House flippers weren’t pushed out

I can understand the concerns shared by Craig Sleeth in his March 12 letter, “House flippers pushed out.” However, the legislation (SHB 1843) he references was really just a simple consumer protection bill meant to ensure the safety of future residents.

The law requires that houses intended for resale are built or remodeled by a registered and bonded contractor. In addition, this modification of the law back in 2007 never touched the homeowner exemption, which provides that a homeowner who intends on residing in the unit the ability to do the construction without being registered and bonded.

The Home Builders Association, while supportive of the bill, didn’t have to “use its power” to get this one over the finish line. In fact, this was one of those rare noncontroversial pieces of legislation that was actually supported unanimously in both the Washington House and Senate.

For those who want to buy, fix up and sell homes, getting registered as a contractor isn’t overly difficult and really shouldn’t stand in your way. The process details can be found at the state Labor & Industries website.

Michael Cathcart

Spokane Home Builders Association Spokane