What's happening in Seattle real estate this week

Seattle this week

• Monday, November 2

  Seattle Seahawks vs Chicago Bears

  Kickoff at 5:15 p.m.

  Details →

• Friday, November 6

  The Smashing Pumpkins

  8 p.m. at Climate Pledge Arena

  Details →

  

• Sunday, November 8

  Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals

  Kickoff at 1:25 p.m.

  Details →

Mortgage rates

Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of 2026-10-29. National averages, so your rate depends on your situation.

Market snapshot

Source: Zillow Research (median sale price, King County single-family homes).

Worth knowing

• 2026 Third Quarter Regional Real Estate Report: The latest numbers are in. Our economist breaks down what's happening in the broader economy and digs into how it's shaping up for our regional markets. If you're trying to understand where things stand right now, this is worth your time. details

Catch the drift

The fold-out ironing board in the kitchen

Built-in ironing boards were a standard feature of the Craftsmen homes of the 1920s. Look for a shallow cabinet, often in the kitchen, with a flat panel door. Open it and there was a hinged board tucked inside, ready to pull down whenever someone needed to press clothes. No digging through the closet. No taking up floor space with a freestanding board.

Back then, ironing wasn't casual. The presence of a built-in ironing board in a kitchen indicates the centrality of ironing and a commitment to well pressed shirts and dresses. This space-saving design choice was common in 1920s homes, along with Murphy beds and phone nooks. Efficiency mattered. Washing machines were upstairs or in the kitchen already, so ironing happened right where the laundry came in.

Today most of these cabinets live second lives as spice racks or storage for dish towels. Over time many fabrics became easier to launder and wear without wrinkling, and everyday clothing became less formal. The boards are still there in older Seattle homes, though, waiting quietly for someone to remember what they were built for.

Ironing boards look different now, but the idea was sound.