The latest in real estate-related and community news (and a bit of awesomeness), straight to your inbox each week. Pass it along!

WIRE FRAUD alert

How scammers target home sales and steal down payments

REAL ESTATE news

Results of the annual Harvard Joint Center for Housing report released

New home sales down despite drop in mortgage rates

Housing crunch sends bigger populations to small towns

MORTGAGE & FINANCE news

Gamify your finances with these three apps

How much you need to save if planning to tie the knot and buy a home in the same year

Best places to own a home and pay fewer taxes

HOME trends

Room dividers are back

Plants for your garden that will NOT be eaten by deer

IKEA introduces robotic furniture available in the U.S. within a few years

LOCAL news

Seattle home price gains slow

Home prices fell in Seattle from April to May

Crowdfunding to help build affordable housing in Seattle

Seattle makes affordable housing mandatory in upzoned neighborhoods

Seattle housing affordability increased in April

Apple announces major Seattle expansion into big new office complex

New rules go into effect for cyclists on water taxis

How will the coming 4,500 Expedia employees affect Seattle traffic?

Free Orca transit cards for 1,500 public housing residents a ‘life-changer’

Seattle’s cycling gender gap is among the widest in the nation

Animal history of Seattle’s Capitol Hill

Seattle rabbits are doing what rabbits do

Locally produced brews and thirst quenchers for summer

Beach towns near Seattle

Best Mt. Rainier day hikes

Ten Eastside families become Habitat for Humanity homeowners

Is Renton the next Big Thing?

Issaquah sports medicine event July 13, free to the public

Construction begins on schoolhouse district project in Woodinville

Snoqualmie casino summer concert lineup

NorthCountry rebranding of Snohomish County meant to attract tourism

WEEKLY DOSE OF awesomeness

7,000 dogs are registered to go to work at Amazon’s offices, 800 come on any given day