Here’s how much you need to earn to afford a Seattle-area home

By  Heidi Groover Seattle Times business reporter In just a few years, the income needed to afford a typical home in the Seattle area has shot up nearly 80%, illustrating how skyrocketing home prices and interest rate hikes together have reshaped the region’s housing affordability. A Zillow analysis published Thursday found that Seattle-area home shoppers need to

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WA legislators’ claims of ‘privilege’ complicate state Public Records Act

By  Claire Withycombe  and  Jim Brunner Seattle Times staff reporters OLYMPIA — Five years ago, the Washington Legislature was dragged, kicking and screaming, into compliance with the state’s Public Records Act, which says their emails, text messages and other documents should be available for public scrutiny. Court rulings and Gov. Jay Inslee’s veto of a

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A generational tug-of-war is hampering the housing market — and limiting buyers’ options

By Andy Medici – Senior Reporter, The Playbook, The Business Journals Feb 25, 2024 Homebuyers in today’s market are increasingly faced with an inconvenient but inescapable truth — there are fewer homes for sale and the ones on the market are often in need of big repairs and renovations. That’s because far fewer homes have been built

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Why some King County home values dropped while taxes on them rose

By  Gene Balk / FYI Guy  Seattle Times columnist If you’re a King County homeowner, it’s likely your home’s assessed value fell in 2024. Nearly everywhere in the county, assessed values dropped from last year. But you may be surprised to find your property tax didn’t go down nearly as much as you may have

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Point Ruston’s legal battles grow as condo groups seek neutral party to govern site

Story by Debbie Cockrell, The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.) • 4d Feb. 16—Point Ruston’s lawsuits and financial woes now include legal action from condominium associations representing residents at the site. On Jan. 25, five condominium associations representing building residents at Point Ruston filed a petition in Pierce County Superior Court against the Point Ruston Owners Association. The

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Dozens of students, staff leave Russell Wilson-backed charter school

By  Dahlia Bazzaz Seattle Times staff reporter Education Lab is a Seattle Times project that spotlights promising approaches to persistent challenges in public education. The Seattle Foundation serves as the fiscal sponsor for Education Lab, which is supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Learn more about Ed Lab.  DES MOINES — From

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AMAZON’S HOUSE CALL As the Housing Equity Fund nears its $2 billion investment

As the Housing Equity Fund nears its $2 billion investment goal two years ahead of schedule, affordable housing developers wonder how Amazon’s commitment will evolve. By Shawna De La Rosa – Reporter, Puget Sound Business Journal Feb 12, 2024 Updated Feb 12, 2024 6:39pm PST Three years after Amazon launched its Housing Equity Fund (HEF), the scope of its ambitious

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Seattle property taxes among top 5 most expensive in big U.S. cities

By  Gene Balk / FYI Guy  Seattle Times columnist Everyone knows buying a home in Seattle is incredibly expensive. But keeping it isn’t cheap either. I’m talking about property taxes. The tax burden for Seattle homeowners is among the highest for any large U.S. city. And along with home values, property taxes in Seattle have

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