Published June 2004

Real estate-minded voters should take look at Rossi

A colleague of mine called several months ago and after the usual exchange of what was happening in the real estate market, he gently suggested that I needed to meet someone running for a political office. The governor’s seat, to be specific.

Solicitations for political support are not something new to me, so I had my pat answer ready to go. He just kept talking about this man and his character, background and values. At the point where I was prepared to interrupt him, he said something that caused me to pull back, “He’s one of us. He’s a real estate guy.”

I kept listening.

He went on to describe a man whose own career and life seemed to parallel mine: in his 40s, married with school-age kids, the product of an immigrant lineage, grew up in Snohomish County and started buying and managing rental properties in his 20s. Who was this guy?

“Dino Rossi.” Curiosity got me, so I called Rossi myself. Two weeks later we sat in my office in Everett and we talked shop about real estate in Snohomish County.

For voters interested in real estate issues, Rossi presents an appealing package.

“I’m the only candidate who has signed the front side of a paycheck. In my real estate career, I created dozens of jobs — living-wage jobs — and am proud to have always been a good landlord who provided value for those who rented from me,” says Rossi.

Rossi must send that message to voters who often only consume sound bites to cultivate their vote in a state that has been unfriendly to Republicans seeking the governorship. But his resume may bridge the gap for the first time.

Beyond his Snohomish County roots (he now lives in Issaquah), Rossi worked for everything he got in life. He comes across as a humble but very determined man who understands that living-wage jobs are created by a healthy business environment.

He’s a guy who walked to school as a kid, got odd jobs to pay his way through school, earned a degree from Seattle University and then plunged into real estate soon thereafter.

Rossi isn’t a newcomer to politics. In the late ’90s, representing the Issaquah area in the state Senate, he balanced the budget as chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee — arguably one of the most important political seats for any state.

At the time, Republicans held a narrow 25-24 majority in the Senate, while the Democrats controlled the Governor’s Mansion and the state House. He explains matter-of-factly how he was able to secure support on both sides of the aisle: “I got in my car and drove to the towns and cafes where key legislators on the Democratic side lived to meet with each of them and understand the issues they faced in their communities. Mostly, though, I never made the situation a partisan issue. I was always just talking about ideas and what made sense. ... Ultimately, a bipartisan vote allowed us to pass a budget in a tough climate. I was very proud.”

Rossi quickly secured the Republican base for his run for the Governor’s Office for the upcoming November election. Interestingly, his campaign has not only attracted traditional Republican support, including former Govs. Dan Evans and John Spellman, but he also has big Democrat names backing him, including state Sen. Tim Sheldon and former Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman, to name a few.

Real estate folk, at a minimum, must take a hard look at Rossi as well. At 44, he admits that it was success in real estate that put him in a position to even consider running for office.

As the political season heats up, real estate investors are watching the candidates closely. Real estate is a service industry. It serves the housing and space needs of people and the places where they work. For demand in both sectors to increase, we need a healthy economy that creates living-wage jobs.

Whether it be tort reform, health-care costs or other issues, the candidate that displays the best case for developing a sustainable pro-business and pro-jobs climate will likely get the support of the real estate community.

Tom Hoban is CEO of Everett-based Coast Real Estate Services, a property management and real estate advisory company. He can be contacted by phone at 425-339-3638 or send e-mail to tomhoban@coastmgt.com.

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