On May 30, more than 450 registered guests filled the Hilton Bellevue for “Built to Last: Financial Serenity Across Generations,” AREAA Greater Seattle’s free real-estate expo. Now in its third year — and our biggest yet — the 2026 event became our first multi-chapter gathering, welcoming the Portland, Salt Lake City, and Denver chapters for a full day of education on homeownership, generational wealth, and financial wellbeing across the AANHPI community.

Three pillars, one mission

Vice President and expo chair Christina Lee anchored the day around three pillars — generational wealth, wealth management, and health & wellness — delivered through seven educational sessions and 42 vendor booths. “We want to make sure resources are available,” she said, pointing to financial literacy and mental-health awareness as areas where our community needs free, culturally aware support.

Chapter President Frances Nguyen opened the day with the energy that set the tone: “This is the third year we’ve been doing this, but this is our best year — a bigger event, a bigger venue, more vendors, and the best crowd.”

A national message: stewardship over accumulation

AREAA National President Bryan Ahn flew in to unveil the 2026 national initiative, grounding his remarks in both data and personal story. He shared that AANHPI homeowners build a median of more than $180,000 in equity within their first five years of ownership — and more than half a million dollars by year 20 — calling homeownership “the single most important engine” for community wealth building.

Keynote: building income across generations

A packed grand ballroom heard the noon keynote from Thach Nguyen, founder of Springboard to Wealth, who shared accessory dwelling unit (ADU/DADU) strategies for generating income, housing extended family, and building long-term equity — a natural fit for the AANHPI tradition of multigenerational living.

Doubling down on homeownership

We were proud to announce that, through the AREAA Foundation, our first-time homebuyer grant program is doubling in 2026 — awarding four families $10,000 each, with one grant earmarked for a veteran, up from two families last year.

Thank you to our speakers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, and every attendee who made this our best expo yet. Here’s to building wealth, legacy, and community that’s truly built to last.