Posts by jnaegeli
Seattle Not Levying New Taxes to Fill Budget Gap
Seattle Not Levying New Taxes to Fill Budget Gap Back to News Center February 4, 2025 Seattle King County REALTORS® has been engaged in the Seattle budget process to ensure the record general fund budget deficits of $251 million in 2025 and $498 million in 2026 were not closed by levying new taxes. We commented…
Read MoreBlack Diamond Lifts Cannabis Moratorium
Black Diamond Lifts Cannabis Moratorium Back to News Center February 4, 2025 Effective January 1, 2025, the city of Black Diamond lifted its moratorium on new retail cannabis establishments. The moratorium had been in place since 2013. The effort to lift the ban began in January of last year in response to a proposal by…
Read MoreRenton Comprehensive Plan Update Approved
Renton Comprehensive Plan Update Approved Back to News Center February 4, 2025 At its final meeting of 2024, the Renton City Council approved the state-mandated update of its comprehensive plan to guide and facilitate the city’s growth over the next 20 years. The changes are intended to accommodate 17,000 new housing units and almost 32,000…
Read MoreKent Voters Approve Levy with REALTORS® Support
Kent Voters Approve Levy with REALTORS® Support Back to News Center February 4, 2025 On election night in November, the Kent School District’s ballot proposition was losing with just 49.11% of the vote. Because it was a levy, and not a bond, 50% approval is required for passage. When all the votes were tallied, it…
Read MoreNo Increase to SeaTac Property Taxes
No Increase to SeaTac Property Taxes Back to News Center February 4, 2025 On November 27, the SeaTac City Council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance with no increase in the city’s 2025 property tax levy. Additionally, the city chose not to take advantage of the opportunity to increase property taxes based on its “banked…
Read MoreSign Codes Updates
Sign Codes Updates Back to News Center February 4, 2025 Sign code updates are in play in the cities of Bellevue, Lake Forest Parks, and Duvall. Deliberation was paused on that work so comprehensive plans can be completed. We expect work to resume in the first quarter of 2025. Categories Advocacy Education Events Featured Membership…
Read MoreREALTORS® Introduce New Resource for Tracking Changes to Housing Policy
REALTORS® Introduce New Resource for Tracking Changes to Housing Policy Back to News Center January 15, 2025 This month, Seattle King County REALTORS® has launched REALTORS® + Housing, a new website dedicated to tracking the changes to housing policy mandated by two pieces of legislation passed by the Washington Legislature in 2023: HB 1110 and…
Read More2024 Year in Review
2024 Year in Review Back to News Center December 31, 2024 Reflections from 2024 President Michael Orbino Happy 2025 to all our REALTOR® members and colleagues. I have been reflecting on our annual tradition of the holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving, which is usually seen as a time of deep gratitude. This is followed by…
Read MoreEarly Assessment Shows Broker Commissions Declining
Early Assessment Shows Broker Commissions Declining Back to News Center December 30, 2024 A comparison of real estate broker commissions shows year-over-year decreases for both buyer agents and seller agents. In a recent blog, internationally known economist Elliot F. Eisenberg, Ph.D., noted it’s “still very early and the housing market is profoundly weak,” but said…
Read MoreSeasonal slowdown evident but industry watchers expect more supply and moderating prices
Seasonal slowdown evident but industry watchers expect more supply and moderating prices Back to News Center December 20, 2024 Key metrics on housing activity were mixed in November as seasonal slowdowns began, according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Its latest report shows systemwide month-over-month declines in new listings, total inventory, pending sales, closed sales and…
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