NEWS & INSIGHTS
What’s Happening
Industry News
SKCR Events Calendar
Date Event Time Where Phone Aug 20 Planning Committee 9 am – 12 pm 425-974-1011 Aug 27 Planning Committee 9 am – 12 pm 425-974-1011 Sept 7 Holiday-Office Closed 425-974-1011 Sept 9 Affiliate Council 10 am – 11 am Zoom 425-974-1011 For updates visit: www.nwrealtor.com and [..]
Industry News
Startup aims to increase supply of long-term rentals within Seattle’s single family zoning
With backing from some prominent business executives, an architect and founder of a systems-design consultancy launched a new company to increase housing options and help solve Seattle’s affordability challenges. Citing King County data indicating it needs 244,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade to align supply with demand, [..]
Industry News
Planning Council surveys displaced residents to better understand factors prompting moves
About one of every four households that moved in the past five years within King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties said they relocated for one or more negative reasons. By far, the cost of housing was the top reason, according to findings in the 2019 PSRC Household Travel Survey, a [..]
Industry News
News In Brief
The Bellingham/Whatcom County area ranks as the ninth-least affordable midsized city for homebuyers in the country, according to an AdvisorSmith study released in July. With a weighted home price of $410,613 and median household income of $62,268, the report gave the Bellingham metro area a price-to-income ratio of 6.6. The [..]
Industry News
We’re not #1
Seattle ranked in the bottom 10 of cities whose residents have not paid off their home loans, according to a new study from Construction Coverage, which reviews financial products, software, and insurance for the construction industry. Only 18% of owner-occupied homes in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area are paid off, according to [..]
Industry News
Northwest Multiple Listing Service unveils more options for house hunters to view homes
Western Washington home shoppers can now take various types of guided tours of properties, including a new “Live Stream Open House” option. Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) recently unveiled that new feature plus enhanced ways for member-brokers to promote multiple virtual tours on their listings. The enhancements, developed as part [..]
Industry News
News In Brief
Federal regulators will vote in July on whether to make “988” the number to reach a suicide prevention hotline. The Federal Communications Commission says phone service providers will have until July 2022 to implement the new number, if the measure is approved in July, as expected. Once it’s in place, [..]
Industry News
New tool simplifies utility set-up
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has simplified the process for setting up electric and natural gas service for homebuyers in their 6,000 square mile service territory, which covers much of Western Washington. The online tool may be used for setting up, stopping, or moving service. “It’s hard enough going through the [..]
Industry News
Washington nets nearly 110,000 new residents in past year
Washington’s population grew 1.5% over the past year to top 7.6 million. A new report from the Office of Financial Management (OFM) shows net migration accounted for 76% of the 109,800 new residents. OFM reported net births made up the remaining 24% of the growth. Since April 2, 2010, the [..]
Industry News
King County’s Department of Local Services marks notable inaugural year
When King County Executive Dow Constantine appointed John Taylor to serve as the first director of the newly created Department of Local Services (DLS), he envisioned a leader for a “virtual city hall” or “go-to agency” for the “unique and diverse” constituents in unincorporated King County. “Everyone in the unincorporated [..]