MBAKS is warning members to be on heightened alert for increasingly sophisticated phishing and wire fraud scams targeting builders, developers, and permit applicants throughout our region. 

Recently, an MBAKS member received what appeared to be an official invoice from the City of Issaquah requesting payment related to an active development application. The correspondence included accurate project information and appeared legitimate at first glance. Fortunately, the member paused before sending payment and was able to confirm with the city that the invoice was fraudulent. The incident was subsequently reported to the Washington State Attorney General's Office, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and the financial institution identified in the fraudulent wire instructions. 

These scams are becoming more convincing because perpetrators are using publicly available permit and land use information to impersonate local government staff and departments. In many cases, the emails contain real project names, application numbers, addresses, and staff names.  

Red Flags to Watch For

• Requests to wire money for permit, review, or application fees.
• Emails originating from addresses that look official but use non-government domains.
• Invoices sent from departments that do not normally handle billing, such as commissions, boards, or other unexpected divisions.
• Messages creating urgency and demanding immediate payment.
• Requests to communicate only by email regarding payment instructions.

Before You Pay Any Invoice

If you receive an unexpected or questionable invoice:

1. Do not send payment immediately.
2. Verify the request directly with the jurisdiction using official phone numbers, email addresses published on the agency's website, or by visiting the office in person.
3. Do not simply reply to the email. Fraudsters can spoof email addresses or create convincing lookalike accounts that appear to belong to legitimate government staff.
4. Carefully inspect the sender's full email address, not just the display name.

A good rule of thumb: any request to wire funds should be treated as a significant red flag. When in doubt, independently verify.

Reporting Fraud

If you receive a suspected fraudulent invoice or phishing attempt, consider reporting it to:

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Federal Trade Commission
• Washington State Attorney General Consumer Protection Division
• Your financial institution's fraud department
• The affected jurisdiction so they can warn other applicants

As the Washington State Attorney General's Office notes, the most effective tool against scams is awareness. These schemes continue to evolve, and scammers often succeed because they exploit trust, urgency, and familiarity.

Please share this warning with your teams, project managers, permit coordinators, and accounting staff. A few minutes spent verifying a payment request can prevent a costly loss.

Contact: data@mbaks.com

October Builders Bulletin: Median sales prices remain flat

The September median sales price for single-family homes and condos held steady year-over-year at $850,000 in King County and $720,000 in Snohomish County, as reported by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Meanwhile, the inventory of homes for sale continued to move higher last month. In August, Seattle’s unemployment rate lowered to 4.9%, down from 5.1% the previous month.

On Friday, September 25, MBAKS partnered with the City of Auburn and 79 volunteers to plant 109 trees at Brannan Park for Planting a Better Tomorrow.

The event took place at Brannan Park as part of a strategic effort to serve a community disproportionately affected by air pollution. As a central hub for nearby schools and local families, the park serves as a key open space for the Auburn community.

“Together, we stepped up to make a positive environmental impact where it is needed most,” said MBAKS Community Stewardship Specialist Charlene Lam. “We’re so grateful for everyone involved who braved the rain to make a lasting impact.”

Despite the downpour, volunteers pressed ahead with the goal of creating a greener, more sustainable future. City of Auburn Deputy Mayor Tracy Taylor-Turner joined the effort, noting that Brannan Park is a go-to spot for her daughter during the summer and emphasizing that the added tree canopy and shade will make a tangible difference for local families.

Launched in 2024, this marks the third Planting a Better Tomorrow event in which MBAKS has collaborated with local municipalities, bringing the total to 248 trees planted across the region. MBAKS references research from the Washington State Department of Ecology to target its efforts, collaborating with some of the 16 highlighted communities across the state that bear a heavy burden from air pollution. Recognizing serious health impacts like reduced life expectancy and elevated rates of childhood asthma, MBAKS remains committed to sowing the seeds of change today for a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow.

This year, Mayor Cassie Franklin and the Everett City Council have taken meaningful steps to make it easier to build housing, reduce costs, and create more housing options.

Some of Everett’s recent and upcoming efforts include:

• Pre-approved ADU designs to help homeowners get through permitting faster.
• AI-assisted permitting to modernize the permitting process and improve predictability.
• Expanding MFTE to make tax incentives available to more types of housing, including middle housing and smaller multifamily projects.
• Modernizing lot-splitting rules to make it easier to create housing on existing lots. The city is on track to adopt its new ordinance in October.
• Making city-owned surplus property available for housing.
• Reducing housing costs by cutting the affordable housing fee from $15 to $9 per square foot and reducing or waiving several ADU impact fees.
• Protecting existing housing through programs that support home repairs and preserve manufactured housing communities.
• Updating critical-area regulations while avoiding proposed expansions that could have added significant barriers to housing.

Taken together, these actions reflect the Mayor’s commitment to creating more housing options and improving the conditions needed to get homes built. The city has shown a willingness to take a hard look at its regulations, fees, and permitting procedures and make changes that can lower costs, improve predictability and support the housing production Everett needs.

These efforts build on Everett 2044, the city’s comprehensive plan, which creates capacity for future growth and more housing choices. Everett is showing that cities can pair that long-term vision with practical action today.

MBAKS appreciates Mayor Franklin, the Everett City Council, and city staff for their continued focus on housing and their willingness to work with the building community on practical solutions to make home happen.

As Mayor Franklin put it, the goal is to “use every tool in the toolbox” to make housing more attainable for Everett families.

MBAKS members: For a more detailed report out on Everett and other jurisdictions, check out MBAKS Connect for the latest updates from our Government Affairs team. 

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is asking the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) to approve significant increases to electric and natural gas rates.

If approved as filed, residential customers would see higher bills beginning in 2027, with additional increases in 2028 and 2029.

These increases deserve scrutiny.

As housing costs continue to rise, we should be asking whether PSE has done everything possible to control costs and whether the costs being passed on to customers are justified.

If approved as filed, the proposed changes would mean an estimated 17.75% increase in the average residential electric bill in January 2027, followed by additional increases in 2028 and 2029. Natural gas customers would see an estimated 12.93% increase in January 2027, with additional increases to follow.

Washington families are already struggling with the cost of housing. Higher utility costs only make it more expensive to build, buy and own a home.

TAKE ACTION

Tell the UTC to scrutinize PSE’s proposed rate increases and hold the utility accountable for the costs it is asking customers to pay.

Please make your voice heard.

Email your comments: comment@utc.wa.gov

Participate directly in one of two upcoming public comment hearings:

• Tuesday, September 29 at 6 p.m. — In person

Utilities and Transportation Commission

621 Woodland Square Loop S.E., Room 110

Lacey, WA 98503

• Wednesday, October 7 at 6 p.m. — Virtual via Zoom or telephone

Join Zoom Meeting: https://utc-wa-gov.zoom.us/j/82213518474?pwd=BmsrsNzVWp6WmOpoBdLBoxxvxD6Qb0.1

Join by Telephone: (253) 215-8782

Meeting ID: 822 1351 8474#

Passcode: 226995#

Your voice matters. The UTC needs to hear directly from customers, businesses and the housing industry about the real-world impact of rising utility costs.

• Require accountability and transparency for costs passed on to customers.
• Protect customers from unnecessary increases that make it harder to afford buying and maintaining a home.
• Ensure PSE is doing everything possible to operate cost-effectively before additional costs are placed on ratepayers.

Please take action today and tell the UTC: Don’t rubber-stamp these burdensome increases. Demand accountability and cost-effectiveness before asking customers to pay more.

Additional information on the filing can be found at www.utc.wa.gov by selecting “Dockets Search” and entering the docket number 260005 for the electric general rate case, 260006 for the natural gas general rate case, or 260113 for transmission network interest expense case into the search bar.

If you have questions on how to participate, please contact andrew.roberts@utc.wa.gov or (360) 664-1101. 

Contact: data@mbaks.com

September Builders Bulletin: Housing inventory continues to rise

The City of Sammamish has taken an important step toward improving housing feasibility and encouraging the construction of new homes by adopting significant amendments to its Inclusionary Affordable Housing Program.

Approved by the Sammamish City Council on August 18, the changes reduce affordable housing fee obligations for many projects while preserving the City's affordable housing requirements. The reforms reflect a growing recognition that increasing housing affordability requires policies that not only support affordable housing but also make it feasible to build new homes.

Throughout the process, MBAKS’s position has been clear, “You don’t make it less expensive to buy a home by making it more expensive to build a home.”

What Changed?

The Council adopted several key reforms intended to improve flexibility and support housing production, including:

• Increasing the exemption threshold from 1,500 square feet to 1,750 square feet.
• Creating a full exemption for residential additions and expansions.
• Allowing unit-size averaging for multi-unit developments.
• Applying affordable housing fees only to square footage above 1,750 square feet.
• Creating an exemption for involuntary reconstruction, such as rebuilding after a fire or other qualifying loss.

The Council also directed that the newly adopted exemptions be applied retroactively to January 1, 2025, creating refund opportunities for qualifying applicants who have already paid into the program. Projects currently under review may also benefit from the updated regulations.

Why It Matters

Housing affordability isn't improved by regulations alone. It also depends on whether we can make it economically feasible to build more homes.

When fees, regulations, and development costs become too burdensome, projects quickly move from risky to financially infeasible. When projects don’t pencil, homes don’t get built and communities lose both market-rate and affordable housing opportunities.

Sammamish's reforms will reduce some of those costs and are a step in the right direction to improve project feasibility for new housing.

The impact can be significant. A four-unit development consisting of 2,500-square-foot homes would have seen affordable housing fees reduced from approximately $344,500 under the previous rules to approximately $103,350 under the newly adopted regulations, a reduction of roughly 70 percent.

This is a meaningful improvement in project feasibility.

Affordable Housing Requirements Still Apply

Importantly, the Council's action does not eliminate Sammamish's affordable housing program.

Projects that trigger the City's on-site affordable housing requirements must still provide those affordable units. The reforms did not eliminate affordable housing obligations, but rather created a better balance between affordable housing goals and the financial realities of housing development.

A Step in the Right Direction

MBAKS appreciates the Sammamish City Council's willingness to revisit the program and make meaningful adjustments that support housing production.

The adopted reforms are expected to reduce barriers to development, encourage additional investment, and support the creation of both market-rate and affordable housing in Sammamish.

More work remains

Housing affordability remains one of the region's greatest challenges, and additional work will be needed to address permitting timelines, development costs, and other regulatory barriers. 

The July builder sentiment numbers released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) fell two points to 34 nationally and 27 in the West amid continued economic uncertainty and market challenges. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) gauges builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes. Locally, the Seattle metro area’s unemployment rate is 5.2%, one point higher than the U.S. unemployment rate.

As Rampathon 2026 winds down it’s a good time to reflect on MBAKS’ long-running involvement in this program and the positive impact it has, not just on the people we help, but our members as well. 

Since 1993, Rampathon has brought together MBAKS volunteers to build more than 650 free accessibility ramps for neighbors across King and Snohomish counties. 

A Tradition of Support

Among the many partners who help make Rampathon possible, Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King and Kittitas Counties stands out for its deep commitment to long-term housing stability. Since its founding in 1986, Habitat SKKC has constructed or renovated 500 homes and completed more than 700 home repairs benefitting more than 3,000 people. 

The Habitat SKKC repair team has been part of Rampathon since 2018, and according to Kait Heacock, Habitat SKKC communications manager, it is one of their favorite times of the year. “Everyone pitches in to make these ramps happen,” Heacock said. “We have seen firsthand how life-changing these accessibility modifications can be for our homeowners and love being a part of the program.” This year, Habitat SKKC is building four ramps as part of the program located across Kent, Renton, Auburn, and Federal Way. 

A Helper Who Needed Help

One of Habitat SKKC’s most memorable stories from this year is about a longtime Pacific Northwest resident named Lawrence who moved here in 1978 from Ohio. Now retired, Lawrence spends much of his time helping friends and family with things like car repairs, electrical work (he used to install telephone service), plumbing, drywall, and household projects. Not to mention he is also known to whip up a variety of cakes (rum, orange liqueur, piña colada, banana split) from his basement bakery. 

Unfortunately, ongoing issues with one of his knees had made it difficult for Lawrence to walk up and down stairs and maintain his balance. It was starting to interfere with his active (and helpful) lifestyle, and even accessing his front door had become a challenge. Although he had visited Habitat stores for years to buy materials for his projects, he had never used Habitat SKKC’s repair services until recently. When he reached out, the repair team quickly determined that a ramp would significantly improve Lawrence’s safety and independence.

The ramp construction took approximately two weeks. Along the way the team also completed additional repairs, including replacing leaking plumbing and rebuilding worn deck boards and front steps. Lawrence knew the repairs were difficult and that he could not safely tackle them alone but, true to form, he stayed as involved as he could, assisting with parts of the project and preparing barbecue, salads, and cakes (of course) for the repair team to help say “thank you.”

With the work completed, Lawrence reports that the improvements have reduced his stress and made his home far more accessible. He also sees the repairs as beneficial not only for himself but for friends and neighbors who have difficulty using stairs. “The ramp has made me feel a lot more comfortable when people come to visit,” he said.

Stories like Lawrence’s really bring home why MBAKS is so committed to Rampathon and why volunteering can be so meaningful for our members. An accessibility ramp might seem like a very simple solution, but it can make a huge difference helping someone remain in their home, supporting them if they have mobility challenges, removing barriers that might keep them isolated, and providing peace of mind for families. It’s the sort of impact that really reflects the values that drive MBAKS members: service, craftsmanship, and a commitment to strengthening the communities where we live. 

Building a Lasting Impact

As we wrap up Rampathon 2026, we want to thank all of the volunteer builder members and Signature Sponsor, Dunn Lumber, who make it possible. MBAKS looks forward to continuing its partnership with Habitat SKKC and many other organizations as we build on the momentum of 2026. We know the work will be challenging, but also rewarding. Not every day can be sunny, especially around here. But as Lawrence says, “When people say, ‘The sun’s not shining,’ I tell them the sun’s shining every day if you look past the clouds. That’s what life is about.”  

Image by Spicypepper999 - Own work, CC0

Under the leadership of Mayor Mark Mullet and the City Council, the City of Issaquah has taken an important step to streamline housing production by adopting Washington's first accessory dwelling unit (ADU) self-certification program. This action reflects the City's commitment to pursuing innovative solutions that reduce permitting barriers while maintaining accountability.

Approved by the Issaquah City Council on July 20, the new permitting pathway allows licensed architects to self-certify qualifying detached ADUs under 1,000 square feet to bypass duplicative building plan review, reducing unnecessary review steps while maintaining important safety and environmental protections.

MBAKS supported the ordinance throughout the process and submitted a letter of support outlining how the proposal can help reduce permitting delays, lower development costs, and encourage the construction of additional housing throughout the city.

A First-in-Washington Housing Reform

While several Washington jurisdictions have adopted pre-approved ADU plans, Issaquah is the first local city in the state to implement a self-certification program authorized under RCW 36.70A.683, legislation enacted by the Washington State Legislature in 2025.

The law allows certain jurisdictions to establish self-certification programs for ADUs, recognizing that licensed design professionals can play a greater role in certifying code compliance and reducing permitting bottlenecks.

By embracing this authority, Issaquah is positioning itself as a statewide leader in housing innovation and demonstrating a willingness to pursue practical solutions that can increase housing opportunities.

How the Program Works

Under the new ordinance, Washington-licensed architects may certify that a detached ADU complies with applicable building code requirements, eliminating the need for the City's traditional building code plan review for qualifying projects.

Importantly, the ordinance does not eliminate local oversight. The City will continue to conduct reviews related to land use compliance, stormwater management and more. This will ensure projects can benefit from a more efficient permitting process while maintaining the site-specific reviews necessary to protect public safety and environmental resources.

Why It Matters

Accessory dwelling units continue to be one of the most effective tools available for increasing housing supply within existing neighborhoods. ADUs can provide housing opportunities for family members, aging parents, caregivers, young professionals, and local workers while making efficient use of existing infrastructure.

However, lengthy permitting timelines, uncertainty, and regulatory costs frequently discourage homeowners from pursuing projects. By reducing duplicative review processes, Issaquah's new program is intended to remove barriers that often prevent housing from being built.

MBAKS Applauds Issaquah's Leadership

MBAKS commends Mayor Mark Mullet, the Issaquah City Council, Community Planning & Development staff, and the Issaquah Community for advancing this innovative policy.

As communities across Washington continue searching for ways to expand housing choices, Issaquah has established a model that other cities should consider. By implementing a practical, common-sense permitting reform authorized by state law, the City has demonstrated that it is possible to increase efficiency while maintaining accountability and public safety.