Seattle Real Estate Podcast

#674 - Missouri Governor Mike Parson Pardons Couple Who Pointed Guns at Black Lives Matter Protesters

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Tuesday that he had pardoned Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who were charged with waving guns at a group of Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home last year.Mark McCloskey was seen holding a semi-automatic rifle while his wife was holding a handgun on their property on June 28, 2020, as a group of protesters passed by their house, prosecutors said. The couple were filmed shouting "Get out" to the crowd, but there was no physical confrontation between them and the protesters.They contended they were protecting their property during the protests.Several prominent conservative leaders, including President Donald Trump, defended the couple. The McCloskeys were guest speakers at the 2020 Republican National Convention.Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.https://abcnews.go.com/US/governor-pardons-st-louis-couple-pointed-guns-black/story?id=79250990Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

#673 - Seattle homeless camp, courthouse so dangerous that sheriff orders staff to work remotely

The homeless encampment next to the King County Courthouse in Seattle is so dangerous that Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht is ordering most of her professional staff members to work 100% remotely.Johanknecht cites the “unsafe environment around the courthouse, administration, parking garage, and corrections facilities,” along with labor union concerns, as contributing factors in her decision. The announcement was made in a Monday memo to office staff. The King County Sheriff’s Office is located in the courthouse in downtown Seattle.The move comes days after a homeless man was charged after allegedly attempting to rape a seven-month pregnant woman in a county courthouse bathroom.Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.https://mynorthwest.com/3065732/rantz-king-county-sheriff-orders-staff-work-from-home-king-county-courthouse/Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

#672 - After latest attack at King County courthouse, calls grow to move it of Seattle

The latest act of violence at the King County courthouse has one County Council member saying it's time to move its operations out of Seattle."We talked about this in October of 2019 and we’re still talking about it and so it’s time to take action," said County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, adding that massive security changes need to be made to improve safety or it should relocate. “I think the courthouse needs to be moved. Not because we’re trying to abandon, but because we’re trying to protect people.”Lambert isn't the only one calling for drastic change.KOMO News received an internal email from a person who works in the courthouse who emailed Executive Dow Constantine and Mayor Jenny Durkan that said, in part, "For years, employees who work in the Courthouse have raised security concerns and no one seems to care. We ask witnesses, victims, and jurors to come to the Courthouse knowing that it is not safe . . . this situation is completely unacceptable."Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

#671 - Over 200 Cops Have Left Seattle Police Department Since 2020 Summer Protests

Over 200 officers have left the Seattle Police Department since the 2020 summer protests, including Carmen Best, the city's first Black police chief.Officers have quit in protest of calls to "defund" the police, which includes cutting salaries and cutting jobs for as many as 100 police officers. Interim police Chief Adrian Diaz said the department's reduced numbers have led to a "staffing crisis."During last year's large protests, City Council members and others criticized the department's responses, including being too aggressive and quick to use tear gas on protesters.Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

#670 - CDC Announces New Eviction Ban Despite Threat From The Supreme Court

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a new, targeted federal eviction ban to replace the one that expired over the weekend, setting up a potential clash with the Supreme Court.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new ban will apply to “counties experiencing substantial and high levels of community transmission levels” of Covid-19 and will last until Oct. 3, the agency said.President Joe Biden had earlier Tuesday teased the announcement to reporters while cautioning that “any call for a moratorium based on the Supreme Court’s recent decision is likely to face obstacles.”The announcement comes after a dayslong standoff with Congress in which Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats, along with progressives led by Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, waged an intense public campaign to goad the White House into action.Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

#669 - New California Pig Rules Could Cause Bacon to Disappear Next Year!

At the beginning of next year, California will begin enforcing an animal welfare proposition approved overwhelmingly by voters in 2018 that requires more space for breeding pigs, egg-laying chickens and veal calves. National veal and egg producers are optimistic they can meet the new standards, but only 4% of hog operations now comply with the new rules. Unless the courts intervene or the state temporarily allows non-compliant meat to be sold in the state, California will lose almost all of its pork supply, much of which comes from Iowa, and pork producers will face higher costs to regain a key market.Animal welfare organizations for years have been pushing for more humane treatment of farm animals but the California rules could be a rare case of consumers clearly paying a price for their beliefs.With little time left to build new facilities, inseminate sows and process the offspring by January, it’s hard to see how the pork industry can adequately supply California, which consumes roughly 15% of all pork produced in the country.Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

#668 - Investment Firms Aren't Buying All The Homes But The Most Important Ones!

The median price of an American house has increased by 28 percent over the last two years, as pandemic-driven demand and long-term demographic changes send buyers into crazed bidding wars.Might the fact that corporate investors snapped up 15 percent of U.S. homes for sale in the first quarter of this year have something to do with it? The Wall Street Journal reported in April that an investment firm won a bidding war to purchase an entire neighborhood worth of single-family homes in Conroe, Texas—part of a cycle of stories drumming up panic over Wall Street’s increasing stake in residential real estate. Then came the backlash, as cool-headed analysts reassured us that big investors like BlackRock remain insignificant players in the housing market compared with regular old American families.Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

#667 - Extended unemployment benefits have caused ‘a whopping 1.8 million’ Americans to turn down jobs

Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) is shedding light on a recent marketing research report that estimates the end of federal unemployment benefits will lead to nearly 2 million jobs being filled through the end of the year.Morning Consult reported that 26 governors chose to prematurely terminate the extra $300 per week unemployed workers were receiving under the American Rescue Plan because they argued the additional benefits were preventing individuals from returning to work.“A new poll delivers a devastating blow to the latest lie from the mainstream media and Governor Pritzker about unemployment,” Caulkins wrote in a July 16 Facebook post. “A whopping 1.8 million Americans turned down jobs because the government extended unemployment benefits and it discouraged work.”Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

#666 - Seattle grocers ask SPD to hire more officers to meet 'basic levels of public safety'

The Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA) is calling on the City of Seattle to address its crime problem. The association argues its members feel conditions are not safe for employees and shoppers. “Simply put, we need the city council to work with the Seattle Police Department to bring staffing levels up in a way that meets basic levels of public safety. Action must be taken to increase the number of police available to respond to emergency calls in a timely manner. The current response times are simply unacceptable. When you call 911, you expect a timely response,” said WFIA President Tammie Hetrick in a news release. More than 200 Seattle police officers have left the force in recent months, and workers at grocery and convenience stores say they are feeling the impacts of the loss."I just try to do my best to protect the store and protect myself," said Ty Kwon, manager of Belltown Market. Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)

#655 - New restrictions on Washington state police may lead to spike in crime

As the most sweeping police reform in the nation takes effect in Washington state over a year after the death of George Floyd, law enforcement agencies outside of Seattle are arguing new restrictions set on officers when interacting with the public may further incentivize criminal activity. The nearly a dozen bills, passed by a legislature controlled by Democrats and signed by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in May, took effect on July 25 and cover virtually all aspects of policing, including the background checks officers undergo before they're hired; when they are authorized to use force and how they collect data about it; and the establishment of an entirely new state agency to review police use of deadly force.Perhaps the most concerning changes come under two new laws, H.B. 1310 and H.B. 1054, because they take away officers’ ability to pursue criminals or prevent crimes from occurring, Lewis County Sheriff Robert Snaza told Fox News. Under the first new law, officers now must have probable cause, a higher threshold, instead of traditionally just reasonable suspicion, before they can use force. Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.Support the show (https://buymeacoff.ee/seattlepodcast)