Seattle Home Prices Inch toward 2007 Peak

Puget Sound Business Journal | Marc Stiles | April 28

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/04/28/seattle-home-prices-inch-toward-2007-peak.html

“Home prices in the Seattle area are nearing the 2007 peak, and that is making it one of the toughest markets in the country for first-time buyers, according to two reports out this week. Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller data showed that the price of existing homes in the Seattle area increased 11 percent from February 2015 to the same month this year. That was second-highest increase in the country, with Portland leading the way at 11.9 percent. Zillow (Nasdaq: Z, ZG), meanwhile, reported that Seattle is the nation’s 10th most challenging market for first-time homebuyers. Based on how much of a person’s income goes toward rent versus a mortgage, in Seattle it makes more sense to own, the report states.”

Transportation, Seattle Style: Ferries are Part of Our Past – and Our Destiny

Seattle Times | Matt Pentz | April 28

http://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/transportation-seattle-style-our-ferries-have-been-delivering-us-to-and-from-work-since-we-got-here/

“Most visitors get their first glimpse of downtown Seattle via Interstate 5, skyscrapers playing peekaboo when approaching from the south and rising as one over Lake Union when coming from the north. Others take I-90, a gradual downhill slope off Snoqualmie Pass.. Flying into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport involves a swooping dive around city center, and the light rail chugs through industrial Sodo and its gleaming sports palaces. Few if any of these match the experience of approaching the city from Puget Sound, a breeze in your face and saltwater tang in your nostrils.”

Consolidation May Be in Vogue, but These Seattle-Area Health Care Companies Remain Independent

Puget Sound Business Journal | Coral Garnick | April 26

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/health-care-inc/2016/04/consolidation-may-be-in-vogue-but-these-seattle.html

“As health systems around the state and country continue to consolidate, merge and affiliate in an effort to provide better care and lower costs, a group of well-known Puget Sound-area health care organizations say they are staying independent for the very same reason. The Puget Sound High Value Network formed in 2014 with the idea that by partnering together, but remaining independent, the network of care groups will create competition for more high-quality, cost-effective care across the region. The network includes Edmonds Family Medicine, EvergreenHealth Partners, MultiCare Connected Care, Overlake Medical Center, Seattle Children’s and Virginia Mason.”

More Visitors, Spending More Money, Lift Seattle Region’s Hotel and Convention Biz

Seattle Times | Blanca Torres | April 25

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/economy/more-visitors-spending-more-money-lift-hotel-and-convention-biz/

“The region’s thriving tourism industry — boasting close to $10 billion in economic impact — is driving up hotel-room rates and fueling new construction in one of the nation’s most robust hotel markets. Visitors to Seattle and King County reached 38.1 million last year, a 2.6 percent increase from 2014, according to an annual report released Monday by Visit Seattle, a nonprofit agency that promotes tourism in the region. Those visitors spent an estimated $6.8 billion in 2015, a 5.8 percent jump compared with the year before…Total direct and indirect tourism spending generated $9.7 billion in economic impact in the Seattle region, according to the report.”

Uber uses Seattle Again as a Testing Ground for New Ideas, This Time for Driver Appeals Process

GeekWire | Taylor Soper | April 25

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/uber-uses-seattle-testing-ground-new-ideas-time-driver-appeals-process/

“Uber is using the Seattle market to test another new idea…In a blog post, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick noted that the company is already testing a pilot version of the appeals process in Seattle, where Uber is also piloting an alternative carpooling service to UberPool called UberHOP. An Uber spokesperson told GeekWire that the company likes testing new ideas and products in Seattle because of its size and robust driver community. Uber also has a fast-growing engineering center in downtown Seattle that opened in 2015.”

Highway 520 Bridge Opens to All Traffic Monday

Seattle Times | Seattle Times staff | April 24

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/bridge-is-opening-to-all-traffic-monday/

“The new Highway 520 bridge opened to eastbound traffic at 5 a.m. Monday. The span opened to westbound traffic two weeks ago…The new, more resilient span — after more than three decades of planning, arguing, designing and building, plus a $4.5 billion price tag — is expected to improve commutes across Lake Washington. Six lanes instead of the old four should allow transit and carpools to zip past traffic slowdowns.”

How Zillow and Other Seattle-Area Tech Ventures are Tackling Homelessness and Housing Issues

GeekWire | Lisa Stiffler | April 22

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/zillow-seattle-area-tech-ventures-tackling-homelessness-housing-issues/

“From Zillow and Amazon to Fuse IQ and Seattle In Progress, tech companies large and small are stepping up to help address some of the challenges of the Seattle region’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis. Housing advocates, elected leaders and many in the software industry agree that the tech sector bears some responsibility for working on housing solutions. The industry, with average salaries in Washington of nearly $130,000, has helped fuel the affordable-housing shortage, and is also uniquely situated to provide some of the remedies through better technology.”