Like much of the rest of the state, Eastern Washington continues to experience modest employment growth, which is driving the unemployment rate lower. I also expect to see continued growth in employment as we move through the balance of the year.

In "Staying Put," architect and writer Duo Dickinson has assembled a terrific and practical guide to help us make real improvements to our homes. Dickinson, an advocate of well-designed and affordable homes for all, has specialized in residential design for more than three decades.

Colorado added 62,000 new jobs over the past 12 months, an increase of 2.4% over this time last year. All of the metropolitan markets included in this report saw annual employment growth, with substantial growth in Boulder (4.7%) and Fort Collins (+4.1%), and more modest growth in Grand Junction (0.3%). In May, the unemployment rate in the state was 2.3%, matching the prior month and down...

The markets covered by this report—Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Orange, and Riverside—added 131,900 new jobs between May 2016 and May 2017. As a result, the unemployment rate dropped from 4.7% to 3.9%. Growth in the Southern California market has started to taper, but this is unsurprising given our place in the current economic expansion.