NEWS & INSIGHTS
What’s Happening
Press Release
Northwest MLS’s Members Provide Buyers and Sellers with Choices, Control, and Complete Transparency
The nearly $1.8 billion jury verdict in a home seller’s class action lawsuit in Missouri against the National Association of Realtors and large brokerage franchisors has consumers and brokers in Washington state asking questions about residential real estate brokerage.
NWMLS In The News
Interest Rates, Low Inventory Continue to Affect Area’s Housing Market
NW REporter
Builder incentives contributing to sales resilience
With home prices growing twice as fast as incomes and mortgage rates at a 23-year high, few are surprised that housing activity has slowed. What may be surprising is sales of newly built homes are bucking the trend and showing remarkable resilience, according to reports from John Burns Research & [..]
NW REporter
Builders call for more predictable permit process to ease housing crisis
Under the theme “Local Permitting Changes to Make Home Happen Now,” the keynote speaker, a panel of local officials, and representatives from the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) emphasized the importance of a timely, predictable, and fair permitting review process. Their remarks were made during the [..]
NW REporter
Enhanced septic records search tool will ease siting of ADUs
King County recently unveiled a new septic records search tool that enables Realtors to view septic system and Group B water system records on file with Public Health – Seattle & King County. The streamlined tool was developed with assistance and input of the On-site Sewage/Septic System Technical Advisory Committee, [..]
NW REporter
White House outlines incentives to repurpose vacant buildings for housing
Developers and building owners may be able to leverage billions of federal dollars to convert vacant office properties into residential uses under guidelines the White House unveiled late last month. The wide-ranging guidelines include actions by the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the General [..]
NW REporter
Issues & Impacts: November 2023
Issues & Impacts is a quarterly publication produced by the SEATTLE KingCounty REALTORS® to inform members about current issues and successes within your Governmental Affairs Department. SEATTLE KingCounty REALTORS® (SKCR) is ensuring that public policies support homeownership and your business’s bottom line. View the full publication
NW REporter
Seattle among 5 “least affordable metros”
With an overall score of 114.568, the Seattle region landed fifth on a ranking of “least affordable metros,” topped only by #1 San Francisco, #2 San Diego, #3 Honolulu and #4 New York. Los Angeles ranked #6. The analysis of the nation’s 100 largest metros was published last month by [..]
NW REporter
Tacoma Habitat building first innovative carbon home in U.S.
A first-of-its-kind home using zero-carbon concrete will be part of a small Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity project in Gig Harbor. The nonprofit housing organization is partnering with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s (NRMCA) Build with Strength coalition and others on the innovative three-home development. For qualified renters who [..]
NW REporter
Opening doors to homeownership for young people without family money
With starter homes becoming increasingly unaffordable, some first-time buyers are relying on family so they can join the ranks of homeowners. Would-be buyers who are born to homeowner parents also have an edge in getting on the first rung of the housing ladder. Research by Redfin and others underscores the [..]
NW REporter
Regional partners sponsoring campaign to bring volunteers back to food banks
Tis the season for gatherings! Are you looking for an opportunity to get together with colleagues, friends, relatives, or neighbors for a meaningful cause? Hunger relief programs throughout Washington are in dire need of volunteers with various skills and abilities to help with food distribution tasks. Several organizations have teamed [..]