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Category: Industry News
Industry News
News in Brief
Rents are dropping significantly across the Seattle area for the first time this decade, as a flood of new construction has left apartments sitting empty in Seattle’s hottest neighborhoods. The average rent across King and Snohomish counties dipped 2.9 percent in December compared with the prior quarter, according to a [..]
Industry News
SKCR Endorses Funding for School Districts
Please remember to vote in the February 13 special elections. Seattle King County REALTORS endorses funding requests from three school districts.
Industry News
SKCR Events Calendar
Date Event Time Where Phone 5/13-18/19 NAR Meetings Washington, DC 425-974-1011 5/23/19 First Citizen Banquet 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm Fairmont Hotel, Seattle 425-974-1011 5/27/19 Holiday – Office Closed 6/4/19 Housing Issues Briefing 11:30 am – 1:30 pm Meydenbauer Center 425-974-1011 For updates visit: www.nwrealtor.com and [..]
Industry News
Northwest MLS brokers report 2017 home sales valued at record-high $46.5 billion despite depleted inventory
KIRKLAND, Washington. (Jan. 18, 2018) – Members of Northwest Multiple Listing Service reported 99,345 closed sales during 2017, outgaining the prior year’s volume of 95,500 transactions for an increase of more than 4 percent. Inventory dipped to record lows while prices continued to rise. Measured by dollars, last year’s sales [..]
Industry News
Washington 6th among inbound movers
U-Haul’s annual analysis of inbound and outbound movers pegged Washington as the 6th most popular destination. Among move-to cities, Tacoma was the highest ranking in the state, landing 5th on that list. A similar study by United Van Lines also had Washington among the top 10 states for inbound migration [..]
Industry News
Burns is bullish on homebuilding because “demographics are massively clear”
Pent-up demand, sparse supply, and shifting demographics are prompting real estate consultant John Burns to pivot from his reputation as a homebuilding pessimist to becoming “one of the most aggressive forecasters” for both price and volume in this sector. During an interview at last month’s International Builders’ Show, Burns, the [..]
Industry News
NWMLS integrates Down Payment Resource to assist buyers
Atlanta-based Down Payment Resource (DPR), the nationwide databank for homebuyer programs, is now integrated into the listing database at Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The service allows Northwest MLS’s 28,000 real estate brokers to search and review eligibility and benefit details of all homeownership programs in Washington, helping connect their buyers [..]
Industry News
Soundtracks added to Google Street View
Since 2007 when Google Street View launched, the technology has evolved to feature panoramic 360-degree photos of locations on all seven continents and the latest enhancement: soundtracks. The acoustics are thanks to AI, with early reviewers praising the results as mostly convincing, although they’re not without some hiccups. “It’s a [..]
Industry News
Builders invited to add sites to Green Home Tours in Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia
“Environmentally aware” builders of sustainable homes, multifamily projects, ADUs and other green-themed projects are invited to register them for the Northwest Green Home Tour, now in its eighth year. The annual educational event, open to the public, is held in the Greater Seattle area on April 28-29 and is adding [..]
Industry News
Immigrants account for growing share of worker-strapped construction industry
With the housing industry gaining momentum and native-born workers slow to return to the construction industry since the 2007 downturn, labor shortages are topping the list of crucial impediments to the home building sector. The aging US workforce is an added concern. A new report from the National Association of [..]