their love of the [..]
Industry News
Former SKCR staffer launches new venture
Val (Towler) Taylor, who worked at Seattle King County REALTORS™ for 12+ years before relocating to North Carolina, has taught herself various art mediums over the years. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, she concentrated on learning to draw with watercolors and soft pastels. SKCR’s former director of membership and communications turned [..]
Industry News
Coalition documents gaps between renter wages and cost of rental housing
In no state, metropolitan area, or county can a full-time minimum-wage worker afford a modest two-bedroom rental home. Even a modest one-bedroom apartment is beyond the means of these workers in 93% of U.S. counties, according to Out of Reach 2021: The High Cost of Housing report. Researchers ranked Washington [..]