Housing markets continue strong
Housing markets in Washington remained strong during the third quarter, although they fell somewhat from the record high sales pace of 2005, according to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at Washington State University.
During the quarter, there were 16 percent fewer homes sold across the state than in the same period last year, although the statewide median price reached a record $300,900, an increase of 11.7 percent from the year-ago quarter. Inventories of homes for sale, while increasing, are “still characterized as the low end of normal, implying that aggregate price increases can be expected in the months ahead,” according to a press release.
While good news for home sellers, rising prices also mean that affordability is falling. An index that measures the ability of a middle-income family to afford a median-priced home fell 2.8 points to 85.1 during the quarter – meaning the family has only 85 percent of the income required for the purchase of a median-price home.
Hayden, Idaho
Blue Water changes address
Blue Water Technologies, Inc. has moved into the former U.S. Products building at 10450 Airport Drive, in Hayden.
Blue Water bought the building for an undisclosed price, according to Tom Daugherty, president of the company. Blue Water Technologies develops systems to remove contaminants from wastewater.
The company employs 14 people in the 20,000-square-foot building, which includes corporate offices and manufacturing space, Daugherty said.
New York
Yahoo reaches newspaper deal
Yahoo Inc. announced a far-reaching partnership Monday with 176 newspapers to sell ads, share content and deliver Internet search, graphical and classified advertising to consumers.
The multiyear, revenue-sharing deal is shaping up as a blow to Google Inc., which had been in the running for the partnership but eventually lost out to Yahoo’s broader reach, according to executives involved in the deal.
The arrangement between Yahoo and the consortium of seven U.S. newspaper chains is to start with Yahoo’s creation of a jobs board, consisting of its HotJobs listings, that will then appear on the newspapers’ Web sites.