The city of Seattle is considering a proposal that could ever so slightly ease the financial pain that come with soaring housing costs by allowing detached rental apartments in single-family-zoned neighborhoods: …detached rental apartments and backyard cottages have long been outlawed in Seattle’s traditional single-family neighborhoods. Some have worried they’ll cause parking problems, erode neighbors’…
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State Revenue Continues To Bubble
Here’s the latest installment of “Government Revenue Bubble,” courtesy of the Tacoma News-Tribune: Washington’s hot economy, still surging with a mighty assist from construction and real estate sales, will boost state income by more than $300 million, forecasters said Thursday. But in the same breath, economists warned of a slowdown, and Gov. Christine Gregoire and…
Crystal Ball Predicts Seattle Slowdown
No, seriously. That’s right, a “national housing expert” is predicting that Seattle will see a slowdown in the housing market in the next few years. He saw it on his crystal ball, it seems. The housing market in the greater Seattle area “will be heading downward” in the next two years, a national housing expert…
State Excise Tax Change Proposed
Realtors are gearing up for a fight in Washington State over a proposed change to real estate excise tax law: The Washington Association of Realtors has launched a $1 million advertising campaign to warn home sellers of a proposed tax increase on the proceeds from their home sales. A buyer of a new home could…
Gas Prices Linked To Housing Patterns?
Considering how much gasoline has surged in price in the last few years, it’s no surprise that so many people are talking about it. But will rising gas costs really have an effect on where people choose to live? Are the outlying suburbs of the Seattle area—currently experiencing record growth—in for falling prices if the…