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...
Blog
Market Pulse — August 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The Lockie Homes Difference
Our systematic approach to the Custom Home Building and Remodeling Processes include using cutting edge technology and tools to facilitate communication and limit confusion. There are a lot of moving parts and to do our job right, we’ll be paying attention to every...