NW REPORTER

NW REporter

Northwest REporter is a joint publication brought to you by Northwest Multiple Listing Service and the Seattle King County REALTORS.

Seattle King County Realtors

October 2020 Issues

Active adult buyers are reemerging

Active adult buyers – a key component of housing demand – are reemerging according to researchers with John Burns Real Estate. They found “particularly strong” home sales in August and September at many age-qualified communities. “We know one of the highest priorities for this buyer set is being close to [..]

Seattle among cities with big drops in net arrivals

Seattle is among five cities with the steepest declines in net arrivals, according to new data from LinkedIn’s Economic Graph team. The group analyzed city migration patterns amid the pandemic comparing April to August 2020 to the same period a year ago. “Smaller metro areas are gaining, some famous big [..]

Public memorial service being planned for U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton

The Hon. Slade Gorton, who was the 2010 recipient of the Seattle King County First Citizen Award, is expected to be honored at a memorial service on August 19, 2021, which coincides with the one-year anniversary of his death. The widely respected statesman died at age 92 at his Bellevue [..]

Issues & Impacts

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

Northwest MLS brokers say September’s home sales reached highest level since June 2018

KIRKLAND, Washington (October 7, 2020) – Northwest Multiple Listing Service brokers completed 10,175 sales transactions during September – the highest monthly volume since June 2018 when MLS members reported 10,072 closed sales. September’s closings also marked a jump of nearly 28% from the same month a year ago, according to [..]

Mortgage activity wanes with various reasons cited

Mortgage availability in August dropped to its lowest level since March 2014, according to an index from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The group suggested the weak economy is prompting lenders to tighten standards. Credit continues to tighten because of uncertainty still looming around the health of the job market, according [..]

“Some Elbow Room” adds spaces for myriad uses

Like many start-ups, the inspiration for Some Elbow Room came from a personal need. Erin and Patrick Callahan, who live in San Antonio, launched their venture after they built a small freestanding studio in their backyard to accommodate Erin’s art projects. Their friends and neighbors loved the “stylish, functional, and [..]

New home sales surging, bolstering builder confidence

Low interest rates, a renewed consumer focus on the importance of housing, and rising demand in lower-density markets like suburbs and exurbs are credited with surging sales of new single-family homes. Citing Census and HUD estimates, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported sales during August reached a seasonally [..]

News In Brief

A new study has found that Seattle ranks as the No.1 overall best city in the nation for coffee and coffee lovers. It isn’t exactly a surprise that Seattle – home of Starbucks, Seattle’s Best Coffee and a host of excellent local coffee shops that roast their own beans – [..]

Groups collaborate to facilitate rentals for residents facing homelessness

More than 1,000 individuals in King County who were experiencing or facing homelessness found housing during the first year of operations for Housing Connector, a nonprofit cross-sector collaboration. Nearly half the newly housed were children and 70% were people of color. Housing Connector, a partnership of the city of Seattle, [..]

SKCR Events Calendar

Date Event Time Where Phone Oct 6 Gov’t Affairs Committee 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Zoom 425-974-1011 Oct 14 Affiliate Council 10 a.m.-11 a.m.   425-974-1011 Oct 16 Battle of Barristers 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Zoom 425-974-1011 Oct 21-23 WR Leader Retreat     425-974-1011 For updates visit: www.nwrealtor.com and look under “Events”

Second home sales surging, but buyer expectations have changed

Demand for second home within a reasonable drive of a family’s primary home is booming, according to a report from John Burns Real Estate. Developers and builders who understand these buyers’ mindsets and preferences stand to benefit. Researchers found second homes in convenient locations “are benefiting from a rise in [..]

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