Posts by growthzone

The State Legislature ended its session on Sunday, April 23 at 10 pm. .Several bills which seek to increase housing supply, reduce building costs, and update agency law received strong support in the legislature and were delivered to the Governor for his signature. Below is a list of some of the highest priority bills for…

TPCAR has spent the past few months conducting additional review of the City of Tacoma’s recently enacted business license rates for 2023-24. The increases, enacted by Council in late-2022, apply to any real estate office and REALTOR® (agent) who conducts one or more transactions for property within the City of Tacoma and is based upon…

Pierce County Sales Tax Increase to Fund Affordable Housing Being Discussed TPCAR’s Advocacy team has, in recent months, been working closely with members of the Pierce County Council to craft framework for a proposal to raise sales tax by .1% – raising an estimated $20 million per year – to fund affordable housing solutions. A…

City of Gig Harbor Enacts Short-Term Rental Regulations After passing three moratoria, and taking nearly 18 months, Gig Harbor City Council passed final regulations at its February 27 meeting which allow Short-Term Rentals within the city. The ordinance, which takes effect March 8, allows short-term rentals in all residential and commercial zones where dwelling units…

Side sewer disclosure for real estate transactions in tacoma Did you know that prior to buying or selling a property in the City of Tacoma, real estate professionals are required to provide a Side Sewer Education Flyer to buyers and sellers they are representing during closing of a property? In fact, this requirement has been…

Pierce County Housing Authority Announces RFP to Sell 120 underperforming Housing Units The Pierce County Housing Authority (PCHA) is requesting proposals from Licensed Residential Real Estate Brokers to provide residential real estate services for the sale of PCHA’s Scattered-Site Single family homes located throughout Pierce County. The total roster of properties owned by the PCHA…

The Importance of a Sewer Scope Inspection When Buying a Home By:  Jon Teabo, President of A-Pro Home Inspection Services A sewer scope inspection is a critical component of the home buying process that is often overlooked or ignored by potential home buyers. Despite its importance, many home buyers do not understand what a sewer…

Tacoma City Council enacts new business license fees for 2023-24 In November 2022, Tacoma City Council passed an ordinance which increases business license fees by as much as 700% over the next two years. While Council claims that only 10% of businesses will incur significant fee increases, real estate is one industry which will experience…

Tacoma-Pierce County Association of REALTORS® hosted its Annual Installation Gala on Thursday, November 3rd with the highlight of the evening being incoming Washington REALTORS® President Alisha Harrison installing TPCAR’s new Board Directors for 2023 – 24 terms, as well as Mike Stewart being installed as 2023 TPCAR President. We look forward to each of these…

Tacoma-Pierce County Association of Realtors endorsed 16 candidates in this year’s General Election and are pleased to announce that 15 of those 16 were successful in their election. Support for levies related to public safety, parks, schools, and fire protection saw a majority of success with 4 of our 6 endorsed levies passing. To view…