Posts in Local Economy
Slower (Not Lower) Home Price Growth

S&P Dow Jones recently released the Case-Shiller Home Price Index for August 2018, revealing that Seattle home price growth continues to slow. Up until just two months before that, Seattle led the nation in single-family home price gains for 21 consecutive months, but that run was ended as Las Vegas took over the lead.

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“The Paine Field Effect” As Alaska Airlines Rolls out Ticket Sales

The much-anticipated airport at Paine Field took a huge step this week as Alaska Airlines began ticket sales for flights that begin February 11th. According to Puget Sound Business Journal, Alaska Airlines has added more flights to their schedule, after Southwest Airlines put an “indefinite hold” on their planned operations in Everett.

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As We Head into Winter, Seattle is Named a Favorable Market to Buy a Home

Just a few months ago it would’ve been hard to believe, but according to Puget Sound Business Journal, a recent Zillow report names the Seattle metro region “the third best large market in the country in which to buy a house this winter.”

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The Puget Sound Real Estate Market is Finally Moving to a Balance

After seemingly endless months of a frenzied real estate market in the Puget Sound region in which buyers faced anemic supply and highly competitive bidding wars, the latest Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) press release reports that we are “finally returning” to a more balanced market, as “buyers welcome more choices, moderating prices.”

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Facebook Investing $7.5 Million in SODO Office Space

Facebook will soon be expanding its foot print in SODO, this according to a recent article published by the Puget Sound Business Journal, which indicates that the social media titan is investing $7.5 million into office space renovations at the Home Plate Center building. After initially indicating that they would lease a full floor at the office tower earlier this year, permits filed with the city of Seattle show that “Oculus” (the virtual reality arm of Facebook) has leased over 62,000 square feet.

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Do You Know the Fastest Growing Neighborhoods in Our Region?

Home to Amazon’s Seattle campus and explosive growth over the past few years, many will be unsurprised to hear that the fastest-growing neighborhood in the region is South Lake Union. The second neighborhood, however, may come as a surprise. To get there, you have to travel to the Eastside…

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Washington Ranked Second Best State for U.S. Business in 2018

Every year, CNBC ranks all 50 states to determine those that are the top destinations for businesses, using “more than 60 measures of competitiveness, developed with input from a broad and diverse array of business and policy experts, official government sources, the CNBC Global CFO Council, YPO and the states themselves.” In order to achieve balanced results, points are awarded to states from ten overarching categories and are weighted depending on how frequently they are used as selling points for economic development.

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WeWork Adds to Seattle Presence with Two New Leases

WeWork, an international co-working space provider, is greatly adding to its Emerald City footprint, as a recent report by Colliers International reveals that WeWork signed the two largest leases in Seattle in the second quarter of 2018, securing 120,000 square feet of office space at Metropolitan Park East, and an additional 115,000 at 1201 3rd Avenue. Seattle ranked tenth on the list of the nation’s top office markets, but its performance is quite stellar given the strength of WeWork and e-commerce giant Amazon.

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Google Continues to Cement its Presence in South Lake Union’s Tech Hub

Exciting news came from Google on August 14th, as Puget Sound Business Journal broke the story that the search engine giant is working with Vulcan Inc. to build a fifth office building for the company in the fast-growing South Lake Union neighborhood where it already has four in construction. The new building will stand 12 stories tall and complement the “Lakefront Blocks,” which will top 607,000 square feet of office space with apartments for rent.

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The Counselors of Real Estate® Outline Real Estate Trends for 2018-2019

In a recent special external affairs report, The Counselors of Real Estate® highlighted the Top Ten Issues Affecting Real Estate™ for 2018 – 2019, with a look at five short-term trends and five long-term items the industry should be looking at in the coming months and years. Below, you’ll find an outline of the five most pertinent issues impacting real estate now.

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