By Marc Stiles / Puget Sound Business Journal

As the Puget Sound region's economy continues its stratospheric rise, many are asking how we can avoid replicating the worst elements of San Francisco Bay area—specifically its soaring home prices.

With economic trends in Seattle following the Bay Area's like clockwork, it seems inevitable that our region will indeed become more like theirs.

This weekend, Shannon took a moment to talk to our president, Joseph Irons of Irons Brothers Construction, at the Membership Appreciation Picnic at Remlinger Farms.

See more of our member benefits

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: