The Anton Stetner Podcast

In this episode, Anton sits down to unpack one of the strangest land fights happening in Washington State right now: a $260 million power line slicing through 32 miles of Quincy farmland to feed the AI data center boom.

It starts with a number that's hard to shake — $2,415. That's what one family in Quincy was offered for a permanent easement across a third of an acre in their front lawn, to make room for a 230,000-volt transmission tower. Multiply that story across 112 parcels, 34 homes, and 449 acres of working farmland, and you start to see the shape of what's really going on.

Anton has a personal stake here — his family is from Quincy, and he's spent two decades on both sides of eminent domain negotiations. So rather than pick a villain, he walks through the actual court filings, the utility's own rate structure, and the tax rolls to figure out who benefits, who's getting squeezed, and why.

Along the way: what a judge actually ruled (and why the headlines got it wrong), how cheap hydropower turned a one-horse farm town into a data center hub, the low-ball offers landowners are fighting in court, why a "pay-to-play" bill died in Olympia, the natural gas plant that got shut down by local pushback, and whether AI data centers are really draining the region's water supply.

It's a story about power, land, and money — and about what happens to a small town when a trillion-dollar industry decides it needs to move in next door.

Got a land use or eminent domain question of your own? Give us a call or find us at resg.com.

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.

Congress Says It Fixed Housing. It Didn't (What Washington Homeowners Need to Know):
Congress just passed the 21st Century Road to Housing Act with a stunning 85-5 Senate vote and bipartisan applause. Every headline said the same thing: Washington finally did something about housing. But here's what nobody is telling you — this bill will do almost nothing for home prices in Washington State, and the reason isn't politics. It's math.
In this episode, real estate insider Anton Stettner (investing in Washington State real estate since 2003) breaks down exactly why the federal government can only offer "carrots," not "sticks" — and why Washington's cities have already proven they'll take the money and do nothing. You'll see the real numbers behind permit timelines, fees, and red tape that account for roughly 30% of the cost of a home in Washington State — nearly $300,000 per home in King County alone. We dig into the Growth Management Act, the Housing Supply Frameworks Act, and why the state needs over 1,000,000 new homes by 2044 while bureaucracy actively slows construction down.
If you're buying, selling, building, or just trying to understand why rent and home prices keep climbing in Washington, this is the breakdown the mainstream media isn't giving you.
👉 Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a breakdown like this.
👉 Share this with someone who's frustrated with the Washington housing market.

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.

This week we're reacting to a viral Instagram post claiming U.S. homebuyers have fallen to their lowest level ever — supposedly worse than 1929 and worse than 2008. We dig into where that headline actually came from (Redfin, now owned by Rocket Mortgage), what the real numbers say, and why comparing today's market to the Great Depression or the Great Financial Crisis doesn't hold up once you look at population growth, lending standards, and foreclosure rates.

From there we get into what's actually happening on the ground in Washington State: falling prices in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, wages outpacing home prices for the first time in history, and real conversations we're having with sellers and investors right now — including a new-construction buyer negotiating a 4.99% rate and 4% commission, and an investor closing on a multifamily deal at a 6.7 cap.

We also break down the bigger economic picture shaping the rest of 2026: the U.S. national debt crossing $40 trillion, how the ongoing conflict with Iran is pushing oil prices and inflation higher, new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's hawkish turn, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's move to buy back long-term bonds. We close with our honest rate predictions for the rest of the year and what it means if you're thinking about buying, selling, or investing.

Got questions about your own situation? Reach out at RSG.com.

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.

Seattle is punishing the exact people it needs to survive — housing providers, small business owners, builders, and workers — and this week we follow the money to show exactly how.

We break down the JumpStart payroll tax from the inside: what it promised back in 2020, what it actually raised, and the uncomfortable fact that roughly 70% of its revenue now comes from just ten companies — companies that can quietly relocate jobs across the lake to Bellevue without ever holding a press conference.

The numbers: downtown office vacancy at 35.6%, a net loss of 13,000 jobs last year, assessed office values down 48% while Bellevue's rose 7%, and a $488 million budget hole over the next three years. New Mayor Katie Wilson — one of the architects of JumpStart — says "nothing is off the table" on raising it further.

We also cover Seattle's new rental junk fee ban and what it actually does (and doesn't do), the Police Chief Barnes resignation, the recall filing against Wilson, and the property tax chain that connects an empty office tower directly to your monthly rent.

This isn't a takedown — we steelman the other side and lay out concrete fixes before the next tax hike lands.

If you rent, own, or operate in Seattle, this is the episode to hear. Subscribe for weekly breakdowns of Washington housing policy and local governance.

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.

Feel like everything in Washington is getting more expensive? You're not imagining it. In this episode, real estate broker and small business owner Anton Stetner reveals the hidden force driving up your cost of living: the Washington State Supreme Court.

This November, 5 of the 9 seats on the Washington State Supreme Court are up for election — the biggest judicial election in a generation. Anton breaks down how the Court already ruled that capital gains are NOT your income, why Washington has the 3rd-highest gas prices in the nation, how one gun-rights case could reshape the 2nd Amendment here, and why 400,000 Washingtonians skipped voting on these races entirely last cycle.

We dig into "forum risk" — the hidden cost every business, builder, and family pays when they don't know which way the court will rule next. That risk is already baked into your rent, your gas, and your grocery cart.

📌 If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review — it helps more than you know.
 📞 Want to talk real estate or investing? Reach out at RSG.com.
 💬 Let us know: are you planning to vote in these Supreme Court races this November?

This episode is for informational purposes only and is not legal or tax advice.

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.

Washington just passed something voters rejected for nearly a century — a 9.9% income tax on households earning over $1 million. And here's the part almost nobody caught: you can't overturn it by referendum. The legislature wrote a clause into the law that blocks that path, and the state Supreme Court backed it up.

In this episode, Anton and Benji follow the money from the State Capitol all the way down to your neighborhood listing. They dig into the $77.8 billion state operating budget (up from $33 billion just 13 years ago), the millionaire tax's real mechanics, and who's actually funding both sides of the fight — including the public-sector unions spending millions to defend a tax that funds their own paychecks.

They also break down:

• Why five Washington Supreme Court seats on the November ballot could decide the tax's constitutionality before the court even rules
• The lawsuits over the 15-word ballot disclosure statement, and who's suing whom
• Real data on capital flight — who's actually leaving, and what it means for luxury real estate
• Why Seattle's real estate market is bifurcating, with luxury listings and sales exploding while the middle market cools
• Comments from former Governor Christine Gregoire and Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke — both lifelong Democrats — warning about a "spending problem"
• What all of this means for buyers, sellers, and investors heading into November 2026 and January 2028

This is not a "how to vote" episode. It's the facts, the numbers, and the sources — so you walk into the ballot box informed.

Mentioned in this episode:
🔗 Full Court Press (judicial candidate scorecards): fullcourtpresswa.org
🔗 Washington Policy Center budget data: x.com/WAPolicyGreen/status/1901733468520017998

Get in touch:
📩 rsg.com
📞 425-249-0214

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.

What does it take to leave a thriving business, a loving family, and every modern comfort behind to row 2,700 nautical miles across the open Pacific Ocean — with no chase boat, no safety net, and no way home but forward?

Former Army Ranger, jiu-jitsu academy owner, and author Greg Anderson joins the show to unpack his 54-day ocean rowing expedition from La Push, Washington to Maui, Hawaii. Greg walks us through the moment he found the exact boat he needed available at a 20% discount, the brutal 9-day storm that nearly broke his team, and the equipment failure that left them with nothing but a hand pump between them and disaster.

But this conversation goes far deeper than survival logistics. Greg opens up about the mantra that got his team through — "pain is a guarantee, suffering is a choice" — the letters he wrote to estranged family members while alone with his thoughts for weeks at sea, and the disorienting emptiness he felt coming home to a world that no longer demanded anything of him.

We talk about:

• Why the first idea (a race) didn't appeal to him, and how he built his own expedition from scratch
• Learning to trust a 45-foot rowboat in 25-foot seas
• The "parachute anchor" technique that saved the team during a 9-day storm
• Why candy became the greatest morale boost of his life
• The neurochemical crash that mirrors returning from a combat deployment
• The Hawaiian practice of Ho'oponopono and what it taught him about forgiveness
• Why the answers he crossed an ocean to find were already waiting at home

Whether you're chasing your own version of adversity or just trying to show up better tomorrow than you did today, this episode will change how you think about comfort, struggle, and what you're actually capable of.

Learn more about Greg Anderson's book, jiu-jitsu academy, and the Row West expedition in the links below.

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.

Is the era of cheap money finally over?

In this episode of the Anton Center Podcast, Anton Stettner breaks down what the appointment of a new Federal Reserve Chair could mean for the U.S. economy, mortgage rates, inflation, and the future of real estate. If the Federal Reserve is moving away from decades of easy-money policies, homebuyers, investors, and business owners should be paying attention.

Anton explains how low interest rates reshaped the housing market, why mortgage rates may stay higher for longer, and what today's economic environment means for anyone looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate. The conversation also explores inflation, government spending, tariffs, AI-driven productivity, the "Fed Put," and why housing affordability remains one of America's biggest challenges.

Whether you're a first-time homebuyer, a seasoned investor, or simply trying to understand where the economy is headed, this episode offers practical insights without the jargon.

In this episode, you'll learn:

•  Why the era of cheap money may be ending 
•  How the new Fed Chair could influence interest rates 
•  What higher mortgage rates mean for homebuyers 
•  Why inflation remains difficult to control 
•  The relationship between AI, productivity, and the economy 
•  Why housing affordability continues to worsen 
•  What investors should be watching over the next few years 

If you enjoy practical conversations about real estate, economics, investing, and financial trends, be sure to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us bring you more data-driven insights every week.

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.

Everyone's watching the headlines and assuming Washington State real estate is in freefall. In this episode, we sit down with Anton — land developer, investor, and content creator with 29 active development projects — to break down why the data tells a very different story.

Anton walks us through the real signals of a market bottom: the Seattle bank building that just sold 50% below replacement cost, permits down nearly 80% from their peak, and a state facing a 250,000-unit housing shortfall. We dig into the Federal Reserve's outdated data models, what the new Fed chair's comments actually mean for mortgage rates, and why Anton believes we're near the end of a familiar four-year cycle.

We also get tactical. Anton shares the exact scripts he uses to get stuck listings sold, how he handles sellers experiencing "grief for something they never had," and the wants-vs-needs dialogue that gets everyone on the same page during a price reduction conversation. If you've got a tech client spooked by layoffs or a seller convinced they should wait until spring, this episode gives you the language to move them forward.

Beyond the market talk, Anton pulls back the curtain on how he's using AI to run his business — building fully interactive CMAs with Claude in under 30 minutes, launching a personal AI tool called Ask Anton, and creating a year's worth of content with a lean two-person team. We talk about why niching down beats going broad, what made his most boring topic (economic data) into his most loyal audience, and how consistency — not virality — is what actually compounds.

We close with Anton's favorite wealth-building strategy: buying one to two properties a year, using bonus depreciation to slash your tax bill, and letting real estate do the heavy lifting over a decade instead of chasing the next hot deal.

What we cover:

Why Washington State may be closer to a housing market bottom than the headlines suggest, and the specific indicators to watch (permits, foreclosures, construction activity)

How the Fed's shift in monetary policy and the 10-year treasury are actually moving mortgage rates

The millionaire tax fallout in Washington State and why high earners are relocating

Word-for-word scripts for price reduction conversations, seller motivation, and handling buyers on the fence

How Anton uses Claude AI to build interactive CMAs, generate content, and automate lead follow-up

A simple, repeatable strategy for building long-term wealth through real estate investment and tax strategy

Whether you're a buyer sitting on the sidelines, an agent trying to get listings sold, or an investor looking for the next window before rates move again, this conversation is packed with real numbers and real scripts you can use today.

If you found this episode valuable, subscribe and leave a review — it helps more people find the show.

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.

Washington politicians broke the economy… or did they?

In this episode, we examine one of the biggest debates in Washington State today: rising taxes, government spending, housing affordability, and whether lawmakers are making the economy stronger—or passing the cost on to taxpayers.

We break down the data behind Washington's growing budget challenges, increasing property taxes, and the policies impacting homeowners, renters, investors, and businesses across the state. Is the housing crisis really being solved? Why are taxes continuing to rise? And what does it all mean for the average Washington resident?

Rather than relying on political talking points, we analyze the numbers, explain how these policies affect everyday families, and discuss what could happen next if current trends continue.

Whether you're buying a home, investing in real estate, or simply trying to understand where your tax dollars are going, this conversation offers valuable context and practical insights into the future of Washington's economy.

If you enjoy data-driven discussions on real estate, housing, investing, and economic trends, be sure to subscribe and follow for new episodes every week.

About the Show

Welcome to the Anton Stetner Podcast, where we break down real estate, economics, investing, housing policy, and the trends shaping the future of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Whether you're a homebuyer, investor, business owner, or simply trying to make sense of today's economy, you'll find practical insights, market analysis, and conversations with industry experts designed to help you make smarter financial decisions.

🏡 Looking to buy, sell, or invest in Washington State real estate? Visit: RESG.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for market updates, housing trends, and investment opportunities.