Get the Facts 07.09.24
The Covenant Homeownership Program is Now Open!
Exciting news! The Washington State Housing Finance Commission's Covenant Homeownership Program opened July 1st, offering assistance to low-income homebuyers statewide whose families have been harmed by racial discrimination in housing. Click here for the press release.The bipartisan supported Covenant Homeownership Act was created by the Legislature in 2023 to help homebuyers with a no-interest loan covering the downpayment and closing costs.
To be eligible for the new Covenant program, people must be first-time homebuyers who earn no more than 100% of Area Median Income in the county where they live. They also must have lived in Washington before 1968 and be in one of the eligible racial groups – or have a direct ancestor who meets the criteria. Click here for the program information & FAQs.
To connect with the Covenant program and other homebuyer assistance, call the state Homeownership Hotline at 877-894-4663.
Learn more.
Alert! Professional Licensing System Maintenance
The Professional Licensing system will be down for maintenance July 26th 7:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m.Don’t wait till the last minute to renew. If your license is scheduled to expire 7/26, 7/27, or 7/28, please plan to renew prior to the 7/26/2024.
This outage has been scheduled for Friday evening at a time we hope not to inconvenience our customers. Unfortunately, if you do try to renew your license following the outage and experience technical issues, our staff will not be available to provide assistance until Monday, July 29th.
They apologize for the inconvenience while they are making updates to better serve their customers.
To contact DOL with questions:
For support regarding Secure Access Washington, or technical issues with the online Professional Licensing System, contact the Customer Support Team:
Call: Find your profession's licensing contact number https://dol.wa.gov/about/contact-us/business-and-professional-licensing-contact-information and select option 1.
Email: dol-bpdcustomersupport@dol.wa.gov
New Legal Hotline Series on DOL Audits
REALTORS®, don't wait until the last minute to get your transaction documents in order. Our new Legal Hotline Series focuses on proactive preparation for Department of Licensing (DOL) audits. Ensuring your transaction folder is up-to-date and accurate can make all the difference between a smooth audit and a stressful scramble for documents!In this series, Bill Dutra and Cathy McDonald from the DOL join WR Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons to shed light on what auditors look for. They will cover topics like fully signed PSAs, earnest money, advertising requirements, and more. Tune in every Friday throughout July for tips to keep you and your firm compliant and audit-ready!