Skagit County WCRER 2011 First Quarter Housing Analysis

According to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research 2011 First Quarter Housing Analysis; Skagit County home re-sales ( # of units sold) were up 19.7% from the previous quarter, and up 14.3% from the first quarter in 2010. Statewide home re-sales ( # of units sold) were up 6.5% from the previous quarter and down -4.6% from the first quarter in 2010. Overall building permits in Skagit County were down -30.9% from the first quarter of the previous year, in comparison to the 23.2% decrease statewide. The median re-sale home price in Skagit County was $204,700 (Down 7.0% from the first quarter in 2010), below the statewide median of $228,200 (down -7.2% from the first quarter of 2010). The 2011 First Quarter Housing Affordability Index (HAI) was 151.4 for Skagit County, slightly lower than the statewide index of 152.0.

Skagit County- WCRER Housing Market Data- Third Quarter 2009

According to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research 2009 Third Quarter Housing Analysis; Skagit County home re-sales ( # of Units sold) were up 14.6% from the previous quarter, and down -9.7% from the third quarter in 2008. Statewide home re-sales ( # of units sold) were up 15.6% from the previous quarter and up 2.6% from the third quarter in 2008. Overall building permits in Skagit County are down -16.5% from the third quarter of the previous year, in comparison to the -39.1% reduction statewide. The median re-sale home price in Skagit County is down to $233,600 (down -8.4% from the third quarter in 2008), below the statewide median of $260,000 (down -7.6% from the third quarter of 2008). The 2009 third quarter Housing Affordability Index (HAI) was 121.7for Skagit County, slightly lower than the statewide index of 122.8.

See full data: http://www.wcrer.wsu.edu/WSHM/WSHM.html

Mount Vernon's (WA) 20 Year Plan For Re-Development

Mount Vernon's (WA) 20 Year Plan for Re-development and Flood Protection
Last year the city of Mount Vernon started a comprehensive redevelopment plan for its historic downtown area. The goal of that planning effort is to guide the business investment of public and private resources in the downtown area over a period of the next 20 years.
A key issue of this plan is to provide the City's downtown area with 100-year flood protection.
The threat of flooding poses a major barrier to investment in the downtown area and limits the City's efforts to create a vibrant, attractive, and safe waterfront district. In addition to flood protection, the project's goals include enhancing public access to the shoreline and river, promoting a mixed use redevelopment that will generate new jobs, providing an area for both housing and business development to occur in a manner that helps preserve the character of the downtown area.
For more infomration on the city's plan go to:
http://www.ci.mount-vernon.wa.us/page.asp_Q_directoryid_E_652_A_navigationid=652