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Category: Industry News
Industry News
Seattle University president who “always shows up” named 2019 Seattle-King County First Citizen
BELLEVUE, Washington (March 12, 2019) – One organization executive described this year’s Seattle-King County First Citizen as a “selfless leader” who “shows up” and praised him for his deep commitment to community building. A company president lauded his “obvious heart of a servant.” Seattle University President Stephen V. Sundborg, SJ [..]
Industry News
Consultants ponder merits of social media for homebuilders
In a recent “New Home Insights” podcast, the senior VP at John Burns Real Estate said he believes most builders are effectively using social media to drive sales, but added, “I believe that social media has become a major reason that buyers are not purchasing a new home.” Will Wehrli, [..]
Industry News
Real estate researchers reveal “secret sauce” of top selling master planned communities
Developers of the top 50 master-planned communities work hard to create “the perfect combination of attractive amenities, proper product segmentation, and creative, targeted marketing,” according to researchers at John Burns Real Estate. Jody Kahn, senior VP and Devyn Bachman, senior research analyst, identified four “must-haves” for successful masterplans: A range [..]
Industry News
Washington homeowners pay 12th highest real estate taxes in U.S.
Homeowners in the state of Washington pay the 12th highest real estate taxes per year, according to an analysis by the National Association of Home Builders. The federation, whose members construct about 80 percent of the new homes built in the U.S., found property tax rates differ substantially across the [..]
Industry News
Building confidence rising despite worries around affordability
Ongoing drops in mortgage rates coupled with continued strength in the job market are boosting confidence among builders, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Robert Dietz, PhD, chief economist at NAHB, reported builder confidence rose four points to 62 in February, which [..]
Industry News
Characteristics of recent home buyers unveiled in NAHB study
First-time buyers accounted for 37 percent of all households that purchased homes in the past two years, according to findings in the 2017 American Housing Survey. That was a slight drop from 39 percent from the prior period. The National Association of Home Builders analyzes data from the biennial survey [..]
Industry News
House hunting pet owners place high priority on spaces for pets
~WIN~ a DIY catio plan for your beloved cat or your client’s. The successful bidder at the April 18 REALTOR® Wine & Spirits Auction in Bellevue will receive a certificate for a Catio Spaces DIY Catio Plan (bidder’s choice of style). Real estate brokers are keenly aware of the priority [..]
Industry News
Homebuyers Resuming Search Amid Improving Inventory, Attractive Terms
KIRKLAND, Washington (February 7, 2019) – Homebuyers around Washington state are making their way back to the market, hoping to take advantage of improving inventory, attractive interest rates, and more approachable sellers, according to officials with Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Northwest MLS statistics for January show year-over-year improvement in the [..]
Industry News
Microsoft earmarks $500 million to help solve affordable housing
Pledging a “commitment to do our part to help kick-start new solutions to this [housing] crisis,” Microsoft president Brad Smith and CFO Amy Hood announced a three-pronged $500 million workforce housing fund to boost affordable housing in the Seattle area. Writing in a blog post, Smith and Hood emphasized affordable [..]
Industry News
News In Brief
According to a 2017 analysis by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM jobs grew at double the rate of non-STEM jobs between 2009 and 2015. STEM jobs are growing everywhere, but where are the hotspots, and where should you work in the field? WalletHub released a ranking of the [..]