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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
November 28, 2019     Shelton Mason County Journal
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PAGE 8     (8 of 48 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
November 28, 2019
 
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Page A-8 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019 - W'en'Delz'rér in ‘ MasonvCoimty Ever mursddy ‘Tls the season for Siress‘less"¥7’ holiday savings.’ GetSdOG off". Siressless-‘T‘ Mayfair or $200 off any Stressless‘i“ seating with or minimum $50 donation to charity. OR, get $200 off Stresslessi” dining chairs with a minimum four seat purchase. ’See store for defer/’15. r, DENTAL- CENTER 1 Come see why everyone is smiling! We provide implants. oral surgery, root canals. veneers. crowns. bridge: and more. Have your dental work done right here in Shelton and save,- the driving {or the weekend. 1829 Jefferson Street, Shelton (360) 42.6«8401 “ wwshgltomimmlcm“imam Only rm: (1211mm pa rum Wadi rim : uni. mm rainier so may» from nzxilnig (inc. timiirtimn “reply. # Jdfififial Washington Employment Security Division regional economist Jim Vleming speaks on Nov. 21 at the Ridge Performance Center at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton about the state of the residential real estate market and economy in Mason County. Journal photo by Isabella Breda Home sales on rise, but local economy 'still lagging behind’ By IsabellaiBre-da Isabel/a@masoncounty. com Residential home sales are rising in Mason County, however, according to regional economist Jim Vleming of the Washington Employment Security Department, the economy as a whole is “really still lagging behind to where we were in ’07 and ’08.” Andy Conklin, certified residential specialist with The Conklin Team at Windermere Real Estate in Shelton, and Vleming provided market and economic outlooks during the Shelton- Mason County Chamber Real Estate and Economic Update on Nov. 21 at the Ridge Motorsports Park in Shel- ton. . “I always like to say: real estate is the first indicator of what’s to come,” said Heidi McCutcheon, executive di- rector of the chamber. According to Conklin, “the over- all market is strong.” The number of homes sold from January to Septem- ber increased by 6% from 2018 num- bers. Home values are also on the rise, with homes in Shelton approach- ing 79% of market value in Olympia, Conklin said. ~ “As we creep closer to that (value), the market is going to expect we have the same amenities (as Olympia),” Conklin told about 30 people repre- senting local businesses during the monthly chamber luncheon. Unlike Olympia and other urban areas, Ma- son County is still hindered by the eco- nomic downturn of 2007. ‘ “Wages‘in the county aren’t up to par with the rest in the state,” and some Mason County residents com- mute to earn living wages in neighbor-‘ ing Pierce, Thurston and Kitsap coun- ties, Vleming said. . As of September, the median home sale price in Mason County was $258,300, and according to the Wash- ington Office of Financial Manage- ment, and workforce households can afford homes valued between $150,000 and $375,000, leaving some members of the workforce without access to housing. According to the Office of Financial Management, workforce households earn between 60% and 140% of the median household income of $53,087, or between $31,058 and $72,469. ‘ Though the workforce may not be the No. 1 contributor to the rising mar— ket value, “many of the higher-end wa- terfront homes in the county are sell- ing as vacation homes —— the VRBO world is invading,” Conklin said. Overall market trends, however, show that the community is growing. Homes in new housing developments are selling near Shelton High School, where $65 million in school bond proj— ects added new learning amenities K and upgraded athletic facilities. “At some point we have to quit driv— ing (to neighboring counties),” Conklin said. “So what are we doing?” Infrastructure, such as the $4.3 million Shelton downtown connector project, and Phase 1 of the Shelton YMCA construction, are also adding to the versatility of the community. Ac- cording to McCutcheon, for the first time, the Ridge Motorsports Park will host MotoAmerica, a three-day super— bike event, which will make its Pacific Northwest debut in Mason County. Each development project invites in more traffic and offers new opportuni- ties, Conklin said. “We’re working our tails off to make it better.” '\ I ,_ f" ,5 :1