housing market Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Rural housing shortage impacts everyone, even those with homes

By NWPB News December 13, 2022

A mom and two sones stand in front of their rental home. She is holding a small dog.

More than half of all metro areas in the United States have a housing shortage and affordable housing is difficult to come by. Rural areas are no exception. This lack of affordable housing impacts daily life, even including those who already have a home. This is part one in a series on rural housing. The Lewiston Tribune’s Elaine Williams reports. Read More

1st-Time Homebuyers Are Getting Squeezed Out By Investors

By NPR News June 22, 2019

As investors play a growing role in the housing market, many first-time buyers are having a hard time finding a home. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Last year, investors accounted for 1 in 5 starter-priced homes, according to data released by CoreLogic on Thursday. The rate of investor purchases of starter homes has been rising and has nearly doubled since 1999.Read More

Washington’s Rental Housing Market Is Looking Better, Still Tight In Rural Areas

By Esmy Jimenez February 18, 2019

File photo. Seattle's rental housing market shows more availability than other areas of Washington, like Kittitas and Yakima counties, where new construction hasn't kept up with demand. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN/AP

Two months into this year, researchers are looking back at what changed on the housing front in 2018. According to the latest numbers from the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington, the statewide vacancy rate for all apartments is 4.26 percent. That’s better than it was last fall, but not by much.Read More

In Central Washington, Housing Crunch Exacerbated By Need For Foreign Farm Labor

By Esmy Jimenez June 11, 2018

Black and white photo of a Yakima neighborhood with text saying no vacancy

The housing shortage in Yakima is coupled with a farm labor shortage. When workers do come, where do they live? The largest farmworker complex in the state opened in Yakima this month. The revamped FairBridge hotel now hosts 800 beds for temporary farm workers. As it opens, critics think it may set a dangerous precedent: Other farmers might start buying up area housing for Read More

Rural housing shortage impacts everyone, even those with homes

1st-Time Homebuyers Are Getting Squeezed Out By Investors

Washington’s Rental Housing Market Is Looking Better, Still Tight In Rural Areas

In Central Washington, Housing Crunch Exacerbated By Need For Foreign Farm Labor

In Tacoma, Tiki Apartment Evictions Highlight Greater Issues With Housing Crisis

A Decade After The Bubble Burst, House Flipping Is On The Rise

First-Ever Evictions Database Shows: ‘We’re In the Middle Of A Housing Crisis’

Seattle Housing Market Still Tops Chart As Nation’s Hottest