NW REPORTER
NW REporter
Northwest REporter is a joint publication brought to you by Northwest Multiple Listing Service and the Seattle King County REALTORS.
November 2021 Issues
News In Brief: November 2021
Get ready to pay sharply higher bills for heating this winter, along with seemingly everything else according to a report by KOMO News. With prices surging worldwide for heating oil, natural gas and other fuels, the U.S. government said Wednesday it expects households to see jumps of up to 54% [..]
Real estate wire fraud
Real estate wire fraud is among the most prevalent cybercrimes in the U.S. Much of the growth is attributed to the coronavirus pandemic, which drove more commerce online. To combat the problem, several real estate industry groups are mounting campaigns to educate those involved in a transaction – and especially, [..]
SKCR Events Calendar
Date Event Time Where Phone November 10 – 15 NAR Annual Conference San Diego, CA 425-974-1011 November 11 Affiliate Council 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Zoom 425-974-1011 November 25 Holiday-Office Closed 425-974-1011 December 7 Gov’t Affairs Committee 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. SKCR or Zoom For updates visit: www.nwrealtor.com and look under [..]
Chamber creates downloadable “vaccine verification toolkit”
To help businesses navigate and comply with King County’s latest vaccine verification order, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Public Health – Seattle & King County, published a 26-page “Vaccine Verification Toolkit.” Included in the booklet are sections titled: Know the Rules Accepted Proofs of Vaccination & [..]
Battle of the Barristers draws 730+ participants
The Battling Barristers(L to R) Lars Neste, Annie Fitzsimmons, Mike Spence, Chris Osborn, Doug Tingvall Five well-known real estate attorneys convened (and socially distanced) at the Seattle King County Realtors’ building last month for the association’s annual “Battle of the Barristers.” Ranked as the most valued member event, the three-hour [..]
Groups collaborating to close Black homeownership gap
Led by the Coalition for More Housing Choices, a partnership of more than a dozen organizations is collaborating to close the Black-white homeownership gap. Numerically, the goal is to double the Black homeownership rate in the next two decades in the region comprising King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish Counties by [..]
Seattle college launches certificate program to help meet homebuilders’ worker shortages
In response to widespread shortages of skilled workers in the home building industry, Seattle Central College’s Wood Technology Center recently unveiled a certificate program in Residential Construction. As part of the one-year micropathway program, students will have the opportunity to work for a local construction company during the day and [..]
Golf course seeks rezone of tiny parcel for future homes
Up to 32 new homes along a busy transit corridor could be built if the city of Bellevue approves a rezone application from Glendale Country Club. The private club’s property is currently zoned single-family (SF R-1), but it is adjacent to single-family R-2.5 and multifamily R-20 and R-30 zoned properties [..]
Outlook for homeownership dims
Fewer Americans aspire to own a home, according to research by the National Association of Home Builders. The group’s latest Housing Trends Report showed the share of adults planning a home purchase within a year slipped to 16% for the third quarter of 2021, reversing five consecutive quarters on rising [..]
Buyer hesitancy sidelines some while others compete for scarce housing inventory
KIRKLAND, Washington (November 4, 2021) – Northwest Multiple Listing Service brokers are detecting indecisiveness by some buyers who are getting mixed “work from home” messages from their employers. The hesitancy, coupled with cooler, wetter weather and increases in mortgage rates were likely factors in slower listing and sales activity during [..]
Northwest MLS unveils new client portal
Northwest Multiple Listing Service unveiled a new client portal called OneHome™ last month. Creators of the secure, easy-to-use platform promise “the timeliest and most robust information in the industry.” Upon answering a series of questions, clients can see at a glance how closely a property fits their criteria, thanks to [..]