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Seattle Metro Permit Volume Drops in Q1 2025

New permit data show a 33% decline in permits in the Seattle metro area in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. While single family permits saw a modest increase in King and Pierce counties through March of this year, they fell 43% in Snohomish County. Multifamily permits were down 46% across our metro area during Q1 2025 compared to last year, with the biggest decline in King County. Pierce County was the only county to see an increase in multifamily permits during the first quarter.

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Builder Confidence Remains Low in August

Builder confidence in the housing market slipped to 32 nationally in August, an 18% decline from last year, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. In the West, sentiment was even weaker, with an HMI reading of 26, underscoring the region’s ongoing affordability and housing challenges. 

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While our local inventory is rising, we are still the lowest in Washington State, with the state average at 2.17. Months of inventory in June 2024 were Snohomish (1.37), King (1.94), and Pierce (2.00). As the inventory grows, it is evident that mortgage rates are a large player in affordability regarding housing market worries.

Read the full July Builders Bulletin: