By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The number of multifamily permits pulled in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties rose 53 percent during the first quarter of 2017, compared to the same period last year. Single-family permits declined 8 percent. Meanwhile, King and Snohomish counties continue to see less than a months’ supply of housing inventory for sale during April. The low supply coupled with strong demand has continued to drive home prices up.

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, U.S. Census Bureau, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

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By Auburn Reporter

Volunteers gave their time and expertise to build a ramp for an 11-year-old Auburn boy last Saturday.

Trenton Heuring Smart was born with cerebral palsy and has seizures. He can’t walk or speak. The ramp will help caregivers transport him in and out of his home for safely.

The ramp was made possible through the efforts of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, Dunn Lumber, Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau, and volunteers.

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Contact: data@mbaks.com

April 2026 Builders Bulletin
The April Builders Bulletin includes data from the January jobs report recently released by the Employment Security Department. Washington’s unemployment rate for January was 5.0% while the Seattle region’s rose to 5.2%. That is up from 4.4% and 4.3% respectively a year ago. Meanwhile, the Housing Market Index, which measures builder confidence, held steady at 30 in the Western region as of March.

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