Michael Luis

The solution to expensive houses is to build more houses, not to build more apartments.

Now it’s not obvious who runs anything, and the goodwill that fueled the George Duff style is in short supply.

We have an affordable-apartment problem, but we do not have an overall apartment-supply problem. What we do have is a single-family supply problem.

The drops in rents we have seen in the past year have mostly happened in expensive markets where renters have been less likely to be burdened. Rents in markets that are both more affordable and have high rate of rent burden, have actually risen.

While the pandemic may have shifted some migration patterns, there is clearly still demand to live in Washington State, and the lack of home-building will ensure that prices continue to rise.

In the quest to wean the nation off of fossil fuels, one imperative will remain non-negotiable: people want to stay warm in the winters that will persist, even with...

For state government and local jurisdictions across Washington, this adds up to a veritable flood of new revenue.

The entire theory of spatial equilibrium calls into question the wisdom of setting national wage rates. Wages reflect the value of work, but also the relative cost of living in a place.

The methodology discounts high costs and thereby rewards the "best states if you can afford to live there." No surprise that Washington aces this test.

This is not a story of flight to affordability. Both high priced and more affordable market areas can be seen on the top and bottom of the list. The Eastside is generally favored in this list, but not all parts. More affordable inner suburbs like West Hill and Des Moines are doing well, while Shoreline and Lake Forest Park are not doing as well.