I've traveled quite a bit and lived in multiple different parts of the world. Yet, I enjoy the weather in Western Washington more than anywhere else I've been. It's fairly mild, rarely gets too hot, or too cold. We have plenty of rain to keep things green, but our summers are absolutely beautiful. We get enough snow to make things interesting every once in a while, but not so much that we have to deal with it all winter. The black months can be a challenge, but I find that I am much less likely to take nice weather for granted living in a place like Seattle, as opposed to Hawaii or LA. I just appreciate the sun so much more here, and I really enjoy the balance of the seasons we have.

Oh, and to answer your question, supply and demand. Our region has grown rapidly over the past 20 years, with rapid job growth in a lot of high paying sectors. New home construction has not been able to keep pace.