Contact:
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067
pr@mbaks.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties Wins Awards for Best Service to Members and Best Community Service Project Conducted

BELLEVUE, Wash., June 12, 2024—MBAKS has been recognized for its outstanding Community Stewardship and GRIP programs with two Awards of Excellence from the Executive Officers Council (EOC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

“What an honor it is to have our team recognized for all the work they do to make home happen,” said Jerry Hall, Executive Director. “I’m so proud of the ways in which we’ve been able to give back, through a number of community stewardship projects as well as through the benefits our members receive from the GRIP program."

MBAKS offers member companies an opportunity to gain reimbursements for cultivating safe working environments through GRIP. Over the years, the program has constantly evolved to provide the highest level of service for the lowest cost while prioritizing the safety of member participants.

Since its inception, MBAKS’ Community Stewardship has given back to local communities through volunteer based projects as well as financial contributions. Through two flagship projects, Rampathon and Painting A Better Tomorrow, staff and member volunteers have improved homes and community spaces across the region, including constructing over 600 ramps for individuals and families with mobility issues and refreshing the interiors of more than 20 local nonprofit organizations.

The Association Excellence Awards is an annual program designed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of state and local home builders’ associations and executive officers in the field of association management. EOC membership is comprised of the staff executives who direct more than 590 NAHB-affiliated state and local home builders’ associations representing more than 130,000 home builders in communities across the United States.

“I am inspired by the outstanding achievements of our local associations that won AEA honors this year. Their dedication to excellence, innovation, and community impact sets a high standard for all of us,” said Natalie Fryer, EOC President and Executive Officer of the HBA of Fayetteville. “These associations are shining examples of what can be accomplished with vision, hard work, and a commitment to quality. Congratulations to all the award-winning associations for their well-deserved recognition. Your accomplishments not only benefit your members but also enhance the entire Federation.”

The winning entries will be added to the NAHB website, so that other executives and associations across the country can access and learn from them in order to provide better service to their own members and community.

For more information on the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties go to mbaks.com or contact pr@mbaks.com. Learn more about the Association Excellence Awards. 

About MBAKS

The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders association, helping to make home happen since 1909. 

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By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Statistics from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, highlighted in the October Builder’s Bulletin, show an increasing supply of homes for sale in the month of August. King County had 1.92 months’ supply of inventory, up from 0.93 months’ supply a year ago. Snohomish County had 1.70 months of inventory, up from 1.11 a year ago. This increase in supply, while still low, has moderated price increases.

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:

By Marc Stiles, Puget Sound Business Journal (subscription required)

The size of new houses on Mercer Island will be limited more than anywhere else in the region starting Nov. 1, when new restrictions that the city council approved on Tuesday take effect.

The council voted 5-1 to update the city's residential design standards and approved a new rule to protect mature trees.

The code update affects all of the 6,950 single-family lots on the island, which is a choice market for builders of new homes. The island's average household income of $183,200 is the Puget Sound region's second-highest behind Medina, according to Puget Sound Business Journal research.

New construction and remodeling projects can still be vested under the old code until the end of October, city spokesman Ross Freeman said.

After that, new homes won't be able to cover more than 40 percent of a lot, down from 45 percent. Maximum heights have been cut from 35 to 30 feet, and at least 30 percent of large trees must be kept when a lot under goes major construction. The rules also limit the amount of "hardscape" surfaces, such as decks and patios, to 9 percent of a lot.

Residents who pushed for the change raised concerns about how quickly the character of their neighborhoods have been changing, with old houses being replaced by larger ones.

While the city has been working on the update for about a year, critics say the city rolled out the new rules hither and yon, discussing different changes at different times. They were not discussed as a comprehensive package, according to the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, which asked council members to slow down the process and consider their recommendations.

"This is a lose-lose. The (homebuilding industry) was not heard and the community's primary concerns were not addressed," David Hoffman, a government affairs staff member for the homebuilders, said after Tuesday's council vote.

People are still going to build big houses that will upset some neighbors, he said.