NEWS & INSIGHTS
What’s Happening
Industry News
Washington one of few states with population growth
Washington was one of few states to experience population growth during 2019 (up 1.2%), according to newly-released estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. Overall, the nation’s population grew by only 0.5% between 2018 and 2019 – the slowest pace in decades. Census Bureau officials attribute the meager gain to various [..]
Industry News
SKCR Events Calendar
Date Event Time Where Phone Jan 20 HOLIDAYOffice Closed Jan 22 WR Committees Hotel RLOlympia 425-974-1011 Jan 23 Hill Day Hotel RLOlympia 425-974-1011 Jan 29 Board of Directors 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. SKCR 425-974-1011 Feb 4 Govt. Affairs Committee 10:30 am – 1:30 pm SKCR 425-974-1011 [..]
Industry News
News In Brief
Seattle took the second spot in a new ranking among cities across the country with the worst commutes, according to a story in the Seattle PI. According to the study from Apartment Guide, people in Seattle lost 138 hours a year due to traffic congestion in the city. The cost [..]
Industry News
Graduated tax rates on real estate sales started January 1, 2020
Starting January 1, a graduated excise tax rate for real estate sales replaces a flat 1.28% state rate. The tiered tax is based on the selling price of property sales occurring on or after January 1, 2020 (ESSB 5998). The new legislation does not affect the sale of undeveloped land, [..]
Monthly Market Update
Eager home buyers were plentiful in December but their choices were meager
KIRKLAND, Washington (January 6, 2020) – “The buyers are out there and are showing up at open houses and making multiple offers on new listings,” was how one industry leader summarized December’s housing activity involving members of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Frank Wilson, Kitsap regional manager and branch managing [..]
Industry News
SKCR Events Calendar
Date Event Time Where Phone 12/11/19 Affiliate Council Mtg. 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. SKCR 425-974-1011 12/24-25/19 Holiday-Office Closed SKCR 425-974-1011 1/8/20 Affiliate Council Mtg. 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. SKCR 425-974-1011 1/15/20 Board of Directors 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. SKCR 425-974-1011 For updates visit: www.nwrealtor.com and look under “Events”
Industry News
ORCA For All
Motivated by twin beliefs that mobility is a human right, and a shift to low-carbon modes of transportation is urgently needed to avert climate catastrophe – a nonprofit social welfare organization has launched ORCA for All. The campaign is designed to persuade more employers, “especially larger employers than can more [..]
Industry News
Number of prospective home buyers who are actively searching shrinks
Of the 12% of American adults who plan to purchase a home in the next 12 months, 44% are actively looking. That’s a slightly smaller share than a year ago when 47% of prospective buyers were actively searching. Researchers at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) who analyzed the [..]
Industry News
News In Brief
Looking for a safe city in Washington to settle down in? Duvall is a top choice, according to a new study. The town of just under 8,000 was named atop the Top 50 safest cities in Washington by Security Baron. The study analyzed FBI rankings of crime rates in 116 [..]
Industry News
“November Surprise” brings “plenty of buyers,” uptick in home sales, prices
KIRKLAND, Washington (December 5, 2019) – Brokers with Northwest Multiple Listing Service reported “plenty of buyers” competing for sparse inventory during November, which ended with a 7% year-over-year increase in pending sales. The volume of mutually accepted offers rose even more (9.2%) in the tri-county Puget Sound region consisting of [..]