Thurston County Realtors Association

10/19/2026

Before you check your ballot, check out TCRA's endorsed candidates!

TCRA proudly supports candidates who share our commitment to advancing housing affordability & attainability, protecting homeownership and private property rights, and strengthening the communities our REALTOR® members serve.

Our endorsements are rooted in issues, not party lines. We support leaders who listen, collaborate, and champion policies that benefit current and future homeowners.

🏡 Your voice matters. Your vote matters.

📬 Make your voice heard! Return your ballot to an official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026!

10/18/2026

“Can a $300 Home Energy Score really affect housing affordability?”

Housing affordability is about more than the price of a house. It’s the mortgage interest rate, property taxes, homeowners insurance, utilities, maintenance, and every additional fee or requirement layered on top.

As this graphic illustrates, the estimated principal-and-interest payment to purchase a median-priced residential home in Thurston County has nearly doubled since 2021. That’s before taxes, insurance or other ownership expenses.

A $300 assessment doesn’t create the affordability crisis on its own. But it adds another cost to an already stretched budget.

It’s what people mean by “death by a thousand cuts.” Each expense may sound modest in isolation. Together, they determine whether someone can afford to buy, maintain or sell a home.

For a homeowner with savings, $300 may be manageable. For someone choosing between groceries, medication and a needed repair, it can be significant.

We support energy efficiency and informed consumers. That’s why we’ve proposed a voluntary approach that connects homeowners with education, assistance and incentives.

When we talk about housing affordability, every layer counts.

10/18/2026

Are we getting the biggest bang for our buck when it comes to the Home Energy Score?

In 2020, Thurston County, Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater established a regional framework for addressing climate change through the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan.

The plan calls for actions that are the most effective, efficient, and equitable.

Those aren't just aspirational words. They should be the standards against which proposed climate policies are evaluated.

A mandatory Home Energy Score provides information about a home's energy characteristics, but the assessment itself does not directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

So we should be asking:
🎯 Is it effective? Does the policy deliver meaningful, measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions?
⚙️ Is it efficient? Are we getting the greatest environmental benefit for the resources invested, without unnecessary costs or administrative burdens?
🏡 Is it equitable? Does it work for our entire community while protecting housing affordability?

There are opportunities to invest in weatherization, heat pumps, energy-efficiency improvements, and incentives that help homeowners take meaningful action.

We support climate solutions that deliver real results. And we believe local governments should hold their policy decisions to the very standards they established.

Climate action and housing affordability can, and should, go hand in hand.

10/17/2026

TCRA Leadership was well represented at Washington Realtors Leadership Conference. We wish the following 2027 leaders much success.

2027 TCRA President Steve Chung
2027 TCRA President-Elect Alysha Brown
2027 WR Treasurer Kim Piper
2027 WR SW Regional Rep Dawn Baker

10/17/2026

We’ve seen a lot of comments asking why we would oppose the Home Energy Score requirement when it is “only” a modest $300 expense. We want to explain why our concerns extend beyond that assessment fee.

As this graph shows, the estimated monthly mortgage payment to purchase a median-priced home in Thurston County has increased nearly 95% since 2021, when the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan was regionally adopted.

Buyers face tighter budgets. Existing homeowners face rising household expenses. And approximately 56% of Thurston County’s housing was built before 1990, homes that jurisdictional staff have acknowledged are more likely to receive lower energy scores.

Now picture a senior living in one of those homes on a limited social security income. Groceries, utilities, prescriptions and medical co-pays compete for the same monthly dollars. Repairs get postponed. New windows, insulation or a more efficient heating system remain out of reach.

Their home may have grown in value, but that equity doesn’t put cash in their checking account.

Then comes the need to sell, perhaps to move into retirement communities or assisted living. The proceeds may be essential to paying for their care for the remainder of their lives. Although the HES requirement does not mandate upgrades, a low score could influence buyer negotiations and requests for concessions or improvements the seller cannot afford.

For that homeowner, $300 may already be a significant expense. The potential financial consequences extend beyond it.

Providing information does not provide the financial means to act on it. That’s why we support connecting homeowners with education, assistance and incentives that help them make improvements, and why we’re asking local leaders to consider the full financial picture.

Behind every affordability statistic is a person whose budget deserves more consideration than “only $300.”

10/17/2026

🚨 TUMWATER HOME ENERGY SCORE: TAKE ACTION!

The Tumwater City Council is considering a mandatory Home Energy Score ordinance. Tell Tumwater City Council to support a voluntary alternative!

TCRA is asking Councilmembers to pause adoption for one year and give our voluntary, industry-led pilot program a chance to demonstrate results.

We can advance energy efficiency without adding new burdens to homeowners!

📅 Tuesday, October 20 | 7 PM

📍 Tumwater City Council Meeting — Show up and make your voice heard!

📧 Can't attend? Email [email protected]

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10/16/2026

Congratulations! Help us celebrate the Alliance Western Washington being named chapter of the year next Wednesday October 21st for our Casual Conversations event at Nicole's Bar. Stop by, grab a bite to eat, and make some new connections.

10/14/2026

Great new resource from Washington Realtors!

The 2026 Washington REALTORS® Midterm Elections Voter Guide just dropped!

Our 2026 Midterm Elections Voter Guide provides members with a look at the candidates endorsed by REALTORS® for the Washington State Legislature.

These endorsements reflect the association’s focus on housing, commercial real estate, and issues that directly affect REALTORS®, their businesses, and their clients— not broader political affiliations.

Learn more about the Washington REALTORS® endorsement process and see this years candidates here: https://www.warealtor.org/endorsed-candidates-2026

10/14/2026

We are just one week away from our YPN/DEI/Alliance Event. If you haven't registered, do so now! Link in comments below!

Real Estate. Real People. Real Connections.

Sometimes the best connections happen when there’s no presentation, no agenda and no program, just people getting together and having a conversation.

Join TCRA’s DEI Committee and YPN, along with our friends from The Alliance Western Washington, for Casual Conversations: Community, Connection & Conversation.

📅 Wednesday, October 21
⏰ 4–6 PM
📍 Nicole’s Bar | Downtown Olympia
💛 FREE to attend

Come as you are. Grab a drink. Meet someone new. Catch up with someone you know. Let’s build community.

10/14/2026

The mission of Thurston County REALTORS® Association is to advocate for our members, their clients, and the protection of homeownership and property rights in our community.

We have been clear and consistent in our opposition to mandatory Home Energy Scores because of our concerns about their impact on housing affordability, homeowners, homebuyers, and real estate transactions.

Our advocacy does not begin or end with a single ordinance or election. We will continue to engage in the political process, evaluate candidates and policies based on their impact on homeownership, and advocate for the interests of the people our members serve.