Hope you’re able to get out there and enjoy the amazing weather Seattle is having! Before you go though, be sure to check out this week’s Seattle in the Spotlight, featuring the latest tech headlines surrounding the Seattle community, including: Seattle-Area Homebuyers Get Good News as Prices Cool and Choices Grow, Will the Seattle Tech Scene Ever Reach Its Full Potential, WTIA’s Apprenti Program Provides Path to ‘Life Changing’ Tech Jobs, and more.

In Rapidly Changing South Lake Union, Architecture Tour Sets Sights on What Works in Seattle Tech Hub

GeekWire | Kurt Schlosser | May 9

“Joseph Kaynor has lived and worked in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood for years. On a walk this week through the rapidly growing area, home to Amazon and so much more now, he gave the ever-transforming tech hub a thumbs up. “I think it’s positive architecturally, because what was here was not really being used,” Kaynor said of the neighborhood, which was made up of a mix of warehouses and low-slung industrial buildings. Now, with a mix of modern designs and tall and short buildings crowding the busy streets between the northern edge of downtown and Lake Union, Kaynor sees texture in the landscape.”

Seattle-Area Homebuyers Get Good News as Prices Cool, Choices Grow – But Competition Still Hot in Some Sports

Seattle Times | Paul Roberts | May 6

“Seattle-area homebuyers have a bit of good news as the middle of the housing market continues to come down from what one local housing economist calls last summer’s “sugar high.” April’s median price of a single-family home in King County dipped to $690,000, down a substantial 4.8% or $35,000 from the April figure last year, according to the latest data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. King County also saw increases in housing inventory and pending sales over the same period. In Snohomish County, the median price of a single-family home fell by 1.2% from a year ago, to $500,000. April’s decline was even more dramatic in the condo market.”

Startup Weekly: Will the Seattle Tech Scene Ever Reach Its Full Potential?

TechCrunch | Kate Clark | May 4

“Greetings from Seattle, the land of Amazon, Microsoft, two of the world’s richest men and some startups. I’m always surprised the Seattle startup ecosystem hasn’t grown to compete with the likes of Silicon Valley — or at least Boston and New York City — since the dot-com boom. Today, it’s the strongest it’s been due to the successes of companies like the newly minted unicorn Outreach, trucking business Convoy and, of course, the dog walking startup Rover…Despite its shortcomings, there is still some action in the city I want to highlight this week.”

Geeks Give Back Award Winner: WTIA’s Apprenti Program Provides Path to ‘Life Changing’ Tech Jobs

GeekWire | Lisa Stifler | May 3

“The chance to more than double your income after 18 months of free training sounds almost too good to be true — except that it’s actually happening for graduates of the Apprenti apprenticeship program run by the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA). Launched in September 2016, Apprenti provides free training and apprenticeships for candidates eager to work in the tech sector. The median annual salary of participants before enrolling is $29,000, which bumps up to a median income of $78,000 after completing the program. Apprenti has 130 graduates and 442 students enrolled.”