Everett Unenforced Masonry Overview

Weitz Commercial | Market Insight

The Rules Nobody's Enforcing: Unreinforced Masonry in Everett

What commercial and multifamily owners in Snohomish County should know about brick buildings, earthquake risk, and a regulatory gap that hasn't closed yet.

Walk down Colby Avenue, Hewitt, or Rucker in downtown Everett and you're surrounded by the city's most character-rich buildings century-old brick storefronts and mixed-use blocks that give the core its identity. Many of those same buildings are also classified as unreinforced masonry (URM): load-bearing brick or block walls built without the steel reinforcement and wall-to-floor/roof connections that modern code requires to keep a building standing in an earthquake.

Here's the part most owners don't realize: in Everett, and across most of Washington outside Seattle, retrofitting those buildings is not mandatory. The rules exist on paper. They're rarely triggered in practice.

What counts as a URM building

A typical URM is a brick, hollow clay tile, or unreinforced concrete-block building, generally constructed before the 1940s, with at least one load-bearing wall that lacks steel reinforcement. Without retrofitting, these walls, and especially unbraced parapets, are prone to cracking, partial collapse, or falling debris during ground shaking. Given the Pacific Northwest's Cascadia earthquake exposure, that's not a theoretical risk.

Everett has already counted the buildings

This isn't a guess. In 2023, the Washington Emergency Management Division, the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation (DAHP), and the Downtown Everett Association trained volunteers to conduct a sidewalk survey of the city's building stock. The pilot project identified more than 120 buildings in Everett showing URM characteristics, a notable inventory for a single pilot effort. The intent behind the survey was to eventually prioritize retrofit funding and risk mitigation, and DAHP has since received federal disaster-mitigation grant funding to build out a statewide URM data portal.

In other words: the city and state know where the risk sits. Knowing isn't the same as requiring anything be done about it.

Why the requirements go unenforced

Washington's Existing Building Code includes an appendix (Appendix A) with detailed seismic retrofit standards specifically for unreinforced masonry bearing-wall buildings, bracing parapets, strengthening roof and floor connections to walls, and repairing deteriorated mortar joints. It's a real, detailed technical standard. The catch is how it gets applied:

• It's largely permit-triggered, not proactive. A URM retrofit typically only becomes a requirement when an owner pulls a permit for a "substantial alteration" — a major remodel, change of occupancy, or similar. Left alone, a building can sit unretrofitted indefinitely.
• There's no Everett-specific mandatory ordinance. Seattle is the notable exception in the state, it has spent several years building toward a mandatory URM retrofit ordinance (with compliance currently voluntary while the city develops supportive funding and code recognition for completed retrofits). No comparable mandatory ordinance exists in Everett.
• Local code enforcement is complaint-driven. Everett's Code Enforcement Unit responds to reported violations, nuisance, zoning, dangerous-building complaints, rather than conducting proactive structural sweeps of older masonry stock. Absent a complaint or a permit application, a URM building's status simply doesn't come up.

Why this matters for owners and investors

For anyone holding, buying, or lending against older brick buildings in Everett's core (commercial or multifamily), this gap cuts both ways:

• No immediate compliance deadline means no forced capital expense today, which keeps basis and returns intact for buildings that would otherwise carry heavy retrofit costs.
• But the risk doesn't disappear: it shifts to insurance underwriting, tenant safety liability, and disclosure obligations at sale. Lenders and insurers are increasingly asking about seismic risk directly, URM ordinance or not.
• Seattle's trajectory is a preview. Cities that survey their URM stock tend to eventually regulate it. If Everett follows that same path, buildings identified today become tomorrow's mandatory retrofit list and early movers who retrofit voluntarily may have more flexibility on cost, timeline, and financing than owners who wait for a deadline.
• Due diligence should assume the code is silent. Don't rely on the absence of a violation notice as evidence a masonry building is structurally sound. A pre-purchase structural assessment from a licensed engineer is the only way to actually know what you're buying.

Scott's take

We're seeing more capital interested in downtown Everett's older brick buildings — adaptive reuse is one of the categories we flagged as improving in this month's Opportunity Index. That's a good thing for the core. But "no mandatory retrofit ordinance" isn't the same as "no risk." Owners of URM buildings should treat a structural evaluation the same way they'd treat a Phase I environmental report: a standard piece of diligence, not an optional one. The regulatory gap will close eventually. Buildings that get ahead of it will be worth more when it does. For more information on Snohomish County Commercial Real Estate, please email us at Scott@Weitzcommercial or Nathan@weitzcommercial.com.

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This post is for general informational purposes and is not legal, engineering, or compliance advice. Building code requirements change and can vary by permit type and project scope. Before making decisions about a specific property, confirm current requirements with the City of Everett Permit Services and consult a licensed structural engineer.

Scott Weitz President | Broker Weitz Commercial 206.306.4034 scott@weitzcommercial.com

Trusted Advisors. Local Knowledge. Lasting Relationships.
Weitz Commercial is a full-service commercial real estate firm focused on helping clients navigate opportunities and solve problems.
WEITZCOMMERCIAL.COM  |  © 2026 Weitz Commercial Real Estate Services, LLC.

Weitz Commercial Market Watch August 2026

MARKET WATCH

SNOHOMISH COUNTY MARKET UPDATE

August 2026 — Local Perspective. Real Insight. Real Value.

THE 9 THINGS WE'RE WATCHING

1. Residential Active Listings (YoY)

Inventory continues to build compared to last year, giving buyers more options and creating a more balanced market.

2,310 (July 2026)  vs  1,731 (July 2025)

+33.4% YoY change

2. New Listings (YoY)

More sellers are entering the market compared to this time last year, adding to available inventory.

1,303 (July 2026)  vs  1,106 (July 2025)

+17.8% YoY change

3. Months of Inventory (YoY)

Months of inventory shows how long it would take to sell all active listings at the current sales pace.

2.9 (July 2026)  vs  2.2 (July 2025)

+0.7 YoY change

A balanced market is typically 4–6 months of inventory.

4. Median Sale Price (YoY)

Median sale price has softened slightly compared to last year, reflecting higher rates and increased inventory.

$757,250 (July 2026)  vs  $805,000 (July 2025)

-5.9% YoY change

5. Mortgage Rates (YoY)

Higher mortgage rates continue to impact affordability and buyer demand.

6.65% (July 2026)  vs  6.82% (July 2025)

Monthly Payment on Median Price Home ($710,000 with 20% down)

$3,889 July 2026

$4,104 July 2025

+$215 more per month

6. Notable Commercial Transactions

Ivar's Mukilteo

• Sale price: $10,000,000
• Price per SF: $1,038
• Address: 710 Front St, Mukilteo, WA 98275
• Purchased by the City of Everett

7. Legal & Government Watch

Everett Stadium Update

• City of Everett continues purchase of property for Aquasox stadium
• 11 of 17 properties purchased
• Total acquisition costs currently at $17.3 million

We monitor the issues that impact property values, development and investment.

8. Opportunity Index

IMPROVING Development Land Small Multifamily Industrial Owner-User Adaptive Reuse

STABLE Neighborhood Retail Medical Office Self-Storage

CHALLENGING Commodity Office Older Class C Retail

9. Scott's Perspective

Market thoughts.
Price compression and inventory increases are driving the market. Inventory is up to 2,310 from 1,731 last year — a notable 33% increase.

Why it matters.
Until further notice, listing inventory will dictate our stance on the residential market. If that number continues to increase, further price compression seems inevitable. If rates go down and/or inventory decreases, the market could shift, but otherwise, we expect more of the same.

What we are watching.
The commercial market typically performs separately from the residential market, but we're seeing more listings in Snohomish Commercial as well. The same principles will apply in Commercial — inventory will steer the ship.

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Scott Weitz President | Broker Weitz Commercial 425.275.9562 scott@weitzcommercial.com

Trusted Advisors. Local Knowledge. Lasting Relationships.
Weitz Commercial is a full-service commercial real estate firm focused on helping clients navigate opportunities and solve problems.
WEITZCOMMERCIAL.COM  |  © 2026 Weitz Commercial Real Estate Services, LLC.

CNBC National Update - June 2026

 

Above is a CNBC market update for Residential real estate. 

The highlights (or lowlights I suppose): 

Pending Home sales down 5.3% from May to June. 

Homebuilder sentiment stays low at a '34' (50 being a neutral figure). 

Our take: 

Nothing surprising here if you read our blog routinely. The data moving forward is going to be extremely important in guiding future outlook. Does inventory continue to increase? Does the Fed finally start to make rate cuts to help buyers and free up those 'stuck' in low-rate loans? Does the war in Iran continue putting a strain on energy prices globally? 

For years, I've tried to brutally honest on this blog whether right or wrong. I continue to believe this is the start of a long challenging stretch for the US economy and specifically the real estate market. Inventory will be the single leading most important indicator over the next 12-24 months. Even if rates were to increase, increasing inventory will dictate the supply/ demand equation and truly dictate where the market goes from here. 

Our Firm

Weitz Commercial

Scott@Weitzcommercial.com

T: 206.306.4034. 

Is Distress Quietly Returning to the Snohomish County Real Estate Market?

Why today's market feels different—and what property owners and investors should be watching.

If you've followed the real estate market over the past few years, you've probably noticed that the conversation has changed.

Just a few years ago, the biggest challenge was finding inventory. Properties sold within days, multiple offers were common, and buyers routinely waived contingencies just to compete.

Today, the market tells a different story.

Inventory has increased. Buyers have become more selective. Interest rates remain significantly higher than they were during the pandemic, and properties are taking longer to sell. While the Snohomish County market remains fundamentally healthy, subtle signs of financial pressure are beginning to emerge.

The question isn't whether the market is collapsing—it isn't. The better question is whether distress is quietly returning to portions of the market.

This Isn't 2008

Let's start with the good news.

Today's market is dramatically different from the conditions that led to the Great Recession.

Most homeowners purchased or refinanced into historically low fixed-rate mortgages between 2020 and 2022. Lending standards have generally been much stronger over the past decade, and many homeowners still have substantial equity in their properties.

That equity provides options.

Rather than facing foreclosure, many owners experiencing financial difficulty can sell their property, pay off existing debt, and preserve a meaningful portion of their investment.

That's one of the biggest reasons foreclosure activity remains well below the levels seen during the housing crisis.

Where Financial Pressure Is Building

While residential homeowners remain in a relatively strong position overall, other parts of the market are experiencing greater stress.

Commercial property owners who financed acquisitions during periods of historically low interest rates are beginning to face loan maturities.

Many are discovering that refinancing at today's rates dramatically increases their monthly debt service.

At the same time, operating costs continue to rise.

Owners are facing increases in:

• Property insurance

• Property taxes

• Maintenance costs

• Labor expenses

• Construction costs

• Interest expense

For some properties, rental income has not increased enough to offset these higher operating costs.

That doesn't necessarily mean foreclosure is imminent—but it does mean more owners are evaluating whether selling, refinancing, or restructuring their investments makes sense.

Watch for These Early Indicators

Markets rarely change overnight.

Instead, they tend to shift gradually before headlines catch up.

Some indicators worth watching include:

• Properties remaining on the market longer than expected

• More price reductions before a sale

• Increased seller concessions

• Higher inventory levels

• More bridge financing and private lending

• Loan maturity extensions

• Increased notices of default and trustee sales

Individually, none of these signals indicate a distressed market.

Together, however, they suggest a market that is becoming more balanced—and one where negotiation has returned.

Opportunities Often Begin Quietly

Periods like this often create opportunities for well-prepared investors.

Owners facing refinancing challenges may become more willing to negotiate.

Developers may discover landowners who are more receptive to partnership opportunities.

Commercial investors may identify assets that simply require fresh capital or a different ownership structure—not necessarily properties with fundamental flaws.

These opportunities rarely appear after newspaper headlines announce a market correction.

They often develop months earlier.

Why Snohomish County Is Different

Snohomish County continues to benefit from several long-term fundamentals that support real estate values.

Population growth continues to drive housing demand.

Infrastructure investments—including future Link light rail expansion—are expected to improve regional connectivity over the coming years.

Communities such as Everett, Marysville, Arlington, and Lake Stevens continue to experience residential and commercial growth, while Washington's recent housing legislation has expanded redevelopment opportunities for many properties.

Those factors provide a much stronger foundation than existed before the last major housing downturn.

What Property Owners Should Be Doing Today

Whether you own a home, an investment property, or commercial real estate, now is a good time to review your position.

Consider asking yourself:

• When does my financing mature?

• How would today's interest rates affect a refinance?

• Has my property's redevelopment potential changed under Washington's recent housing laws?

• Is my property being used to its highest and best use?

• Would holding, improving, or selling create the greatest long-term value?

For many owners, simply understanding these questions can reveal opportunities that didn't exist just a few years ago.

The Bottom Line

The Snohomish County real estate market isn't showing signs of a broad collapse.

What it is showing is a gradual return to a more traditional market—one where careful underwriting, thoughtful negotiation, and local expertise matter again.

For buyers, that may create opportunities that have been scarce for several years.

For sellers and property owners, it is an excellent time to understand how changing financing conditions, zoning laws, and market trends could affect the value of your property.

The next chapter of the market is unlikely to be defined by panic. More likely, it will be defined by preparation—and by recognizing opportunities before everyone else does.

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About Weitz Commercial

At Weitz Commercial, we help property owners, developers, and investors throughout Snohomish County navigate changing market conditions with practical legal and commercial real estate insight. Whether you're evaluating a sale, exploring redevelopment potential, or looking for investment opportunities, our goal is to help you make informed decisions backed by local market knowledge.

Visit www.weitzcommercial.com to learn more or contact us to discuss your property.

How the ROAD to Housing Act Could Change Financing for Modular Housing Developers

 

The demand for housing continues to outpace supply across Washington State, and developers are increasingly looking toward modular construction as a faster, more efficient way to deliver new homes. While modular construction has long offered advantages in speed, quality control, and reduced labor costs, financing these projects has remained one of the industry's biggest hurdles.

The recently enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act takes an important step toward addressing that problem by directing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to modernize how modular housing projects are financed.

Although the legislation does not immediately create a new loan program, it begins what could become one of the most significant federal updates to modular housing finance in decades.

Why Financing Has Been Difficult

Traditional construction lending was designed around site-built homes.

A conventional lender typically advances funds as work is completed on-site and verified through inspections. Modular construction, however, follows a very different process.

A large portion of construction costs are incurred before the modules ever arrive at the project site. Developers often must pay significant factory deposits, purchase materials, fund manufacturing, and arrange transportation before they receive many of the construction loan advances available under traditional lending models.

This mismatch has forced many modular developers to rely on additional equity, private financing, or expensive bridge capital simply to keep projects moving.

What the ROAD to Housing Act Changes

Recognizing these challenges, Congress directed HUD to review every aspect of FHA construction lending that may unnecessarily disadvantage modular housing.

Among the issues HUD has been instructed to evaluate are:

• Construction loan underwriting

• Inspection procedures

• Construction draw schedules

• Administrative requirements

• Other financing barriers unique to modular construction

Rather than assuming modular homes should fit within traditional construction lending rules, Congress has acknowledged that factory-built housing follows an entirely different production process.

A Potential Game Changer: Construction Draw Schedules

Perhaps the most important provision concerns construction draws.

Under current lending practices, loan proceeds are often released only after construction milestones are completed on-site.

For modular projects, however, much of the value is created inside the manufacturing facility long before installation occurs.

The Act directs HUD to evaluate alternative draw schedules that could better reflect factory production milestones instead of only on-site inspections.

If ultimately adopted through HUD rulemaking, lenders may be able to release funds earlier during production, improving project cash flow and reducing financing costs.

For many developers, this could become one of the most meaningful financial improvements resulting from the legislation.

Increased Confidence for Lenders

The legislation also encourages HUD to examine ways to improve documentation and standardization for modular construction.

Today, manufacturers often use different documentation systems, making collateral review and underwriting more complicated than for traditional construction.

Standardized documentation and identification systems could make it easier for lenders to:

• Verify collateral

• Evaluate projects consistently

• Reduce underwriting uncertainty

• Improve secondary market confidence

These changes have the potential to encourage greater participation by banks and institutional lenders that have historically been cautious about financing modular projects.

What the Law Does Not Do

It is equally important to understand what the legislation does not accomplish—at least not immediately.

The Act does not:

• Create a new FHA modular loan program

• Reduce down payment requirements

• Guarantee construction loans

• Provide new federal tax credits

• Require banks to finance modular developments

Instead, Congress has instructed HUD to study existing barriers and begin the federal rulemaking process to modernize FHA construction lending.

Those future regulations—not the statute itself—will ultimately determine how much financing improves for modular developers.

Why This Matters in Washington State

Washington continues to experience significant housing shortages, particularly in rapidly growing communities throughout Snohomish County and the Puget Sound region.

At the same time, recent state legislation has expanded opportunities for middle housing, multifamily development, and increased residential density in many jurisdictions.

As developers search for ways to deliver housing more efficiently, modular construction is becoming an increasingly attractive option.

If financing evolves alongside construction technology, modular housing could become an even more competitive solution for workforce housing, apartments, townhomes, and mixed-use developments.

Looking Ahead

The passage of the ROAD to Housing Act represents more than a policy discussion—it signals a growing recognition at the federal level that financing systems should evolve alongside modern construction methods.

Over the coming months, developers, lenders, manufacturers, and investors should closely monitor HUD's rulemaking process. If meaningful reforms are adopted, modular housing projects may become easier to finance, less capital intensive, and more attractive to a broader range of lenders.

For developers evaluating opportunities in Snohomish County and throughout Washington, these changes could help unlock projects that previously struggled to secure efficient construction financing.

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At Weitz Commercial, we closely monitor changes in real estate law, land use regulations, and financing trends that impact property owners, developers, and investors throughout Snohomish County. If you're considering a modular housing project or want to understand how evolving financing rules may affect your property, we'd be happy to discuss your project and the opportunities these changes may present.

Learn more at www.weitzcommercial.com.

Road to Housing Act Overview: How does it effect Snohomish County?

The commercial real estate market has spent the past several years navigating higher interest rates, elevated construction costs, and tighter lending standards. While those challenges remain, Congress has enacted the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the first major federal housing package in decades. The legislation is designed to increase housing supply by reducing development barriers, modernizing federal housing programs, and encouraging additional residential construction.

Although much of the national conversation has focused on affordability, the bigger story for investors may be the opportunities this creates in Snohomish County Real Estate.

The law alone will not solve America’s housing shortage, but it represents a significant policy shift toward increasing housing production rather than simply subsidizing demand.

Why Housing Supply Matters

For years, economists have pointed to one simple reality: the United States has not built enough homes to keep pace with population growth.

The result has been:

• Higher home prices
• Rising rents
• Lower affordability
• Increased competition for existing housing

Rather than focusing primarily on buyer incentives, the ROAD to Housing Act attempts to increase the number of homes being built through a series of targeted reforms.

Over the course of the week, we will examine the major issues of this bill in detail, but below is an overview of the law as an initial introduction.

1. Faster Environmental Reviews and Permitting

One of the bill’s most significant reforms streamlines portions of the federal environmental review process for qualifying housing developments.

Anyone who has developed commercial or residential property understands that time is expensive.

Every additional month can increase:

• Interest carry
• Construction costs
• Insurance expenses
• Labor costs
• Material inflation

Reducing unnecessary delays can improve project feasibility and encourage developers to move forward with projects that might otherwise remain on the sidelines.

2. Funding to Help Local Governments Approve More Housing

The legislation also provides new resources for state, local, and tribal governments to improve housing production.

Funding may be used for:

• Modernizing permitting systems
• Updating planning departments
• Housing production initiatives
• Infrastructure planning
• Digital permit processing

Many development delays occur because planning departments simply lack sufficient staffing or technology. Improving these systems can shorten approval timelines without reducing public oversight.

3. Expanded Support for Modular and Manufactured Housing

Another important provision encourages alternative construction methods.

The legislation supports modernization of manufactured housing and recognizes modular and prefabricated construction as an important part of addressing the housing shortage.

For investors following Snohomish County Real Estate, this could become increasingly important.

Off-site construction can potentially reduce:

• Construction timelines
• Labor shortages
• Weather delays
• Financing costs

As construction costs continue rising throughout Western Washington, modular multifamily projects may become an increasingly attractive option.

4. Modernizing Federal Housing Programs

The Act updates numerous HUD housing and community development programs that many practitioners viewed as outdated.

These changes are intended to make financing and housing assistance programs more efficient while encouraging additional housing production.

5. Assistance for Local Housing Planning

The legislation recognizes that many communities want additional housing but lack the resources necessary to update zoning, complete infrastructure studies, or modernize comprehensive plans.

Federal support is intended to help communities better prepare for future growth.

6. Encouraging Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

The bill expands financing opportunities for certain accessory dwelling units through federal housing programs.

While ADUs alone will not eliminate the housing shortage, they can provide meaningful “missing middle” housing in established neighborhoods and increase overall housing inventory over time.

7. Improving Access to Small-Dollar Mortgages

The legislation creates pilot programs designed to improve financing for lower-priced homes through small-dollar mortgage programs.

These initiatives are intended to help buyers access housing that traditional lending programs often overlook.

8. Restrictions on Large Institutional Investors

One of the most publicized portions of the Act places new limits on future acquisitions of single-family homes by very large institutional investors, while preserving certain exceptions such as some build-to-rent activity. Supporters argue this could improve opportunities for individual homebuyers to compete for existing housing.

While these federal reforms are significant, the biggest determinants of future housing production in Snohomish County remain local.

The federal law does not override:

• Local zoning ordinances
• Washington’s SEPA requirements
• Critical area regulations
• Shoreline rules
• Utility capacity limitations
• Local design review

Instead, the legislation provides tools and incentives that local governments can use to accelerate housing production if they choose.

For communities such as Everett, Marysville, Arlington, Lake Stevens, Monroe, and Snohomish, this creates an opportunity to pair federal reforms with ongoing comprehensive plan updates and transit-oriented development.

Our Perspective

The ROAD to Housing Act is unlikely to transform the market overnight, but it represents another signal that development opportunities throughout Snohomish County Real Estate are continuing to evolve.

For property owners, developers, and investors, now is an excellent time to evaluate whether today’s commercial property may have an even greater highest and best use tomorrow.

Rail Meets Retail: The Light Rail Effect on Snohomish County Commercial Property

Retail is having its best national moment in a decade — and in Snohomish County, the coming Everett Link Extension is about to decide exactly where that momentum lands.

Nationally, 2026 is shaping up to be retail's strongest year in a long time. Locally, Snohomish County is in the middle of rewriting its zoning code to prepare for light rail. Put those two things next to each other and you get a pretty clear preview of where commercial investment is headed next — and it's not the strip malls that got built for a car-only world.

The National Backdrop: Retail Is Back

After years of being written off, retail real estate is quietly outperforming almost every other commercial sector heading into 2026. Grocery-anchored and neighborhood shopping centers are seeing their strongest valuations in a decade, excluding regional malls, and vacancy across the sector is holding in the range of 5% — a level the industry hasn't seen in years.

The shape of that demand has changed, though. Retailers are signing smaller leases than ever: the average retail lease signed over the past year fell below 3,500 square feet for the first time since data tracking began, driven largely by restaurant and service tenants like coffee chains, fast-casual concepts, and quick-service brands. At the same time, nearly 26 million square feet of ground-floor retail has been leased in nontraditional buildings — apartments, hospitality, even office buildings — as retailers chase foot traffic wherever density is building.

That's the key word: density. Retail is thriving specifically in the places where people already are, on foot, regularly. Which is exactly what light rail is designed to create.

The Local Setup: Zoning Ahead of the Trains

Snohomish County isn't waiting for the Everett Link Extension to open before preparing the ground under it — literally. The county has spent years building a regulatory framework specifically aimed at capturing retail and mixed-use demand around future stations, well before a single train runs.

Light Rail Community (LRC) Zoning

Around the future Ash Way and Mariner stations — and potentially the provisional SR 99/Airport Road stop — the county is rezoning land currently designated Urban Center into a new Light Rail Community zone. It's built for high-density housing, office space, and street-level commercial and retail, all within about a half-mile of each station, with amenities designed to support transit-oriented development rather than car-oriented strip retail.

Mixed Use Corridor (MUC) Zoning

Just as significant for retail investors: the county is also creating a Mixed Use Corridor zone for the major commercial arterials feeding into the Urban Core Subarea — most notably SR 99 between Everett and Lynnwood, and 164th St SW. Today, those corridors look like a lot of American commercial strips: single-story buildings, strip malls, big surface parking lots, and a heavy concentration of car dealerships. The MUC designation is explicitly meant to convert that land into walkable commercial and service hubs that support the denser residential neighborhoods light rail will bring in.

In other words, the county has already identified — on a map, in a formal planning document — exactly where it expects car-oriented retail to give way to the kind of walkable, mixed-use retail that's outperforming nationally right now.

Where It's Already Happening

You don't have to wait for the Draft EIS to see this playing out. Lynnwood in particular has been described as shifting from "suburb with good shopping" to something closer to an emerging urban hub, with a wave of new multifamily projects clustering in and around Lynnwood City Center and Alderwood Mall. The county is investing directly in the infrastructure to support it, funding corridor improvements along Alderwood Mall Parkway, and large master-planned projects like District 425 are moving forward in the same footprint.

None of this is a coincidence. It's the built environment catching up to a transit line that's still over a decade from opening in full.

What This Means for Investors and Owners

A few takeaways worth sitting with if you own, lease, or are evaluating Snohomish commercial real estate right now:

• Location relative to future stations matters more than current zoning. A property sitting inside the future LRC or MUC boundaries today may look like an ordinary strip retail site, but it's sitting on land the county has already earmarked for significantly higher-value use.
• Smaller footprints are an advantage, not a limitation. National retailers are already gravitating toward sub-3,500-square-foot spaces — a profile that fits naturally into the walkable, mixed-use formats the county is planning for around station areas.
• The window to reposition is now, not after the ribbon-cutting. By the time the first phase of Link service reaches South Everett in 2037, the properties best positioned to capture new foot traffic will likely already be under new ownership, redeveloped, or repositioned. Waiting for construction to finish means competing with everyone else for the same sites.
• Deferred parking near stations changes site selection. Sound Transit's decision to defer parking garages at the Mariner and Everett stations means nearby existing parking and access will carry outsized value for a while — a detail worth factoring into any acquisition near those two stops specifically.

For anyone actively tracking commercial real estate opportunities in Snohomish County, the SR 99 and 164th St SW corridors, along with the areas immediately around Ash Way and Mariner, are worth watching closely as the county finalizes its Light Rail Community and Mixed Use Corridor zoning over the next year.

The Bottom Line

Retail's national comeback and Snohomish County's light rail buildout are, in a real sense, the same story told at two different scales. Nationally, capital is chasing foot traffic and density. Locally, the county has drawn the boundaries for exactly where that density is going to show up next. The Everett Link Extension won't reach downtown Everett until 2041 — but the commercial real estate map for the corridor is already being redrawn.

Sources: CoStar/CNBC, Cushman & Wakefield, Sound Transit, Snohomish County Planning and Development Services, Lynnwood Times. Local market insight and Snohomish commercial real estate guidance courtesy of Weitz Commercial. Project and zoning details current as of July 2026 and subject to change as planning processes continue.

2026 Snohomish Light Rail Update

 

Light Rail Is Coming to Snohomish County: A Guide to the Everett Link Extension

Everything we know about the six future Link stations headed north from Lynnwood — where they'll be, what's guaranteed, and what's still up in the air.

For almost a decade, Snohomish County has been promised something it's never had: a direct light rail connection to Seattle and the rest of the Puget Sound region. Voters said yes to it back in 2016. In 2026, that promise finally got real — and it also almost got cut. Here's where things stand, station by station.

The Big Picture

The Everett Link Extension is a planned 16-mile addition to the regional Link light rail network, running north from the current Lynnwood City Center Station into unincorporated Snohomish County and on to downtown Everett. It was approved by Puget Sound voters as part of the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) ballot measure in November 2016, with an original cost estimate of about $6.6 billion.

Nearly ten years later, the project is in the environmental review phase. Sound Transit expects to publish a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) sometime in 2026, followed by a public comment period, a Final EIS around 2027, and then a formal decision by the Sound Transit Board on the exact route, stations, and maintenance facility location.

Earlier this year, the extension's future was genuinely uncertain. Sound Transit is facing a system-wide $34.5 billion shortfall, driven by inflation, tariffs on construction materials, labor shortages, and rising right-of-way costs. Some of the cost-cutting scenarios on the table would have stopped the line short of downtown Everett entirely. After a packed town hall at Everett Station and months of lobbying from local leaders, the Sound Transit Board voted 16–2 in late May 2026 to approve a revised ST3 system plan that keeps all six Everett stations intact — though not without trade-offs, which we'll get to below.

The Six (or Seven) Future Stations

Traveling south to north, here's what's planned:

1. West Alderwood

The first stop north of Lynnwood, sited near Alderwood Mall. This area is a centerpiece of the county's new Light Rail Community (LRC) zoning, which will allow high-density housing, office space, and street-level retail within about a half-mile of the station.

2. Ash Way

Built around the existing Ash Way Park & Ride, this station sits inside the county's Urban Core Subarea — an area the county has been actively planning for since 2018 specifically in anticipation of light rail.

3. Mariner

Another stop built around a current Community Transit park and ride. Mariner is one of two stations where a planned parking garage has now been deferred to help close the budget gap — more on that below.

Provisional: SR 99 / Airport Road

This one comes with an asterisk. It's a "provisional" station, meaning it's funded for planning and environmental review but not currently funded for design and construction. If more money materializes down the road, Sound Transit will build on the early planning work already done — but for now, it's not guaranteed to open.

4. SW Everett Industrial Center (Paine Field)

Arguably the most consequential stop on the whole line. This station serves Paine Field — home to Boeing's widebody assembly operations (the largest factory building by volume on earth), Paine Field International Airport, and more than 600 aerospace suppliers that make up a roughly $14 billion slice of the county's economy. For the 30,000-plus people who commute into that corridor every day, this station would be transformative.

5. SR 526 / Evergreen Way

This station connects the Evergreen Way commercial corridor to the rail line as it curves toward downtown Everett.

6. Everett Station

The end of the line — a downtown hub that already connects to Amtrak and Sounder commuter rail. This is the last and most expensive phase of construction, and the one that was most at risk of being deferred during the 2026 budget crunch.

Timeline: When Will It Actually Open?

• 2026: Draft EIS published for public review and comment
• ~2027: Final EIS published; Sound Transit Board makes its official decision on route, stations, and the maintenance facility (OMF North) location
• 2037: Service targeted to reach South Everett (128th Street)
• 2041: Service targeted to reach Downtown Everett (Smith Avenue)

That's a long runway — over a decade from now for the full line. But compared to some other ST3 projects that just got pushed back years further (the Issaquah/Kirkland line is now targeting 2050, and Ballard's timeline is up in the air), Everett actually came out of the 2026 budget fight in relatively good shape.

The Trade-Offs

Keeping all six Everett stations funded wasn't free. To help close the gap, Sound Transit's revised plan:

• Defers parking garages at the Mariner and Everett stations, instead leaning on connections to local bus routes and exploring third-party funding for parking down the line
• Cancels the Sounder N Line commuter rail service by 2033 — a low-ridership route currently running just four trains a day each direction

Local leaders, including Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, framed the deal as protecting what they call "the spine" — the full light rail corridor connecting Everett all the way to Tacoma.

What It Means for the County

Light rail isn't just about the trains — it's already reshaping local planning. Snohomish County adopted a Light Rail Community land-use designation as part of its 2024 Comprehensive Plan, and is in the process of rezoning areas around Ash Way and Mariner (and potentially SR 99/Airport Road) into a new LRC zone that supports dense housing, mixed-use development, and walkable, transit-oriented design. County planners worked with Sound Transit and the cities of Everett and Lynnwood on a shared toolkit to guide that growth.

In plain terms: expect to see new apartment buildings, retail, and office space start clustering around these station sites well before the trains ever run.

How to Get Involved

The Draft EIS public comment period is the next major opportunity for residents to weigh in on route and station decisions. Sound Transit has said it will mail postcards to nearby residents, businesses, and property owners ahead of that comment period, and updates are posted on the project's engagement website. Snohomish County residents can also track the Light Rail Community zoning process through the county's Planning Commission.

The Bottom Line

After a scary few months in 2026, the Everett Link Extension survived intact — six stations, all funded, with service reaching South Everett by 2037 and downtown by 2041. It won't happen fast, and it came with real trade-offs. But for a county that's spent nearly a decade waiting for its light rail promise, this summer's vote was the clearest signal yet that it's actually going to happen.

Sources: Sound Transit, Snohomish County, HeraldNet, King 5, Lynnwood Times, My Everett News. Project details are current as of July 2026 and subject to change as the environmental review process continues.

The Clock is running out: How "Extend and Pretend" Created Today's Commercial Real Estate Reckoning

For the past four years, much of the commercial real estate industry has been playing a familiar game: kick the can down the road and hope conditions improve. Lenders extended maturing loans. Borrowers renegotiated terms. Both parties crossed their fingers that interest rates would fall fast enough to make the math work. That game is now coming to an end — and the consequences are rippling across property markets nationwide.

How We Got Here: A Brief History

The seeds of today's crisis were planted between 2020 and 2022, when a combination of pandemic-era stimulus, near-zero interest rates, and surging demand for certain property types drove commercial real estate values to historic highs. Investors and developers borrowed aggressively, many taking on floating-rate or short-term debt with the expectation that refinancing would be straightforward.

Then came 2022. The Federal Reserve launched its most aggressive rate-hiking cycle in four decades, raising the federal funds rate from near zero to over 5% in just eighteen months. Almost overnight, the math on billions of dollars of CRE loans stopped working. Refinancing costs jumped by 300 basis points or more, leaving many borrowers unable to bridge the gap between their original loan terms and what lenders now required.

Rather than triggering an immediate wave of defaults and foreclosures, the industry largely turned to a quieter strategy: "extend and pretend." Lenders modified loan terms, pushed out maturity dates, and bought time — betting that rates would fall and property values would recover before the bill truly came due.

The numbers tell the story. Loan modifications tracked across CMBS, CRE CLO, and agency loan pools climbed from $21.1 billion in early 2024 to $39.3 billion by March 2025 — an increase of 86% in just one year. The original 2024 maturity estimate of $659 billion ballooned to $929 billion as lenders rolled extended loans into the future. By the end of 2025, an estimated $600 billion in mortgages had been extended from their original due dates — in what some analysts have called "Extend and Pretend 2.0."

One high-profile example: the Willis Tower in Chicago, backed by a $1.33 billion loan originally set to mature in 2020, received a modification in early 2025 pushing its maturity date all the way to 2028. It was not alone. Across the country, office towers, multifamily complexes, and retail centers were quietly having their clocks reset.

The Wall Arrives — And Extensions Are Running Out

The strategy worked, until now. The Mortgage Bankers Association estimates that $875 billion in commercial mortgages will mature in 2026, down slightly from the $957 billion originally scheduled for 2025 — but the difference is largely a product of yet more extensions piling up. Peak maturity volumes were forecast to hit $875 billion this year, with elevated volumes persisting through at least 2030.

Critically, the willingness of lenders to keep granting extensions is declining sharply. Extensions fell from $384 billion in 2024 to roughly $200 billion in 2025 — a drop from representing 41% of expected maturities to just 21%. As one analysis put it plainly: the era of "extend and pretend" is giving way to "resolve or reset."

Why the shift? Lenders — particularly in the office sector — are increasingly recognizing that the problems are structural, not temporary. Office CMBS delinquencies hit a record 12.34% in January 2026, the highest level since 2000. Only 11% of office CMBS loans maturing in a recent month were paid off in full. Hybrid work has permanently reduced demand for traditional office space in many markets, dragging down values and rents in cities from Portland to Chicago to Denver.

For borrowers who took on floating-rate debt during the low-rate era, the math is simply punishing. Refinancing costs remain 300 or more basis points higher than original loan terms. Property values have declined. And lenders who once patiently waited are now moving toward enforcement.

What Happens Next: Workouts, Sales, and Defaults

With extensions becoming harder to obtain, borrowers now face a narrowing set of options: refinance at significantly higher costs, bring in fresh equity capital to recapitalize, sell the asset — often at a steep discount — or risk default and foreclosure.

The distressed asset pipeline reflects this pressure. In Q3 2025, total distressed CRE volume reached $126.6 billion, up 18% year over year, with multifamily alone accounting for $22.8 billion of that total. The multifamily distress story is somewhat different from office — it is driven less by structural demand collapse and more by the collision of peak-era purchase prices, floating-rate debt, and moderating rent growth. Delinquency rates in the sector reached 7.12% by late 2025, the highest since 2015.

For lenders, the new posture is enforcement over patience. As one industry headline put it this week, "easy extensions are disappearing as office and multifamily owners face higher rates, tougher refinancing, and new workout strategies." Banks that spent 2023 and 2024 quietly modifying loans — particularly smaller regional banks, which saw a 217% spike in CRE loan modifications in 2024 — are now approaching the practical limits of how long they can continue that strategy without regulatory scrutiny and capital concerns.

A Price Discovery Moment

There is a silver lining buried in all of this, though it depends heavily on which side of the table you are sitting on.

For investors and opportunistic buyers, 2026 is shaping up to be the price discovery year the market has been waiting for. Distressed sales and forced dispositions tend to establish new market benchmarks — and with more than $125 billion in distressed assets in the pipeline, there will be no shortage of opportunities for well-capitalized buyers willing to do the work.

For lenders, the workout strategies are evolving. Banks and private credit providers are increasingly collaborating rather than competing — banks supplying note-on-note financing and A-notes while private credit fills execution gaps for transitional business plans. Private lenders now account for 34% of construction financing, up from roughly 9% in the post-GFC era.

For borrowers, the calculus is harder. Those who can demonstrate strong cash flow, creditworthy tenants, and a credible path to stabilization will find willing lenders. Those who cannot will face a reckoning that "extend and pretend" can no longer defer.

The Bottom Line

The national commercial real estate market spent four years treating a structural problem like a temporary one. Rates were supposed to fall faster. Remote work was supposed to reverse. Values were supposed to bounce back. Some of that happened — partially. But not enough, and not fast enough, for hundreds of billions of dollars in loans that are now past due or approaching maturity with no clear exit.

The patience phase is over. What comes next? Its hard to say for certain, but we see a reckoning in the market has been postponing since 2022.

For more information on investing in Snohomish County Commercial Real Estate, we'd love to help in your endeavors. 

Scott Weitz

Scott@WeitzCommercial.com

T: (206) 306-4034

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This blog is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment or legal advice.

Why Modular Construction Makes Sense Right Now

The way we build is changing. Modular construction, where building sections are manufactured in a factory and assembled on-site, is no longer a niche alternative. It's becoming the smarter default for developers, builders, and anyone trying to deliver quality projects faster and at lower cost.

Below we will explore some of the reasons that we are optimistic about modular construction locally in the Snohomish County Multi-family sector and beyond. 

1.  It's Faster, By a Wide Margin

The single biggest advantage of modular construction is speed. Because factory production and on-site site work happen simultaneously, projects are consistently completed 20–50% faster than traditional construction. The MBI puts the average commercial modular project at 40% faster than an equivalent conventional build. For a developer carrying a construction loan, that can be a huge difference. 

 

2.  It Costs Less and Stays on Budget

Modular construction can lead to up to 20% savings in total construction costs in best-case scenarios. Labor is a significant driver: the McGraw-Hill Construction report Prefabrication and Modular Construction 2020 found that modular can reduce labor costs by 16% to 25%. Beyond labor, fixed factory pricing delivers budget certainty. Traditional construction runs timing risk and overrun risks, while modular's factory-controlled production eliminates change orders and provides fixed-price certainty months before construction begins.

 

3.  Quality is Built In, Not Inspected In

Factory construction means consistent, controlled conditions every day. No weather delays, no rotating crews, no site-to-site variability. Volumetric modular units arrive 80–95% complete before leaving the factory, with framing, insulation, MEP rough-in, drywall, and finishes already done. Building Information Modeling (BIM) adoption in modular construction improves design accuracy by 40% and reduces costly field errors. The result: fewer warranty callbacks, tighter tolerances, and a more predictable finished product.

 

4.  It's a Growing Market and Mainstream Financing Agrees

The global modular construction market reached $107.83 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to $161.02 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 8.4% (The Business Research Company, 2026). By 2030, modular could deliver $22 billion in annual cost savings for the U.S. and European construction industry alone (McKinsey & Company). Institutional acceptance is as follows: both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now publish explicit modular-friendly underwriting guidelines for multifamily housing, and insurance premiums for modular projects run 10–15% lower due to reduced on-site risk.

The Bottom Line

Modular isn't a compromise, it's an upgrade. For townhome developers, multifamily investors, and commercial builders alike, the combination of faster schedules, tighter budgets, less waste, and consistent quality makes modular construction one of the most compelling delivery methods available today. The data backs it up. The financing backs it up. And a growing network of experienced regional suppliers from Stratford Building Corporation in the Pacific Northwest, to national players like Guerdon and Autovol, means the execution infrastructure is there to support it.

 

We predict this industry will continue to boom, supplier pricing may even contract as more competition continues to develop. We see tremendous opportunity for multi-family and townhomes in particular especially coupled with recent zoning changes for middle housing in the region.

 

For more information on Snohomish Commercial Real Estate Investing opportunities, out contact information is below.

 

Scott Weitz

Scott@WeitzCommercial.com

T: 206.306.4034

Puget Sound Housing Inventory Surges: What It Means for Buyers, Sellers, and Investors

After several years of historically low inventory and intense competition, the Puget Sound housing market is beginning to look very different. While home prices have generally remained stable, the number of homes available for sale has increased significantly compared to last year, creating new opportunities—and challenges—for buyers, sellers, and real estate investors.

According to recent Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) data, active residential inventory across Western Washington is up approximately 28% from a year ago. The increase represents one of the most significant inventory expansions the region has experienced since the post-pandemic housing boom.

For buyers, the change is noticeable. Instead of feeling pressure to make immediate decisions on limited inventory, many purchasers now have additional options and more time to evaluate properties. While desirable homes in strong neighborhoods continue to attract attention, buyers are generally experiencing less competition than they did during the height of the market.

For sellers, the market has become more competitive. The days of simply placing a property on the market and expecting multiple offers within a few days are becoming less common. Proper pricing, presentation, and marketing are once again critical factors in achieving a successful sale. Homes that are priced appropriately continue to perform well, while overpriced listings often experience extended market times and price reductions.

Interestingly, despite the increase in inventory, home prices have remained relatively resilient. Median home prices across much of the Puget Sound region have been largely stable, with only modest declines in certain markets. King County's median home price remains near $875,000, while Snohomish County continues to demonstrate strong fundamentals with median prices hovering around $760,000.

The Puget Sound region continues to benefit from strong employment centers, population growth, and long-term economic fundamentals. However, the market is clearly entering a new phase where inventory is rising faster than sales activity. Whether this represents a temporary adjustment or the beginning of a longer-term trend remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: buyers have more choices today than they have had in quite some time.

For property owners, investors, and developers, understanding these market shifts will be essential as we move through the remainder of 2026.

For more information on the Snohomish Commercial Real Estate market, consider contacting a Snohomish Commercial Real Estate Broker. 

Regards, 

Scott Weitz

Scott@WeitzCommercial.com

T: 206.306.4034 

Scott Weitz is the Designated Broker of Weitz Commercial, specializing in commercial real estate brokerage, investment sales, and market analysis throughout Snohomish County and the greater Puget Sound region

Quarterra Eyes Snohomish for New Apartment Development

Mock Drawing - Eblem Snohomish 

A major multifamily developer is betting on Snohomish County’s housing demand with a new mixed-use project that could bring nearly 300 apartments to the area. 

Quarterra has filed applications to build Emblem Snohomish, a 294-unit apartment complex at 2502 Bickford Avenue in Snohomish. 

The project would also include five townhomes and 15,000 square feet of commercial space spread across three buildings, one of which would be a drive-thru coffee and doughnut shop. 

 The 17.4-acre site spans six parcels with a combined assessed value of over $4 million, and would replace five existing single-family homes and a shop. A creek running through the property will naturally divide the apartment and townhome portions of the development. 

Why Snohomish? 

The numbers make a compelling case. According to Kidder Mathews data, Snohomish County posted the lowest multifamily vacancy rate in the entire Puget Sound region in Q1 2026, just 6.1 percent. Average rents rose 2 percent year over year to $1,532, signaling steady demand with room to grow. 

Quarterra’s Growing Puget Sound Footprint 

This project adds to an already substantial regional portfolio. Quarterra currently owns or operates at least 11 multifamily properties in the Puget Sound area, including: 

1) A $400 million, 796-unit complex under development near University Village in Seattle (expected completion: late 2028) 

2) Whittaker Apartments in West Seattle, anchored by a Whole Foods Market 

3) The Piper, a 284-unit luxury community in Redmond that opened in 2024 

4) Tavin, a 194-unit property in Crown Hill that began leasing in 2025 

Our take: 

 We think this is a great step for Snohomish County and the City of Snohomish multi-family market. Low multi-family and retail vacancy rates show that more new builds are needed and this is a great start. We continue to be optimistic about the future of the City of Snohomish and surrounding area especially in the multi-family sector. 

For more information on Snohomish County Commercial Real Estate, reach out to us any time. 

Scott Weitz, President

Scott@WeitzCommercial.com 

T: 206.306.4034 

Nathan Cuda, VP Brokerage

Nathan@weitzcommercial.com 

T: 425.268.9796

www.weitzcommercial.com 

Washington State Foreclosure Wake Up Call

 

Housing & Real Estate · May 2026

Washington's foreclosure wake-up call

Filings are rising sharply statewide, here's what the data says, and what homeowners can do.

Based on ATTOM Data Solutions, Washington State Legislature & Redfin · May 4, 2026

118,727

U.S. foreclosure filings, Q1 2026

↑ 26% year-over-year

1,147

WA new filings, Q1 2025

↑ 38% year-over-year

78,000+

WA homeowners kept in homes since 2012

via Foreclosure Fairness Act

For years, Washington homeowners enjoyed a kind of insulation from national housing stress. High demand, tight inventory, and pandemic-era protections kept foreclosure numbers calm. That insulation is wearing thin.

What the numbers show

Nationally, 118,727 properties recorded a foreclosure filing in Q1 2026, up 26% from a year prior. Bank repossessions surged 45% year-over-year in the same period. Washington was flagged specifically as one of a handful of states where repossessions more than doubled annually, alongside Colorado, Alabama, Oregon, and Florida.

Washington's own trajectory reflects this: Q1 2025 saw 1,147 new filings, a 38% year-over-year jump, and the trend has accelerated since. This is happening against a backdrop of a still-pricey market: the state's median home price sits near $646,000, nearly twice the national average.

Why now?

Three forces have converged. First, pandemic-era forbearance and moratoriums are long over. The average foreclosure now takes 577 days to complete, down 14% from last year, as courts and servicers clear the backlog. Second, elevated mortgage rates and rising insurance, property tax, and HOA costs are squeezing household budgets. Third, inflation has eroded purchasing power, and for many homeowners, one unexpected expense is enough to tip the balance.

"The continued rise, particularly in starts and bank repossessions, points to building pressure in parts of the market." — Rob Barber, CEO, ATTOM

Washington's safety net

Washington's Foreclosure Fairness Program (FFP) is one of the country's more robust homeowner protections. Since 2012, more than 78,000 state residents have remained in their homes through its counseling and mediation services. In 2024 alone, the state's Homeownership Resource Center served 12,000 homeowners in distress.

In 2025, the legislature strengthened the program through SB 5686, expanding mediation access to HOA and condo owners, and establishing a new $80 fee on residential mortgage originations expected to generate ~$7 million annually for the program.

What to watch

This is not 2008. Strong equity positions, tighter underwriting, and robust state protections mean widespread collapse is unlikely. But the trend line is real and has been building for more than a year. With 181 foreclosed properties currently listed for sale in Washington, the pipeline is growing. Markets outside the Seattle metro corridor, where price buffers are thinner, are the most exposed.

How does the WA new Condo Act changes effect Commercial Real Estate?

Weitz Commercial  ·  Snohomish County & Greater Puget Sound Contact Scott

Commercial Real Estate Insight  ·  Weitz Commercial

Washington's New Condo Liability Law: What It Means for Mixed-Use Commercial Development in Snohomish County

By Scott Weitz | Weitz Commercial Real Estate | April 2026

If you own, develop, or invest in commercial real estate in Washington State — and especially in the fast-growing Snohomish County market — a landmark piece of legislation passed in early 2025 deserves your full attention. House Bill 1403, Washington's new condo liability reform law, may be the single biggest policy shift for mixed-use development that this region has seen in decades.

At Weitz Commercial, we work with investors, developers, landlords, and tenants across Snohomish County and the greater Puget Sound region every day. The question we're already hearing from clients is simple: Does this change anything for me? The answer, in most cases, is yes — and understanding how can give you a meaningful edge in this market.

The Problem: Why Washington Stopped Building Condos

For years, Washington State carried one of the most developer-unfriendly condo liability regimes in the country. Under the old Washington Condominium Act, a developer could be exposed to construction defect lawsuits for up to eight years after the last unit was sold — and the standard for what counted as a "defect" was remarkably low. Plaintiff attorneys became adept at filing suits over technical workmanship violations that had no real impact on a building's function or a homeowner's quality of life.

The result was predictable: developers stopped building condos. Why absorb a decade-long liability tail when you could build apartments, collect rent, and retain ownership? The for-sale multifamily market in Washington's urban cores — including Everett, Marysville, Monroe, and the broader Snohomish County growth corridors — effectively dried up.

This mattered enormously for commercial real estate. Mixed-use development — ground-floor retail or office space below residential units — is the economic engine of walkable, high-density corridors. Without condos as a viable product type, mixed-use projects became harder to finance, less attractive to investors, and less likely to pencil out in secondary markets like Snohomish County.

What HB 1403 Actually Does

Signed into law in 2025, House Bill 1403 makes several targeted but significant changes to Washington's condo liability framework:

• Private Defect Liability Insurance for Smaller Projects. For condo developments of up to 12 units, builders can now offer an express warranty backed by private insurance rather than facing open-ended statutory liability. This changes the risk calculus dramatically for small-format urban infill projects.
• Narrowed Definition of Defects. The bill reforms what qualifies as an actionable construction defect, reducing the ability to pursue claims over minor technical violations that don't materially affect building performance. This directly addresses the litigation abuse that made condo development so risky.
• HOA Board Immunity Protections. Board members who in good faith decline to file a defect suit are now explicitly protected from personal liability. Under the old law, board members felt legally compelled to authorize lawsuits — a pressure tactic that plaintiff attorneys exploited to their advantage.
• Strengthened Pre-Claim Process. The new law gives builders a meaningful right to cure issues before litigation commences, shifting incentives from courtrooms back to construction sites — where they belong.

What This Means for Snohomish County Commercial Real Estate

Snohomish County sits at an inflection point. Population is growing, land is cheaper than King County, and infrastructure investment — from the Lynnwood Link light rail extension to the expansion of the Highway 2 and US-2 corridors — is attracting new business activity. The county has long been viewed as a bedroom community to Seattle and Bellevue, but that narrative is changing.

HB 1403 accelerates that shift in several concrete ways:

1. Mixed-Use Projects Become More Viable

For years, the standard model for mixed-use development in Washington was: build apartments above retail, never condos. That kept the developer on the hook as a long-term landlord and limited the pool of equity partners willing to fund projects. With reduced liability exposure, condo-over-retail mixed-use projects in Everett's downtown core, Marysville's Highway 528 corridor, and Lynnwood's transit-oriented development zone become much more attractive to developers and the investors who back them.

2. Ground-Floor Retail Demand Gets a Boost

More condo development means more rooftops — and more rooftops are the single most important driver of ground-floor retail demand. Restaurant operators, service retailers, medical and dental offices, and fitness concepts all follow residential density. For owners of commercial strip centers, downtown storefronts, or flex spaces in Snohomish County, this legislation is a tailwind.

3. Smaller Infill Developers Now Have a Path Forward

The private insurance provision for projects of up to 12 units is particularly meaningful in Snohomish County, where many of the most promising development opportunities are mid-scale urban infill sites — not the 200-unit high-rises you see in downtown Seattle. Small condo buildings of 6–12 units in Monroe, Edmonds, or Bothell can now move forward with a cleaner risk profile, opening the door to a new class of local developer.

4. Transit-Oriented Development Gains New Momentum

Washington's 2025 Transit-Oriented Development law (HB 1491) requires cities to allow denser development near major transit stops. Paired with HB 1403, this creates a powerful one-two punch: more density is legally required, and the primary residential product type that supports commercial mixed-use is now financially viable to build. Snohomish County transit nodes — including the new Lynnwood City Center Link station — are primed to benefit.

The Investor and Owner's Lens: Questions to Be Asking Now

If you currently own or are considering acquiring commercial property in Snohomish County, here are the strategic questions this legislation should prompt:

1. Does your site have mixed-use potential? With the liability overhang on for-sale residential reduced, sites previously dismissed as "only good for apartments" may now support a condo component that meaningfully improves project returns.
2. Are you near a transit corridor or TOD zone? HB 1491 mandates higher density near major transit. Combine that with HB 1403, and parcels adjacent to light rail stations or major bus routes are worth a fresh look at current valuations.
3. Is your retail asking rent supported by the existing rooftop count? If not, increased residential construction in your submarket could close that gap faster than you might expect.
4. Are you positioned to capitalize on increased buyer demand? A healthier condo market means more owner-occupant buyers — including small business owners who prefer to own their space. Depending on your asset type, that represents an expanded buyer pool when it comes time to sell.

What This Law Doesn't Fix — And What to Watch

HB 1403 is a significant step forward, but it isn't a silver bullet. Washington's condo market won't transform overnight. Construction costs remain elevated. Interest rates continue to affect buyer purchasing power and developer financing. And not every jurisdiction in Snohomish County has updated its zoning code to reflect the state's broader housing legislation.

A note on the insurance mechanism: The new warranty-backed insurance product for projects under 12 units is still developing as a market. Developers should work closely with legal counsel and experienced commercial real estate advisors before structuring a deal around assumptions about insurance availability or pricing.

Additionally, keep an eye on Washington's rent stabilization legislation (HB 1217), which passed in 2025 and caps annual rent increases on residential units. While commercial leases are not affected, landlords of mixed-use properties with residential components will need to factor these new rules into their underwriting and long-term hold projections.

The Bottom Line for Snohomish County Commercial Real Estate

Washington's new condo liability law won't make headlines the way a major acquisition or a new corporate campus announcement might. But for anyone paying close attention to the commercial real estate market in Snohomish County, it's the kind of structural change that quietly reshapes opportunity over the next five to ten years.

More mixed-use development. More ground-floor retail demand. More density near transit. More viable paths for small infill developers. These are the downstream effects of a law that, on the surface, looks like a technical fix to an insurance and liability problem.

If you want to understand how these shifts affect the specific properties, corridors, or submarkets you're focused on, that's exactly the kind of conversation we have every day at Weitz Commercial.

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About the Author

Commercial real estate moves fast, and the policy landscape that shapes it moves with it. I've spent my career tracking both — helping clients in Snohomish County and across the Puget Sound region navigate acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, and investment decisions with clarity and confidence.

Whether you're a seasoned investor reassessing your portfolio, a business owner evaluating your next location, or a developer exploring what the new legislative environment makes possible, I'd genuinely enjoy the conversation. The opportunities in this market are real — and so are the complexities. Let's talk through both.

Scott Weitz

Weitz Commercial Real Estate  ·  Snohomish County & Greater Puget Sound

Scott@weitzcommercial.com 206.306.4034 weitzcommercial.com

© 2026 Weitz Commercial Real Estate  ·  Snohomish County & Greater Puget Sound  ·  Scott@weitzcommercial.com  ·  206.306.4034

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. Consult qualified legal and financial professionals before making real estate decisions.