Last week, I attended my office’s annual Kick Off meeting, and one of our guest speakers was leadership from Washington REALTORS®. Their job is to track legislation in Olympia that impacts housing, affordability, and the real estate market and to advocate for policies that protect consumers and expand access to housing.

A lot of what’s being discussed in this year’s 60-day legislative session isn’t flashy… but it directly impacts what homes cost, what types of homes can be built, and how fairly housing is marketed. These are the key bills they shared with us, and why I think you should care about them.

1. Ensuring Homes Are Marketed Publicly

HB 2512 / SB 6091 – Ensuring Public Marketing of Residential Housing Opportunities

What this does:
This bill would require that homes for sale or rent be marketed publicly, instead of being quietly sold within private networks or exclusive groups.

Why this matters:
Private or “off-market” marketing can:

• Limit who even knows a home is available
• Create unfair advantages
• Reduce competition (which can hurt sellers)
• Reinforce inequities in who gets access to housing

A transparent market means:

• Buyers have a fair shot
• Sellers reach the widest audience
• Pricing is more accurate
• Fair housing principles are upheld

As someone who believes deeply in access and fairness in housing, this one matters to me.

2.  Allowing Rural ADUs to Help Ease Housing Pressure

HB 1345 / SB 5470 – Rural ADUs

What this does:
This would allow detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in rural areas outside of urban growth boundaries.

Why this matters:
This is about gentle density, not big developments. ADUs can:

• Create more affordable housing options
• Help families house aging parents or adult children
• Provide rental income that helps homeowners afford their own mortgage
• Add housing faster than large developments

In Whatcom County, where we have limited housing supply and rising costs, this could be a meaningful pressure release valve without changing the character of rural communities overnight.

3. Turning Underused Commercial Space Into Housing

HB 2480 / SB 6026 – Residential Uses in Commercial Zones

What this does:
Allows residential housing in commercial or mixed-use zones in cities over 30,000 people and limits cities from blocking this housing with extra design or permit hurdles.

Why this matters:
We have empty offices, underused retail space, and aging strip malls… and at the same time, a housing shortage.

This bill helps:

• Convert underutilized spaces into homes
• Add housing where infrastructure already exists
• Support walkable neighborhoods
• Reduce sprawl

This is smart, practical housing supply work. More homes in the right places helps stabilize prices and gives buyers and renters more options.

4. Making Condos Easier to Build (So Entry-Level Buyers Have More Options)

HB 2304 – Incentivized Stacked Flat Condominium Construction

What this does:
Expands last year’s condo reforms to allow stacked flat buildings (up to 4 floors, 12 units) under the newer, more builder-friendly warranty framework.

Why this matters:
Condos are one of the most important entry points into homeownership.
But for years, condos were rarely built because of liability laws that made them risky for builders.

This bill helps:

• Make condos financially feasible to build again
• Increase ownership opportunities for first-time buyers
• Create more middle-density housing options
• Support attainable homeownership, not just rentals

If we want more people to own homes (not just rent forever), condos matter.

5. “Do No Harm” on Taxes That Increase Housing Costs

Opposition to REET, B&O, and Other Tax Increases on Housing

Washington REALTORS® also shared that they are opposing policies that would directly increase housing costs, including:

• REET increases (HB 1044, HB 1867)
• B&O tax increases
• Additional excise taxes tied to real estate (HB 2258)

Why this matters:
Every new tax layered onto housing:

• Raises prices for buyers
• Increases rent for tenants
• Makes development more expensive
• Shrinks affordability

We can care about public funding and acknowledge that making housing more expensive during a housing crisis hurts real people. This is a “do no harm” stance.

Why I Pay Attention to This Stuff

I don’t just help people buy and sell homes.
I advocate for housing access, fairness, and sustainability in this community.

These bills shape:

• What kinds of homes can exist
• Who gets access to them
• How expensive they become
• Whether everyday families can still build wealth through homeownership

This is the behind-the-scenes work most people never see, but it directly impacts your future housing options in Whatcom County.

If you ever want to talk about how policy, housing supply, and affordability connect to your personal goals, I’m always happy to dig into it with you. This stuff matters — and I care about getting it right.