FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Stephanie Giralmo, Public Relations & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7048

MBAKS Announces 2021 REX/T-REX (Remodeling Excellence and Trades Remodeling Excellence) Awards Winners

BELLEVUE, Wash.—June 12, 2021—For the 35th year in a row, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) hosted their annual Remodeling/Trades Remodeling Excellence (REX/T-REX) Awards.

The REX / T-REX Awards, presented by the Remodelers Council of MBAKS, encourages local remodelers and builders to submit their best projects of the year. Each submission is reviewed by a panel of remodeling professionals from across the country and winners are selected in each category. The categories are as follows: Bath Excellence, Kitchen Excellence, Residential Remodel Excellence, Green Remodel Excellence, Exterior Remodel Excellence, Landscape & Outdoor Living Excellence, Get Away Room & Specialty Space Excellence, and Design Excellence.

REX/T-REX entries were judged on the following categories:

1. Aesthetics—How is the remodel visually appealing?
2. Special or unique design solutions—How was the space planned and was livability considered?
3. Quality workmanship—What are the special features of the project and is there attention to detail?
4. Use of appropriate building material—Does the remodel complement existing structure and design?
5. Budgetary consideration—How did the project keep within the budget and still deliver client expectations?
6. Challenges and obstacles—Were there any unexpected obstacles that called for adjustments?

2021 REX/T-REX Winners

About the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders associations. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability, from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

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By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Low Inventory Driving Home Prices Up

The latest Builder's Bulletin for February 2017 shows a continued decline in the inventory of homes for sale in King and Snohomish counties and prices still on the rise. According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, in December 2016, both counties had less than a months' supply of inventory, far below the four to six month level considered by many industry analysts as an indicator of a healthy market. Meanwhile, the December median home price for single-family homes and condos was up 12.2 percent year-over-year in King County and 12.4 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, U.S. Census Bureau, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:

Reports Highlight Flaws in Mandatory Affordable Housing Fees

by MBAKS Government Affairs

Two new reports from ECOnorthwest shed light on key shortcomings in inclusionary zoning policies and the nexus studies often used to justify mandatory affordable housing requirements on new market-rate development.

MBAKS commissioned ECOnorthwest, an independent third-party public policy research firm, to prepare these reports in support of more informed local dialogue around affordable housing strategies.

The first report, Mandatory Affordable Housing Fees Carry Unintended Consequences, examines the real-world impacts of imposing affordable housing fees without corresponding incentives. It finds that mandatory affordable housing fees, though well-intentioned, disproportionately affect middle housing projects, often tipping them from risky to infeasible and preventing them from being built altogether. 

The second, How Nexus Studies Misunderstand the Affordable Housing Challenge, highlights a core flaw in the logic underpinning many nexus studies: the assumption that new market-rate housing is the primary driver of demand for affordable housing. The report describes several issues with this assumption, arguing that the framework used to justify mandatory inclusionary requirements misrepresents the true dynamics of housing markets. It does so by ignoring the broader supply shortage and the filtering process through which new housing helps ease pressure on lower-cost homes. By attributing the affordability crisis to new development rather than to structural undersupply, nexus studies risk reinforcing policies that further constrain housing production—ultimately exacerbating the very problem they aim to solve.

The ECOnorthwest reports reinforce the need to continue advancing solutions that increase supply at all levels. MBAKS is committed to being a collaborative partner in addressing the region’s housing shortage so our communities can be more affordable and inclusive for all.