Regional Spotlight: Washington Realtors Plan to Lay It on Thick

RISMEDIA, Jan. 17, 2008-(MCT)-Members of the Washington Association of Realtors say they have shifted to working more with local governments than the Legislature to make owning a home affordable.

Despite a $1.3 million television ad campaign last year, four bills pushed by the Washington Association of Realtors to improve affordability failed to become law.

Two association members and an association land-use staff member visited The Olympian’s Editorial Board on Wednesday to repeat the industry’s message that too few working families can afford a home, and more needs to be done to address the issue.

The median price of a Thurston County home or condo last month was $254,571, slightly less than the $255,000 it was a year ago, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Lower-price homes

About 15% of homes listed for sale this week were affordable to a family with the county’s median annual income of $60,209, said Phil Harlan, associate broker of Keller Williams Realty.

“That’s a disparity and a big concern,” Harlan said.

The association expects to propose a bill to create a legislative task force to identify additional funding sources for road improvements, bridges and sewers so local governments could more easily promote new housing, said Jeanette McKague, the association’s assistant director of land use and planning.

Unaffordable housing forces people to live farther from jobs, which adds to traffic congestion, said Bill Riley, a Puyallup Realtor and developer. He called on cities to promote more “in-fill” residential development, such as converting garages to homes and permitting more townhouses.

“We need to bring density inside of urban areas to keep more people off I-5,” Riley said.

Challenge awaits

Realtors failed to get a bill passed in last year’s 105-day legislative session. The 60-day session that begins Monday makes it a challenge this year for Realtors to come away with home-price-relief measures, Harlan said.

“I don’t think we’re going to see a bunch of stuff get done,” Harlan said. “We just have to be more creative on how we use land and produce housing.”

The association’s campaign is making more legislators aware of the home-affordability issue, Harlan said. As counties such as King run out of land to develop, neighboring counties such as Pierce should consider promoting more housing development to keep commutes to work as short as possible, Riley said.

State Rep. Larry Springer, D-Kirkland, said he planned to reintroduce a bill requiring local governments to work together to plan long-range housing needs to address the state’s growing population. Springer’s bill passed House and Senate committees last year, as well as the full House, but died in the Senate.

He’s optimistic it might pass this session.

“I think the prognosis is better than fifty-fifty because we already have three of the four steps accomplished,” he said.

Real Estate Hot Topics

Profit Center: Real Estate Tips, Training & Events

RISMedia Solutions

RISMedia on the Go

Today's Featured Listing