By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Data on jobs released by the Puget Sound Regional Council recently show the four-county region added 362,800 jobs between 2010 and 2017. At this pace, the region continues to add more than three jobs for every housing unit, placing continued strong demand on housing.

As this month’s Builder’s Bulletin shows, we’re seeing more of the same with a very low inventory of homes for sale and rising home prices in King and Snohomish counties. Meanwhile, King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties experienced a 32 percent decrease in multifamily permits the first two months of this year, compared to the same period last year. Single family permits are up 10 percent in King and Pierce counties and down 22 percent in Snohomish County.

The Builders' Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:

This week, Shannon talks to MBAKS Product Manager Kevin McDaniel about enrolling in GRIP and this year's GRIP refund—our largest ever.

Enroll by June 15

By The Money Hour with Tina Mitchell

Leah Missik with Built Green has been the program manager for about two years. As the program manager, she has grown the certification, conducted a green home study that received national attention, and was nominated for a Northwest Emmy Award for a public-facing ad campaign on the advantages of living in a Built Green® home. Prior to Built Green, Leah worked as a Renewable Energy Analyst, supporting a small-scale renewables program where a utility bought back energy at a premium rate.  In The Money Hour segment today, Leah talks about the importance and benefits of green homes and Built Green.