By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The near-record-low 2.6% unemployment rate for Seattle/Bellevue/Everett seen in February rose to 5.5% in March, according to the latest monthly employment report, which shows the first wave of job losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Employment Security Department notes the impacts on jobs are more likely to be evident in the April report. Meanwhile, housing indicators from the latest Builders Bulletin do not yet reflect the impact of coronavirus on real estate and new home construction. The report shows year-over-year median home price increases in March and rising permits in February.

The Builder's 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:

January 3, 2019
Media Contact:
Caia Caldwell, Public Relations & Media Specialist
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.460.8213
m 717.479.1231

Bonnie Geers Named 2019 Board President of Master Builders Association

She is a member of the senior management team at Quadrant Homes, and former titles held include vice president of community development and vice president of entitlements. Based out of Bellevue, Quadrant Homes is entering its 50th year.

Geers previously worked as an associate attorney with Oade, Stroud & Kleiman P.C. in East Lansing, Michigan, practicing land use, real estate and business transactions, and estate planning. She has maintained her membership in the Washington Bar Association since 2000.

A member of MBAKS’ board of directors since 2014, Geers also served as the president of the Affordable Housing Council from 2014–2017.

Geers previously worked as an associate attorney with Oade, Stroud & Kleiman P.C. in East Lansing, Michigan, practicing land use, real estate and business transactions, and estate planning. She has maintained her membership in the Washington Bar Association since 2000.

“For decades, the Master Builders Association has stood as a testament of the value we deliver to our members,” said Bonnie Geers. “I am honored to have been chosen to lead the board and confident in our association’s leadership to represent our industry needs and support sound housing policy.”

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties has grown to become the largest local residential homebuilders association in the United States. With nearly 3,000 member companies, the association is dedicated to membership value, housing advocacy, community service, and financial stewardship throughout the Puget Sound region

MBAKS is warning members to be on heightened alert for increasingly sophisticated phishing and wire fraud scams targeting builders, developers, and permit applicants throughout our region. 

Recently, an MBAKS member received what appeared to be an official invoice from the City of Issaquah requesting payment related to an active development application. The correspondence included accurate project information and appeared legitimate at first glance. Fortunately, the member paused before sending payment and was able to confirm with the city that the invoice was fraudulent. The incident was subsequently reported to the Washington State Attorney General's Office, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and the financial institution identified in the fraudulent wire instructions. 

These scams are becoming more convincing because perpetrators are using publicly available permit and land use information to impersonate local government staff and departments. In many cases, the emails contain real project names, application numbers, addresses, and staff names.  

Red Flags to Watch For

• Requests to wire money for permit, review, or application fees.
• Emails originating from addresses that look official but use non-government domains.
• Invoices sent from departments that do not normally handle billing, such as commissions, boards, or other unexpected divisions.
• Messages creating urgency and demanding immediate payment.
• Requests to communicate only by email regarding payment instructions.

Before You Pay Any Invoice

If you receive an unexpected or questionable invoice:

1. Do not send payment immediately.
2. Verify the request directly with the jurisdiction using official phone numbers, email addresses published on the agency's website, or by visiting the office in person.
3. Do not simply reply to the email. Fraudsters can spoof email addresses or create convincing lookalike accounts that appear to belong to legitimate government staff.
4. Carefully inspect the sender's full email address, not just the display name.

A good rule of thumb: any request to wire funds should be treated as a significant red flag. When in doubt, independently verify.

Reporting Fraud

If you receive a suspected fraudulent invoice or phishing attempt, consider reporting it to:

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Federal Trade Commission
• Washington State Attorney General Consumer Protection Division
• Your financial institution's fraud department
• The affected jurisdiction so they can warn other applicants

As the Washington State Attorney General's Office notes, the most effective tool against scams is awareness. These schemes continue to evolve, and scammers often succeed because they exploit trust, urgency, and familiarity.

Please share this warning with your teams, project managers, permit coordinators, and accounting staff. A few minutes spent verifying a payment request can prevent a costly loss.