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Washington just banned noncompete agreements. Will other states follow suit?

Employment, Federal Trade Commission, HWmember, Legislation, Loan Officer, Mortgage, Regulatory, Regulatory Compliance, Washington /

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill into effect earlier this week that bans noncompete agreements across the state. The move marks a significant shift in employment law that will take effect on June 30, 2027. The measure prohibits contracts that restrict workers from joining or starting competing businesses after leaving a job. Noncompete agreements […]

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HUD launches probe into Washington state down payment assistance program

Down Payment Assistance, Fair Lending, HUD, HWmember, Mortgage, Regulatory, Regulatory Compliance, Washington /

Washington state’s Covenant Homeownership Program is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over potential violations of the Fair Housing Act. HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) notified the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, which administers the program, of the probe on Tuesday. The investigation comes days

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Washington law limits private listing networks for homes

Brokerage, Clear Cooperation, Legislation, Real Estate, Washington /

Beginning in early June, real estate professionals in Washington state must publicly market their residential real estate listings to all consumers, unless the seller can show doing so would negatively impact their health or safety. This requirement comes after Washington Governor Bob Furgeson signed a bill into law on Monday banning exclusive marketing to select

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Old Republic Title shifts direct operations to Qualia

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Old Republic Title is moving its direct operations onto Qualia’s cloud-based platform, marking a technology shift for one of the nation’s largest title insurance underwriters. The rollout began with Oregon operations moving to Qualia’s system — with transition expected to continue across western states. “Old Republic’s decision to move its direct operations onto Qualia is

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Judge upholds Washington state’s special purpose credit program

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A federal judge this week refused to block a special purpose credit program (SPCP) designed to reduce the racial homeownership gap across Washington state, rejecting a constitutional challenge brought by nonprofit Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR). U.S. District Court Judge John H. Chun denied FAIR’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt the Covenant

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Lawmakers move to restrict private listings in Washington

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Lawmakers in Washington state are weighing in on the real estate industry’s private listing debate. On Monday, state legislators introduced a bill that seeks to amend an existing state statute related to real estate licensing laws by restricting the use of private listing networks in the state. The bill describes itself as “an act relating

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Seattle median list price at $850K even as price cuts spread

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Price reductions swept through 44.7% of active listings in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro during the week ending Nov. 7, 2025, as the region’s median list price held at $850,000, nearly double the national median of $435,000. The widespread pricing adjustments signal a recalibration in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets, where sellers are adapting

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5 states sue Zillow, Redfin over $100M agreement after FTC suit

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Zillow and Redfin are facing yet another lawsuit related to their multifamily rental syndication deal. On Wednesday, attorneys general in Virginia, Arizona, New York, Connecticut and Washington filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, that makes claims identical to those alleged by the the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in its lawsuit filed

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Amazon-backed affordable housing hits Seattle milestone

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Amazon has reached a milestone of 10,000 affordable housing units funded in Seattle’s Puget Sound region, part of the $2 billion Housing Equity Fund the online retail giant launched in 2021. The announcement coincides with the opening of Connection Angle Lake — a 130-unit development from Mercy Housing built with the help of a $17

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Seattle housing market wrestles with crippling affordability concerns

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On the surface, Seattle’s housing market looks like any other in the country. The inventory of single-family homes for sale is up substantially year over year. New listings are up slightly, sales remain subdued and home prices aren’t moving much. That’s the story in the majority of housing markets. But Seattle is wrestling with a

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