Every couple of weeks, we share what we're seeing across the Puget Sound custom-home market — the trends, costs, and shifts that actually affect a build in Snohomish County and across the greater Puget Sound. This issue is mostly about one question: can a rural lot...
Blog
Fire-Hardening and Backup Power for a New Custom Home in Washington — Market Pulse, Sept 23, 2026
Every couple of weeks, we share what we're seeing across the Puget Sound custom-home market — the trends, costs, and shifts that actually affect a build in Snohomish County and across the greater Puget Sound. This issue covers two decisions made on paper long before a...
Washington’s New Energy Code Takes Effect May 2027: What Changes for a Custom Home — Market Pulse, Sept 9, 2026
Every couple of weeks, we share what we're seeing across the Puget Sound custom-home market — the trends, costs, and shifts that actually affect a build in Snohomish County and across the greater Puget Sound. This week we're starting with a correction to our last...
New Tariffs on Canadian Cabinetry and Millwork, and the Real Limit on Rural ADUs — Market Pulse, Aug 26, 2026
Every couple of weeks, we share what we're seeing across the Puget Sound custom-home market — the trends, costs, and shifts that actually affect a build in Snohomish County and across the greater Puget Sound. Here's what stood out this week. Trade Talks Collapse —...
Why We Charge for Estimates/Pre-Construction Planning
A builder named David Gerstel wrote something years ago that's still worth reading: he stopped giving free estimates in 1977, and never gave one again. His reasoning was simple. A meaningful estimate takes real work - sorting out specifications not shown on a sketchy...
Washington’s Income Tax Debate and the Shift to Full-Time Custom Homes — Market Pulse, July 17, 2026
Every couple of weeks, we share what we're seeing across the Puget Sound custom-home market — the trends, costs, and shifts that actually affect a build in Snohomish County and across the greater Puget Sound. Here's what stood out this week. The Tax Debate Isn't...
Snohomish County’s New Septic Rule and the 2026 Custom Home Wish List — Market Pulse, July 8, 2026
Every couple of weeks, we share what we're seeing across the Puget Sound custom-home market — the trends, costs, and shifts that actually affect a build in Snohomish County and nearby counties, including Whidbey Island. Here's what stood out this week. Seattle-Area...
King County’s $5M+ Market, Jumbo Rates and Lumber Costs — Market Pulse, June 26, 2026
Every week we track the signals that actually matter for custom home buyers in the Pacific Northwest — wealth trends, construction costs, market conditions, and what’s happening on the ground in Snohomish County, Whidbey Island, and Camano Island. Here’s...
Tech IPO Wealth and What It Means for Custom Homes in Snohomish County — Market Pulse, June 17, 2026
What’s moving the custom home market in the Pacific Northwest this week At Lockie Homes, we track the forces shaping our clients’ decisions — from shifts in Seattle’s tech economy to lumber tariffs affecting build costs in Snohomish and Island...
The Clients Who Aren’t Leaving Washington — and What They’re Building Next
The narrative you’ve probably heard goes something like this: Washington’s new millionaire tax is driving wealthy residents out of the state. Some of that is true. But the more interesting story — and the one I’m watching closely in Snohomish and...