Member Updates

Washington REALTORS® Support Southern California Wildfire Relief

Our thoughts are with the communities impacted by the devastating wildfires moving across Southern California. These fires have caused significant loss and hardship, and many need help.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Washington REALTORS®, if you’d like to support relief efforts, donate to the RRF by texting RRFCAStrong to 71777 today. Every donation received now through Jan. 31st will go directly to those impacted in CA. Learn more about the RRF and it's impact in Washington here.

How to Help→

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

The 2025 Legislative Session is Officially Underway: Here's a Preview of our Priorities

According to WR Director of Public Policy, Bill Clarke, the 2025 Washington State Legislative Session will present both opportunities and challenges for real estate and the business community. The biggest opportunities lie in the Legislature’s continuing interest in addressing our state’s housing supply and affordability crisis...

Read More →

Make Your Mark at Legislative Day 2025!

The decisions made in Olympia affect REALTORS® and homebuyers all across Washington State. This event gives YOU a seat at the table; join us for the chance to advocate for your industry and communities, and to influence policies that shape the future of homeownership.

Registration closes January 20— reserve your spot now!

Register Here →

SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Washington Residents and Businesses

Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to businesses, homeowners, and renters in Washington affected by the recent Bomb Cyclone (Nov. 17–25, 2024). SBA assistance will be available in Chelan, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Pierce, Snohomish and Yakima counties.

Assistance may cover property repairs, business losses, and mitigation improvements. If you or someone you know has been affected, apply by February 21st, 2025 for property damage or September 23rd, 2025 for economic injury.

Learn More & Apply →

NEW Consumer Guide: All About Homeowners Insurance

Another resource to add to your REALTOR® tool belt! This guide covers what homeowners insurance is, how it works, the difference between “named peril” and “open peril” coverage plans, and how reimbursement works in the event of a loss. Download it today to share with your clients!

Access Here →

Did You Know?

The Tech Helpline Can Be a Life-Saver!

No need to drop off your device with an expensive tech support provider. The Tech Helpline is available to you at no additional cost through your Washington REALTORS® membership! Whether you need help backing up your device, downloading software, or setting up a new device, they've got you covered!

Access Here→

Legal Hotline Q&A of the Week

Question

Seller delivers bump notice to Buyer. Buyer's deadline to respond is 9pm tonight. Buyer is proposing to waive their home sale contingency but add the financing contingency to the offer. If the seller doesn't respond by tonight at 9pm which is the deadline, is buyer's earnest money at risk?

Answer

The impact on buyer's home sale contingency depends upon how buyer presents this proposal to seller. Form 22B clearly states that once seller delivers the bump notice, buyer has X days to either satisfy or waive the home sale contingency and if buyer does neither timely, then buyer's PSA terminates. If the PSA terminates based on buyer's inaction, then buyer should recover the EM.

Broker's question describes a scenario where buyer is neither satisfying nor waiving the home sale contingency but rather, presenting an alternate proposal to seller. Buyer is suggesting to seller that buyer will waive the home sale contingency only if seller grants buyer a financing contingency or otherwise agrees to modify the existing PSA so that waiver of the home sale contingency will not cause a waiver of the financing contingency. If that is what buyer presented to seller and buyer does not timely deliver notice that buyer has actually waived or satisfied the home sale contingency, then buyer's PSA with seller terminates and buyer should recover the EM. If buyer wants to preserve the opportunity to purchase seller's property, buyer must timely deliver notice, without additional conditions, that buyer waives buyer's home sale contingency.

It should also be noted that buyer is asking something of seller that seller is likely prohibited from accepting. It is likely that seller signed a Form 39, "Second Buyer's Addendum" with the bumping buyer. The first paragraph of that form includes a statement prohibiting seller from modifying the terms of the first buyer's PSA. If seller does what first buyer seeks in this question and modifies the first PSA to either include a financing contingency or allow buyer to retain the financing contingency notwithstanding buyer's waiver of the home sale contingency, then seller will be in violation of seller's agreement with the "Second Buyer".

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