Happy Holidays! Here’s the latest headlines surrounding the Seattle tech community: Seattle-Area Home Prices Drop Again, Down 11 Percent in the Last Six Months, Global Health Ecosystem in Washington State is Robust and Growing, Now Employs 14,000 People, and more.

Seattle Tech Scene Takes Center Stage as Microsoft and Amazon Become Most-Valuable Companies

GeekWire | Nat Levy | December 6
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/seattle-tech-scene-takes-center-stage-microsoft-amazon-become-valuable-companies/

“Silicon Valley is thought of as the technology capital of the U.S., but it is the Seattle area that now boasts the two most-valuable companies. Microsoft and Amazon closed Thursday with market capitalizations of $838.1 billion and $830.8 billion, per CNBC. In third place is Apple at $829.1 billion, which saw its stock fall 1.1 percent Thursday, while Microsoft and Amazon were on the rise. Microsoft took the number one spot from Apple last week, and the two companies volleyed the title of most-valuable company back and forth throughout the week.”

Seattle-Area Home Prices Drop Again – Down 11 Percent in the Last Six Months

Seattle Times | Mike Rosenberg | December 6
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/seattle-area-home-prices-drop-again-with-6-month-decline-among-largest-ever/

“The cool-down in King County’s real-estate market has now reached six months, and the drop in home prices over that span is among the largest on record. King County’s median single-family home price fell to $644,000 in November, all the way from $726,000 in the spring, according to new figures released Thursday by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Prices have been falling faster here than anywhere else in the country. The price drop equals 11.3 percent over six months, more than any May-to-November stretch since such data has been tracked.”

Study: Global Health Ecosystem in Washington State is Robust and Growing, Now Employs 14,000 People

GeekWire | Charlotte Schubert | December 6
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/study-global-health-ecosystem-washington-state-robust-growing-now-employs-14000-people/

“Washington state’s global health organizations employ more than 14,000 people and contributed about $8.8 billion to the state’s economy in 2017, according to estimates from a report released this week by the Washington Global Health Alliance. The Washington State Global Health Landscape Study showcases a healthy ecosystem that supports new global health ideas and startups, said Dena Morris, president of the Alliance, a Seattle-based umbrella group. The Alliance tallies 268 small businesses, nonprofits, research institutes and other organizations engaged in global health in the state. They benefit from a talented workforce, office space near clients, peers and funders, and access to philanthropy.”

Zoning Changes Could Improve Affordable Housing in Seattle, Report Says

KING 5 | Angela Russell | December 3
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/zoning-changes-could-improve-affordable-housing-in-seattle-report-says/281-620509137

“The Seattle Planning Commission is calling for more housing choices in its newly released Neighborhoods for All report. In the report, the Commission says too much land in the city is reserved for single-family homes. Seventy-five percent of the residential land in Seattle is zoned for single-family usage. The current land use policies make it difficult to meet the high demand for housing, according to the report.”