By Shannon Affholter, The Everett Herald

Despite numerous legislative efforts to find a permanent and balanced solution to address the Washington state Supreme Court's Hirst decision, lawmakers in Olympia remain deadlocked on the issue. Unfortunately, the legislature adjourned on Thursday without reaching an agreement.

The 2016 Hirst decision has effectively halted many people from building their homes in areas that depend on well water. The ruling has created a great deal of uncertainty for counties, rural communities, builders, and families across the state. As legislators leave town, the hardship on affected property owners will continue without being resolved.

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Home Prices Continue Upward Climb

Median single family home prices surged nearly 14 percent in King and Snohomish counties in June compared to a year ago, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The median price was $653,000 in King County and $450,000 in Snohomish County. In Seattle the median single family home price rose 12.53 percent to $750,000.  Meanwhile, with 0.84 months’ supply of housing inventory, King County continued to have the tightest inventory of the 23 counties in the Northwest MLS market area. 

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:

Contact:
Stephanie Giralmo, Public Relations & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MBAKS Gives Local Charity a Fresh Coat of Paint

KENT, WA—Since 2003, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) has painted hundreds of thousands of square feet for various service organizations through our Painting a Better Tomorrow (PBT) community stewardship program. PBT is a one-day event that brings MBAKS members and community volunteers together to paint a local service organization’s facility.

“Frequently, the first maintenance item to be removed off an operational budget is painting, so many of our recipients have gone years without this much-needed improvement,” stated MBAKS Interim Executive Director Jerry Hall. “The Painting a Better Tomorrow program allows us to give back to the community by helping create a welcoming space for the communities that they serve.”

This year MBAKS selected King County non-profit Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care as their 2022 partner. Valley Cities provides case management, vocational training, housing support, peer support, crisis support and a wide variety of other support services to meet the unique needs of each. Valley Cities serves more than 20,000 people each year through intensive behavioral health care, counseling, and support services.

"It's important to make our clients feel like our space is welcoming, soothing, and calming so they feel safe enough to access care,” said Kent Clinic Manager, Jessica Forshee. “That's exactly why we looked for programs and grants to create spaces of belonging."

Programs like these would not be possible without the help from our sponsors. Thank you to our signature sponsor ERNWest for their support throughout the years.

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders’ association. 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.

About Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care

Established by community members of South King County in 1965, Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care has provided behavioral health care services to people of all ages for over 50 years. Through the ongoing support of the community, Valley Cities delivers compassionate care to over 20,000 individuals at 10 outpatient clinics, 2 inpatient detox centers, and 1 Cohen Military Family clinic. Valley Cities offers licensed mental health counseling and substance use disorder treatment; homeless outreach services and housing programs; and specialized services that deliver counseling and family support to veterans and their families. Throughout their long history, Valley Cities has remained focused on helping families and individuals by delivering a continuum of services designed to maximize client potential and success. Their work is founded on their unwavering belief in the resiliency and strength of the human spirit. That, with help, people can and do overcome the barriers and obstacles that confront them.

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