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| |  | High mortgage rates means that selling a house is more challenging in Seattle than it has been in a long time. (Liam Billingham / City Cast Seattle) |
| 🏡 So, Is Housing Finally Getting Cheaper? | Just a few days ago, Axios Seattle reported that Seattle’s housing prices are decreasing and that the region’s inventory of homes is up for the first time in a long time. Normally, Seattle’s real estate is red hot, so what’s happening? | - 💰 It’s all about affordability: Mortgage rates for a 30-year fixed rate are at 6.5%, the highest rate since August 2025. Additionally, the war with Iran, frequent layoffs, and expensive housing mean that people aren’t buying. In King County, sales were down 3% from last year. [Seattle Times]
- 🏠 Who is this bad for? In PubliCola, Erica C. Barnett examines what this means for buyers versus sellers. If you’re trying to sell your house, now is a tricky time because people are just waiting until things cool off (again, unclear when that will happen). But if you’re a homeowner with no plans to sell, it doesn’t really affect you — and it is good news if you want to buy or rent here. [PubliCola]
- ⬇️ Could prices continue to drop? In order for affordability to improve, the job market must continue to stall, which isn’t good for folks living here looking for jobs. [PubliCola]
- 💬 What do you think about house prices? Are you looking to sell or buy right now? Vent to us by text or call 2068803931.
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| What Seattle’s Talking About |
| 🪫 One-year moratorium on data centers: Seattle’s city council is expected to vote on implementing a moratorium on data centers early next week. Opponents cite concerns about the centers’ power and water use, as well as a potential increase in utility rates for local residents. This comes just as Digital Reality filed paperwork to build a data center downtown in the former Bed Bath & Beyond building. [Geekwire; The Guardian] | | 🚚 Teacher struck by recycling truck dies: A bicyclist struck by a Recology truck on 12th and Yesler Monday afternoon died of his injuries. He was identified as Christian Sayler, a 30-year-old teacher at Thurgood Marshall Elementary. A ghost bike ceremony will be held at the corner of 12th and Yesler on Saturday at 1 pm. [Capitol Hill Seattle Blog] | |  | Staff at The Walrus and Carpenter in Ballard have authorized to strike. (Ben Keenan / City Cast Seattle) |
| 🎳 Walrus and Carpenter employees authorize strike: Eighteen of 20 union members at the trendy Ballard spot voted to authorize a strike on Tuesday afternoon. The Stranger reports that the restaurant’s shift in late 2024 to a service charge from a pooled tip system has resulted in pay cuts, and employees also allege that management violated labor laws by changing working conditions without the union’s input. [The Stranger] |
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| — Liam | Jane C. Hu edited City Cast Seattle this week. |
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