Housing Market Analysis and Demand Estimates for Owatonna
Transcription
Housing Market Analysis and Demand Estimates for Owatonna
Housing Market Analysis and Demand Estimates for Owatonna, Minnesota Prepared for: Owatonna Housing and Redevelopment Authority Owatonna, Minnesota March 2010 615 First Avenue NE Suite 400 Minneapolis, MN 55413 612.338.0012 April 5, 2010 Mr. Dave Strand Community Development Director Owatonna Housing and Redevelopment Authority City of Owatonna 540 West Hills Circle Owatonna, MN 55060 Dear Mr. Strand: Attached is the Housing Market Analysis and Demand Estimates for Owatonna, Minnesota conducted by Maxfield Research Inc. The study projects housing demand through 2020, and gives recommendations on the amount and type of housing that could be built in Owatonna to satisfy demand over the next five years. Detailed information regarding recommended housing concepts can be found in the Housing Recommendations section at the end of the report. We have enjoyed performing this study for you and are available should you have any questions or need additional information. Sincerely, MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. Jay Thompson Vice President Attachment Patrick Malloy Research Analyst TABLE OF CONTENTS KEY FINDINGS ................................................................................................................ Introduction ..................................................................................................................... Key Findings ................................................................................................................... Page 1 1 1 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS ......................................................................................... Introduction ..................................................................................................................... Primary Market Area Definition ..................................................................................... Population Household Growth Trends and Projections .................................................. Population Age Distribution Trends ............................................................................... Household Income .......................................................................................................... Tenure by Income ........................................................................................................... Tenure by Age of Householder ....................................................................................... Household Type .............................................................................................................. Employment Growth Trends........................................................................................... Major Employer Interviews ............................................................................................ 3 3 3 3 6 7 11 13 16 18 21 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS................................................................................... Introduction ..................................................................................................................... Age of Housing Stock ..................................................................................................... Housing Stock by Structure Type ................................................................................... Condition of Housing Stock............................................................................................ Housing Stock by Structure Type ................................................................................... Residential Construction Trends in Steele County ......................................................... 23 23 23 25 27 25 28 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS ................................................................................. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... Home Sales ..................................................................................................................... Current Supply of Homes on the Market ........................................................................ Actively Marketing and Pending For-Sale Housing Developments ............................... Mobile Homes................................................................................................................. For-Sale Interviews Summary......................................................................................... 30 30 30 32 34 40 41 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS..................................................................................... Introduction ..................................................................................................................... General Occupancy Rental Properties ............................................................................ Housing Choice Voucher Program ................................................................................. Pending Rental Developments in the PMA .................................................................... Rental Market Interview Summary................................................................................. 43 43 43 56 57 58 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS ..................................................................................... Senior Housing Defined.................................................................................................. Senior Housing in the Primary Market Area................................................................... Pending Senior Housing Developments ......................................................................... Page 60 60 61 71 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................... Introduction ..................................................................................................................... Demographic Profile and Housing Demand ................................................................... Housing Demand Calculations........................................................................................ Senior Housing Demand ................................................................................................. Owatonna Recommendations.......................................................................................... 72 72 72 73 76 77 LIST OF TABLES Table Number and Title Page 1. Population and Household Growth Trends and Projections, Primary Market Area, 1990 to 2020 .................................................................................................................... 4 2. Households by Size, Primary Market Area, 2009............................................................ 5 3. Population Age Distribution, Primary Market Area, 1990 to 2020................................. 7 4. Household Income by Age of Householder, PMA, 2009 ................................................ 9 5. Household Income by Age of Householder, PMA, 2014 ................................................ 10 6. Tenure by Household Income, PMA, 2009 ..................................................................... 12 7. Tenure by Age, PMA, 2000 and 2009 ............................................................................. 15 8. Household Type Trends, PMA, 1990 to 2009 ................................................................. 17 9. Resident Employment, Steele County, 2000 to 2009 ...................................................... 19 10. Covered Employment by Industry, PMA, 2000, 2008. 2009 .......................................... 20 11. Major Employers, City of Owatonna and Surrounding Areas, March 2010 ................... 22 12. Age of Housing Stock, Steele County, 2000 ................................................................... 24 13. Housing Stock by Units in Structure, Steele County, 2000............................................. 26 14. Condition of Single-Family and Townhomes, City of Owatonna, 2009 ......................... 27 15. Residential Construction, Owatonna & Remainder of Steele County, 2000 to 2009...... 29 16. Home Resale Trends, Primary Market Area, 2000 to 2009............................................. 31 17. Traditional and Bank Owned Home Sales, Primary Market Area, 2000 to 2009 ........... 32 18. Single-Family Homes Currently Listed For-Sale, Primary Market Area, March 2010... 33 19. Bedrooms and Listing Price of Single-Family Homes, Primary Market Area, March 2010 34 20. Active Single-Family Subdivisions, PMA, March 2010 ................................................. 36 21. Active Townhome and Patio Home Subdivisions, PMA, March 2010 ........................... 38 22. Mobile Home Parks, Primary Market Area, March 2010................................................ 41 23. Market Rate General Occupancy Rental Housing, City of Owatonna, March 2010....... 45 24. Affordable General Occupancy Rental Housing, Owatonna and the Remainder of PMA, March 2010 ...................................................................................................................... 51 25. Subsidized General Occupancy Rental Housing, Owatonna and the Remainder of PMA, March 2010 ...................................................................................................................... 54 63 26. Market Rate Senior Housing, Owatonna and the Remainder of PMA, March 2010....... 27. Subsidized Senior Housing, Owatonna and the Remainder of PMA, March 2010......... 69 28. Housing Demand Summary, City of Owatonna, 2010 to 2020 ....................................... 74 29. Senior Housing Demand Summary, City of Owatonna, 2010 - 2020 ............................. 76 30. Recommended Housing Development, Owatonna, 2010 to 2015................................... 78 KEY FINDINGS Introduction Maxfield Research Inc. was engaged by the Owatonna Housing and Redevelopment Authority to provide an assessment of housing needs for the City of Owatonna, Minnesota. This study is an update of the previous housing needs assessment for HRA completed in 2006. Detailed calculations of housing demand from 2010 to 2020 can be found in the Conclusions and Recommendations section of the report. Recommendations on the amount and types of housing that should be developed to accommodate the housing needs over the next five years is presented as well. The following are key highlights from the housing needs assessment. Key Findings 1. Steele County has experienced and will continue to experience moderate population and growth. The population grew 9.6% between 1990 and 2000 and 10.8% between 2000 and 2010. Growth is projected to accelerate further to 11% between 2010 and 2020, although it has presently slowed due to the weak economy. Owatonna accounts for about 70% of the County’s population base. 2. Between 2000 and 2010, baby boomers age 45-64 accounted for the majority (52%) of the County’s population growth. This decade the most rapid growth will be in the 55-64 (+34.4%) and 65-74 (+57.1%) as the baby boomers continue to age. 3. Overall, there is demand for about 600 to 660 new housing units in Owatonna between 2010 and 2015 and about 990 to 1,090 between 2015 and 2020. Out of that demand, 30% to 35% will be for rental housing and 65% to 70% will be for owner-occupied housing. 4. Total projected demand by housing type from 2010 to 2015 is below: • Single-family owner-occupied o Entry-level = 15-17 units o Move-up = 216-231 units o Executive = 77-83 units • Townhomes/condominiums/cooperatives o Entry-level = 50-55 units o Upper-end = 50-55 units • General occupancy rental o Market rate = 47-57 units o Affordable/subsidized = 23-28 units • Senior rental o Subsidized = 25-30 units o Adult/few services = 45-50 units o Congregate = 50-55 units o Assisted living = 0 units o Memory care = 0 units MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 1 KEY FINDINGS 5. The current supply of available lots for single-family homes is sufficient to support development until 2013 while still maintaining a three-year supply. As the lots are currently planned, they will likely meet or exceed the need for entry-level and executive housing, but may fall slightly short of meeting the need for move-up housing. However, current market conditions may lead developers to change some planned executive homes to move-up homes. 6. The current supply of available lots for townhomes/condominiums/cooperatives will satisfy all need for the next five years. Among the demand for multifamily owner-occupied units, we find that about half could be age-restricted housing in either a townhome or cooperative development, although none is currently planned as such. 7. The overall vacancy rate for market rate general occupancy rental housing is 5.3%. Only two properties have been added since 2000, but the overall vacancy rate between them is 3.1% versus 6.1% in older buildings, with some having much higher rates. Therefore, we believe that there is strong demand for a new general occupancy rental development with 45 to 60 units. However, we would not bring a new development on-line until the local job market improves. 8. Affordable general occupancy rental properties are performing very well, with three of the four Owatonna properties being fully occupied with waiting lists. We recommend adding another similar rental property with 20 to 30 units when the job market improves. 9. Many of the older market rate rental units that would become available as a result of the development of a new market rate building would be affordable to some low- and moderateincome households. 10. There is demand for 175 to 200 units of independent senior housing. Fifty units should be in an adult building that is either rental or cooperative. We find demand for one building each, for a total of 100 units, but we recommend adding only one during the next five years in order to promote a quicker absorption rate. Another 25 to 30 units should be in a subsidized rental property, as demand for subsidized senior units is very high. The final 50- to 55- units should be in a congregate building. Existing adult and congregate buildings are performing very well. 11. The existing supply of assisted living and memory care units in Owatonna plus planned additions will meet the need for market rate assisted living and memory care units in Owatonna over the next five years. Existing facilities are performing well, but would begin to experience higher vacancies if additional units come on-line. 12. Assisted living and memory care facilities that can accept Elderly Waivers have no vacancies, and are thus very successful. Facilities that do not accept Elderly Waivers have high vacancy rates, indicating that the demand for assisted living and memory care is high, but that most of the excess demand in the Owatonna area cannot afford private pay rates at these facilities. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 2 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS Introduction This section of the report examines factors related to the current and future demand for both owner- and renter-occupied housing in Owatonna, Minnesota. It includes an analysis of population and household growth trends and projections, population age trends and projections, household income data, and household tenure. A review of these characteristics provides insight into the demand for various types of housing in the City. Primary Market Area Definition The draw area for determining current and future housing demand in Owatonna is based on traffic patterns, proximity to other communities, interviews with local officials and community stakeholders, geographic boundaries, and our knowledge of the draw areas for housing. The Primary Market Area (PMA) is comprised of the City of Owatonna and the remainder of Steele County, which lies in South-Central Minnesota. Rice County borders the PMA to the north, Dodge County borders to the east, Waseca County borders to West, and Freeborn County borders to the south. Population and Household Growth Trends and Projections Table 1 presents population and household growth trends for the PMA from 1990 to 2020. The data from 1990 to 2000 is from the U.S. Census, while the projections 2009 are based on data from Claritas and the projections for 2010 and 2020 are based on data from the Minnesota Demographic Center. Maxfield Research Inc. has adjusted projections based on local building trends. Table 2 presents data about household size in 2009. Key findings of Tables 1 and 2 are: • The PMA contained 33,680 people and 12,846 households in 2000, and by 2009 contained 37,300 people and 14,690 households. Owatonna, with a population of 25,950 people and 10,260 households accounted for roughly 70% of the County’s population and household base in 2009. • Since 1990, Steele County has experienced steady growth. Between 1990 and 2000, the total population grew by about 9.6%. Rapid real estate development caused the growth rate between 2000 and 2010 to accelerate slightly to 11%. Similar growth of 10.8% is projected over the next decade, although growth will occur more slowly at the beginning of the decade due to a weak local real estate market and economy. • Growth within the PMA in the 1990s was very uneven. Between 1990 and 2000, Owatonna’s population grew nearly 16% and Medford’s grew by 34%. Ellendale grew slowly, and Blooming Prairie and the remainder of the County lost population, reflecting the common trend of rural population loss. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 3 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TABLE 1 POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD GROWTH TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS PRIMARY MARKET AREA 1990 to 2020 -- U.S. Census -1990 2000 ---- Change ---2000 to 2010 2010 to 2020 ---- Projections ---2009 2010 2020 No. Pct. No. Pct. Population Owatonna 19,386 22,434 25,950 26,050 29,750 3,616 16.1 3,700 14.2 Blooming Prairie Ellendale Medford Remainder of County 2,043 549 733 8,018 1,933 590 984 7,739 1,970 660 1,170 7,550 1,965 655 1,165 7,535 2,030 710 1,300 7,630 32 65 181 -204 1.7 11.0 18.4 -2.6 65 55 135 95 3.3 8.4 11.6 1.3 Steele County Total 30,729 33,680 37,300 37,370 41,420 3,690 11.0 4,050 10.8 Owatonna 7,382 8,704 10,260 10,300 11,850 1,596 18.3 1,550 15.0 Blooming Prairie Ellendale Medford Remainder of County 745 235 276 2,704 748 252 377 2,765 810 290 460 2,870 810 290 460 2,875 860 320 530 2,970 62 38 83 110 8.3 15.1 22.0 4.0 50 30 70 95 6.2 10.3 15.2 3.3 11,342 12,846 14,690 14,735 16,500 1,889 14.7 1,765 12.0 Households Steele County Sources: U.S. Census (1990 & 2000); Minnesota Demographic Center; Claritas, Inc.; Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 4 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS • Growth strengthened between 2000 and 2010. Owatonna, Ellendale, and Medford all experienced population growth over 10%. The strengthening real estate market also propelled Blooming Prairie to positive growth, but the remainder of the County continued to experience moderate population loss. All areas will experience growth between 2010 and 2020, with Owatonna having the most rapid growth at 14.2%. • In all areas for all decades, the household growth rate exceeds the population growth rate. The average household size in Steele County declined from 2.71 people per household in 1990 to 2.62 in 2000 to a projected 2.54 in 2010 and 2.51 in 2020. Smaller families as well as the aging of the area population, which results in increasing numbers of empty-nester households and seniors living alone, cause the trend. An aging population largely explains how rural parts of Steele County lost 204 people between 2000 and 2010 (-2.6%) but gained 110 households (+4.0%). • Smaller household sizes could be off-set to some degree should the area continue to attract new and recent immigrants, which typically have a larger number of people in the household. • Two-person households are the most common in Owatonna, the remainder of Steele County, and Steele County as a whole. They comprise 34% of Owatonna’s households, 37% of the remainder of the County’s, and 35% of the County’s as a whole. The trend towards decreasing household size will mean continued growth of two-person households. • One-person households form 26% of Owatonna’s households but only 22% of those in the remainder of the county. Owatonna attracts to a greater extent young, single households seeking rental units and seniors living alone that require service-intensive housing. TABLE 2 HOUSEHOLDS BY SIZE PRIMARY MARKET AREA 2009 Household Size 1-person 2-person 3-person 4-person 5-person 6-person 7-or-more-persons Total Owatonna 2,688 3,532 1,469 1,560 719 190 102 10,260 Remainder of County 992 1,645 693 661 319 105 15 4,430 Steele County 3,680 5,177 2,162 2,221 1,038 295 117 14,690 Sources: Claritas, Inc.; Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 5 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS Population Age Distribution Trends Table 3 shows the age distribution of the PMA population in 1990 and 2000, as well as projections for 2010 and 2020. The 1990 and 2000 distributions are from the U.S. Census. Maxfield Research Inc. derived the 2010 projections from data obtained from Claritas Inc. and the Minnesota Demographic Center. The following are key trends in Steele County’s age distribution: • Growth in baby boomers, age 45 to 64, propelled the majority (52%) of Owatonna’s growth between 2000 and 2010. Very low growth in the baby bust generation (+1.1%), age 35 to 44, is a result of baby boomers aging out of this age group and being replaced by fewer young people. Owatonna also attracted families with children, which accounts for the 10.3% growth in the 17 & under age cohort. The 14.8% growth in the 18 to 24 age cohort and the 16.7% growth in the 25 to 34 age cohort is a result of rapid growth in the 17 & under and 18 to 24 groups in the previous decade. • Patterns in the remainder of the County heavy declines in the number of families with children. The 35 to 44 age cohort decreased by 24.7% between 2000 and 2010 for the reasons mentioned above, which caused a 16.6% decline in the 17 & under age cohort. The largest growth occurred among the 55 to 64 population due to aging of baby boomers. • Growth between 2010 and 2020 will shift to older populations in both Owatonna and the remainder of the County. All age cohorts in Owatonna will grow except the 18 to 24 (-8.3%) and the 45 to 54 (-6.6%) cohorts. The loss of the 45 to 54 population is a result of the very slight growth in the previous decade of the 35 to 44 cohort not keeping up with the aging of baby boomers. The most rapid growth will be in the 55 to 64 (+34.4%) and 65 to 74 (+57.1%) age groups due to the aging of baby boomers. In the remainder of the County, the most severe loss will occur in the 45 to 54 age cohort due to the loss in the 35 to 44 cohort in the previous decade. Also, all age cohorts 34 and younger will experience population loss. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 6 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TABLE 3 POPULATION AGE DISTRIBUTION PRIMARY MARKET AREA 1990 to 2020 1990 Number of Persons 2000 2010 2020 ---- Change ---2000 - 2010 2010 - 2020 Owatonna 17 & under 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+ No. 5,346 1,917 3,331 2,838 1,790 1,514 1,342 1,308 No. 6,302 1,875 3,058 3,637 2,912 1,754 1,417 1,479 No. 6,953 2,152 3,567 3,675 3,769 2,778 1,571 1,584 No. 8,042 1,973 3,719 4,463 3,520 3,734 2,469 1,830 No. 651 277 509 38 857 1,024 154 105 Pct. 10.3 14.8 16.7 1.1 29.4 58.4 10.9 7.1 No. 1,090 -178 151 787 -249 955 898 246 Pct. 15.7 -8.3 4.2 21.4 -6.6 34.4 57.1 15.5 Total 19,386 0.76 No. 3,446 795 1,671 1,615 1,177 995 937 707 22,434 0.77 No. 3,102 873 1,255 1,825 1,555 1,044 765 827 26,050 0.76 No. 2,587 1,022 1,392 1,373 1,842 1,370 891 843 29,750 0.81 No. 2,313 979 1,379 1,432 1,597 1,643 1,364 963 3,616 16.1 3,700 14.2 No. -515 149 137 -452 287 326 126 16 Pct. -16.6 17.0 10.9 -24.7 18.4 31.2 16.4 2.0 No. -275 -43 -13 58 -244 273 473 120 Pct. -10.6 -4.2 -0.9 4.3 -13.3 19.9 53.2 14.2 11,343 0.89 No. 8,792 2,712 5,002 4,453 2,967 2,509 2,279 2,015 11,246 0.80 No. 9,404 2,748 4,313 5,462 4,467 2,798 2,182 2,306 11,320 0.70 No. 9,540 3,173 4,959 5,049 5,611 4,148 2,462 2,427 11,670 0.64 No. 10,355 2,952 5,098 5,894 5,118 5,377 3,833 2,793 74 0.7 350 3.1 No. 136 425 646 -413 1,144 1,350 280 121 Pct. 1.4 15.5 15.0 -7.6 25.6 48.3 12.8 5.3 No. 815 -221 139 846 -493 1,228 1,371 366 Pct. 8.5 -7.0 2.8 16.8 -8.8 29.6 55.7 15.1 30,729 33,680 37,370 41,420 3,690 11.0 0.80 0.78 0.74 0.76 Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Minnesota Demographic Center; Maxfield Research Inc. 4,050 10.8 Remainder of County 17 & under 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+ Total Steele County 17 & under 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+ Total Household Income Tables 4 and 5 show the estimated distribution of household incomes in Steele County for 2009 and 2014. The data was estimated by Claritas and adjusted by Maxfield Research Inc. based on household growth projections by the Minnesota State Demographic Center. The data helps in MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 7 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS ascertaining the demand for different housing products based on the size of the market at specific cost levels. The Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing costs for families as 30% of a household’s adjusted gross income. Maxfield Research Inc. uses a figure of 25% to 30% for younger households and 40% or more for seniors, since seniors generally have lower living expenses and can often sell their homes and use the proceeds toward rent payments. A generally accepted standard for affordable owner-occupied housing is that a typical household can afford to pay 2.5 to 3.0 times their annual income on a single-family home, down from 3.0 to 3.5 or even higher a few years ago when high-risk loans were easily available. Thus, a $50,000 income would translate to an affordable single-family home of $125,000 to $150,000. The higher end of this range assumes that the person has adequate funds for down payment and closing costs, but does not have savings or equity in an existing home which would allow them to purchase a higher priced home. The following are key points from Tables 4 and 5: • The median household income in Owatonna in 2009 was estimated to be $53,519. The median household income is estimated to be higher in the remainder of the County – at $58,780. Typically, cities such as Owatonna have a lower median income than surrounding rural areas because they tend to have a greater number of lower-income households living in subsidized rental or lower-priced housing than the surrounding rural area. • Overall, incomes are expected to increase by about 9% between 2009 and 2014, or slightly less than 2% annually, in Owatonna and the remainder of the County. This will result in the median income in Owatonna increasing to $57,932 and the median income in the remainder of the county increasing to $64,062 by 2014. However, income in Owatonna will not likely keep up with inflation. Between 2000 and 2009, annual inflation ranged from 1.6% to 3.8%, and was over 2% in every year except 2002. Non-Senior Households • In 2009, 6.5% of the non-senior households in Owatonna had incomes under $15,000 (522 households). All of these households would be eligible for subsidized rental housing. Another 6.2% of Owatonna’s non-senior households had incomes between $15,000 and $25,000 (500 households). Many of these households would qualify for subsidized housing, but many could also afford “affordable” or older market-rate rentals. If housing costs absorb 30% of income, households with incomes of $15,000 to $25,000 could afford to pay $375 to $625 per month. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 8 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TABLE 4 HOUSEHOLD INCOME BY AGE OF HOUSEHOLDER PRIMARY MARKET AREA (Number of Households) 2009 Owatonna Less than $15,000 $15,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $150,000 $150,000+ Total Median Income Remainder of Steele County Less than $15,000 $15,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $150,000 $150,000+ Total Median Income Steele County Less than $15,000 $15,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $150,000 $150,000+ Total Median Income Sources: Total 15-24 25-34 Age of Householder 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 -74 75+ 931 932 1,124 1,777 2,596 1,456 1,107 336 10,260 85 97 95 122 135 13 8 2 557 90 110 173 343 585 223 161 19 1,704 143 110 206 353 608 325 241 68 2,055 97 89 211 313 458 545 424 101 2,238 107 94 116 264 430 249 219 76 1,556 143 167 136 209 247 43 31 48 1,025 267 266 187 172 132 58 22 21 1,124 $53,519 $35,186 $55,826 $58,875 $72,302 $61,448 $39,732 $26,596 305 343 467 687 1,176 754 510 189 4,430 3 10 25 43 53 16 2 6 159 7 26 73 140 275 132 57 12 723 18 26 54 110 229 173 104 32 745 49 33 49 99 249 229 192 68 967 47 68 57 102 197 143 101 37 751 56 57 102 103 107 40 42 15 521 125 123 107 91 66 21 12 19 564 $58,780 $49,430 $60,441 $67,985 $75,595 $62,983 $41,682 $28,125 1,236 1,275 1,592 2,464 3,771 2,210 1,617 525 14,690 87 107 120 166 188 29 10 8 716 97 136 247 483 861 355 218 31 2,427 161 136 260 463 837 498 345 100 2,801 146 121 260 412 707 773 616 169 3,205 153 162 173 366 627 392 321 113 2,307 200 224 238 312 354 83 73 63 1,546 392 389 294 262 197 79 34 40 1,688 $55,159 $38,910 $57,302 $61,364 $73,444 $61,929 $40,374 $27,152 Claritas, Inc.; Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 9 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TABLE 5 HOUSEHOLD INCOME BY AGE OF HOUSEHOLDER PRIMARY MARKET AREA (Number of Households) 2014 Total 15-24 25-34 Age of Householder 35-44 45-54 882 874 1,104 1,661 2,611 1,639 1,410 519 10,700 74 88 117 95 165 26 12 8 586 88 104 148 299 499 313 191 57 1,698 120 101 167 293 509 340 271 87 1,887 90 75 174 297 429 490 532 149 2,237 117 101 128 260 532 330 318 134 1,920 151 157 183 227 314 78 45 61 1,216 241 249 187 191 163 63 40 23 1,157 $57,932 $37,170 $60,540 $62,924 $77,728 $66,647 $42,737 $29,727 Remainder of Steele County Less than $15,000 283 $15,000 to $24,999 307 $25,000 to $34,999 410 $35,000 to $49,999 630 $50,000 to $74,999 1,120 $75,000 to $99,999 802 $100,000 to $150,000 706 $150,000+ 261 Total 4,520 6 14 20 27 54 17 16 4 156 7 22 62 114 253 175 98 19 750 14 28 37 107 190 162 143 41 720 44 28 46 69 190 192 226 82 878 48 59 77 99 230 163 147 66 889 58 45 74 109 124 63 55 35 562 106 112 95 106 80 30 23 14 564 $64,062 $55,586 $66,804 $73,024 $83,008 $67,543 $49,423 $31,818 1,165 1,181 1,514 2,292 3,732 2,441 2,116 780 15,220 80 102 137 122 219 42 28 12 743 95 126 210 413 752 488 288 76 2,447 134 128 204 400 699 502 413 127 2,607 134 103 221 365 619 682 758 232 3,114 165 159 205 359 762 493 465 200 2,809 209 202 256 336 438 141 100 96 1,778 347 360 282 297 243 93 63 37 1,721 $59,773 $41,440 $62,645 $65,671 $79,217 $66,917 $44,908 $30,430 Owatonna Less than $15,000 $15,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $150,000 $150,000+ Total Median Income Median Income Steele County Less than $15,000 $15,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $150,000 $150,000+ Total Median Income Sources: 55-64 65 -74 75+ Claritas, Inc.; Maxfield Research Inc. • Median incomes for households in Owatonna peaked at $72,302 for the 45 to 54 age group in 2009. These households could afford to purchase a home valued from $180,700 to $216,900 (2.5 to 3.0 times income). However, the majority of households (84.8%) in this age group are homeowners, so would have equity from an existing home that they could allocate toward the purchase of a higher priced home. By 2014, the median income for the 45 to 54 age group is projected to increase to $77,728, a 7.5% increase. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 10 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS • The median resale price of homes in Owatonna was $147,500 in 2009 (see Table 16). The income required to afford a home at this price would be about $49,000 to $59,000, based on the standard of 2.5 to 3.0 times the median income (and assuming these households do not have a high level of debt). In 2005, 49% (4,986 households) of Owatonna’s non-senior households had incomes greater than $49,000. Senior Households • Incomes drop significantly as households age. The median income in Owatonna for households age 65 to 74 is 35% less than that of the 55 to 64 age cohort. The median drops an additional 33% for the 75+ age cohort. In Owatonna, 14% of households ages 65 to 74 had incomes below $15,000, compared to 24% of households age 75 and over. Many of these lowincome older senior households rely solely on Social Security benefits. Typically, younger seniors have higher incomes because they are still able to work or are married couples with two pensions or higher Social Security benefits. • Generally, senior households with incomes greater than $25,000 can afford market-rate senior housing. Based on a 40% allocation of income for housing, this translates to monthly rents of at least $833. About 1,300 senior households in Owatonna (61% of senior households) had incomes above $25,000 in 2009, as did 857 senior households in the remainder of the County (79% of senior households). • Seniors who are able and willing to pay 80% or more of their income on assisted living housing would need an annual income of $33,000 to afford monthly rents of $2,200, which is about the beginning monthly rent for assisted living in Owatonna. In Owatonna, there were an estimated 442 older senior (ages 75 and over) households with incomes greater than $33,000 in 2009 (39%). Seniors age 75 and over are the primary market for assisted living housing. Tenure by Income Table 6 shows the number of owner and renter households in the PMA by income cohort in 2009. The data is useful because it shows the housing options and preferences for households based on affordability. Key points from the table are: • As income increases, so does the rate of homeownership. In the PMA, 93% of households earning $50,000 or more own their homes, and every income cohort has higher homeownership rates than the next lowest. Homeownership rates for the lowest income households in Owatonna are much lower than in the remainder of the County – 37.0% versus 63.3% for households earning less than $15,000 per year – because of lower housing costs in rural areas and a concentration of low-cost rental properties in Owatonna. In both areas, low-income homeowners tend to be seniors that have paid off their mortgages. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 11 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TABLE 6 TENURE BY HOUSEHOLD INCOME PRIMARY MARKET AREA 2009 Owatonna Own No. Less than $15,000 $15,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $150,000 $150,000+ 344 485 697 1,315 2,306 1,379 1,049 324 Total 7,900 Median Income $61,805 Pct. 37.0 52.0 62.0 74.0 88.8 94.7 94.8 96.5 77.0 Rent No. Pct. 587 447 427 462 291 77 58 12 2,360 $28,235 63.0 48.0 38.0 26.0 11.2 5.3 5.2 3.5 23.0 Rem. of County Own Rent No. Pct. No. Pct. 193 274 363 631 1,069 741 509 185 3,965 $62,475 63.3 79.9 77.7 91.9 91.0 98.2 99.9 97.6 89.5 112 69 104 55 105 13 1 5 465 36.7 20.1 22.3 8.1 9.0 1.8 0.1 2.4 10.5 $30,620 Steele County Own No. 538 759 1,060 1,946 3,375 2,119 1,559 509 11,865 $62,020 Pct. 43.5 59.5 66.6 79.0 89.5 95.9 96.4 96.9 80.8 Rent No. Pct. 698 516 532 517 396 91 58 16 2,825 56.5 40.5 33.4 21.0 10.5 4.1 3.6 3.1 19.2 $28,785 Source: US Census Bureau; Claritas Inc.; Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 12 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS • Typically, renter households with incomes of $25,000 or less qualify for government subsidized housing. In 2009, there were 1,214 such households in Steele County, or about 43% of the total renter households. However, waitlists are often long for subsidized housing, forcing low-income households into market rate units. If such households allocated 30% of their monthly incomes to housing, they could afford a unit that cost no more than $625 per month. Almost all market rate efficiency and one-bedroom apartments in Owatonna have monthly rents below $625, but only a limited number of two-bedroom and no three-bedroom apartments have rents below $625 per month, meaning low-income families with children would require subsidized rental housing if their housing was to be affordable. • Renter households with incomes of between $25,000 and $40,000 are usually the market for “affordable” rental projects with a shallow subsidy (housing with income restrictions and rents slightly below market rents, such as those financed through Minnesota Housing Finance Agency’s Section 42/Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program). These households can typically afford housing costs of between $625 and $1,000 per month. As of 2009, there were 704 households in Steele County with incomes between $25,000 and $40,000. Units with shallow subsidies are also scarce, but market rate housing in Owatonna is relatively affordable to such households. Rent for two- and three-bedroom units exceeds $1,000 per month at only one market rate development in the city and at no others exceeds $676 for a twobedroom unit and $775 for a three-bedroom unit. • It is important to note that seniors are often able and willing to allocate a larger share of their income on rental housing that meets their needs since they no longer have to save for retirement, their children’s education or major purchases (home, car, etc.). This is particularly true in “senior” rental projects where support services and personal care assistance are available. In fact, research has shown that, in assisted living projects, up to 50% of residents not only allocated all of their income but spent-down assets in order to afford monthly housing and service costs. Tenure by Age of Householder Table 7 shows the number of owner and renter households in the PMA by age group in 2000 and 2009. This data shows the propensity of households to own or rent their housing based on their age. Key points derived from the table are: • In 2009, 80.8% of households in Steele County owned their homes compared to 80.1% in 2000. In Owatonna in 2009, 77% of households owned their home in 2009 versus 89.5% in the remainder of the County. The rural parts of the County have higher homeownership rates because the low densities allowed in those areas cannot support multi-family rental housing. • The highest homeownership rates occur in households age 55 to 64, and decline as households age. In 2009 over 90% of households age 55 to 64 owned their homes. The figure declines only slightly to 87.1% for households age 65 to 74, then drops significantly to 73.8% for households age 75+, though the rate is still relatively high. Many senior households choose to sell their homes and move to rental housing because of the lower maintenance re- MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 13 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS sponsibilities or because they require service-intensive housing such as assisted living or skilled nursing. • The lowest homeownership rates occur in households age 15 to 24. In 2009, 42.2% of such households in Steele County owned their home. However, only 36.6% of such households in Owatonna versus 61.6% of such households in the remainder of the County owned their homes. Households in the rural part of the County tend to be at the older end of the cohort and thus more likely to own their home than households in Owatonna. • Although the propensity for households ages 15 to 24 to rent their housing is higher, the 25 to 34 age group had, by far, the largest number of renters (658), accounting for slightly less than one-quarter of all renters. Their needs will therefore be a significant driving force for rental housing development in the next decade. • Both Owatonna and the remainder of Steele County experienced slight increases in their overall homeownership rates between 2000 and 2009. However, within Owatonna, the 65 to 74 age cohort dropped 3.2 percentage points and the 75+ age cohort dropped 8 percentage points. The addition of several senior rental developments and the overall aging of older adults resulted in the drop in Owatonna. A lack of senior rental units in the remainder of the County precluded such a drop in rural areas. Seniors in those areas desiring rental housing would have either moved to Owatonna or left Steele County. Homeownership rates in middle age cohorts were stable in Owatonna and the remainder of the County, but rose sharply in both areas in the 15 to 24 and 25 to 34 cohorts. Fewer people aged into these cohorts than in previous decades, so many in them tend to be at the older end of the cohorts and thus more likely to own homes. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 14 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TABLE 7 TENURE BY AGE PRIMARY MARKET AREA 2000 AND 2009 Age 15 - 24 Own Rent Owatonna Pct. Own Rem. of County Pct. Own Steele County Pct. Own Owatonna Pct. Own Rem. of County Pct. Own Steele County Pct. Own Age 25 - 34 Own Rent Age 35 - 44 Own Rent Age 45 - 54 Own Rent 2000 1,435 257 84.8% Age 55 - 64 Own Rent Age 65 - 74 Own Rent Age 75+ Own Rent 876 87.3% 127 766 86.8% 116 747 74.6% 255 Total Own Rent 143 350 29.0% 1,021 559 64.6% 1,657 80.8% 395 85 64 57.0% 475 115 80.5% 850 87.6% 120 776 92.5% 63 550 94.7% 31 429 93.7% 29 486 87.6% 69 228 414 35.5% 1,496 674 68.9% 2,507 83.0% 515 2,211 87.4% 320 1,426 90.0% 158 1,195 89.2% 145 1,233 79.2% 324 10,296 2,550 80.1% 204 353 36.6% 1,158 546 68.0% 1,672 81.4% 383 1,369 88.0% 187 857 83.6% 168 749 66.6% 376 7,900 2,360 77.0% 98 61 61.6% 611 112 84.5% 656 88.1% 89 900 93.1% 67 713 94.9% 38 489 93.9% 32 498 88.3% 66 302 414 42.2% 1,769 658 72.9% 2,328 83.1% 472 2,791 87.1% 414 2,082 90.2% 225 1,346 87.1% 200 1,247 73.8% 442 2009 1,891 347 84.5% 6,645 2,059 76.3% 3,651 88.1% 3,965 89.5% 465 11,865 2,825 80.8% Sources: U.S. Census, Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 491 15 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS Household Type Table 8 shows a breakdown of the type of households in the PMA in 1990, 2000, and 2009. This data is useful in assessing housing demand since the household composition often dictates the type of housing needed and preferred. Key points from the table are: • During the 1990s, married couples without children surpassed married couples with children in the PMA. This is due to couples waiting longer to have children and the baby boomers aging into empty nester years. • Between 2000 and 2009, rapid development of single family homes resulted in married couples with children increasing their portion of households 0.3 percentage points to 28.2% and married couples without children decreasing 0.3 percentage points to 31.3%. Married couples with children also experienced the largest absolute growth between 2000 and 2009, adding 551 households throughout the PMA. • In 2009, married households without children constituted a significantly larger portion of the population in the PMA outside of Owatonna than in Owatonna – 35.8% versus 29.4%. As of 2010 the population age 45 and older, which is less likely to have children living at home, was only 27% of the population in Owatonna but 44% in the remainder of the County. • Other family households, which are typically single parents with children, continued to increase between 2000 and 2009. Owatonna added 221 (+21.6%) and the remainder of the County gained 37 (+8.8%). These households are most likely to need affordable rental or ownership housing. • Between 2000 and 2009, roommate households increased slightly in Owatonna but decreased in the remainder of the County. Younger residents are far more likely to live in a roommate household, so the overall loss for the PMA is a result of the shrinking of younger age cohorts in rural parts of the County. • Persons living alone continued to gain as a portion of households, increasing by 519 households between 2000 to 2009 to constitute 25% of all households. This reflects the increased number of persons choosing to remain single and also an increase in the number of seniors. As the frailty level of these seniors increases, they will be moving out of their homes creating pressure on senior housing alternatives. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 16 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TABLE 8 HOUSEHOLD TYPE TRENDS PRIMARY MARKET AREA 1990 to 2009 Family Households Total Households 1990 2000 2009 Number of Households Owatonna Rem.of County Steele County Non-Family Households Married With Children 1990 2000 2009 Married w/o Children 1990 2000 2009 Other Family 1990 2000 2009 Persons Living Alone 1990 2000 2009 2,324 2,354 2,858 1,412 1,232 1,279 3,736 3,586 4,137 2,177 2,564 3,016 1,439 1,490 1,587 3,616 4,054 4,603 678 1,021 1,242 298 416 453 976 1,437 1,695 1,922 2,317 2,688 698 837 985 2,620 3,154 3,673 7,382 3,960 11,342 8,704 4,142 12,846 10,260 4,430 14,690 Owatonna Rem.of County Steele County 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 31.5 35.7 32.9 27.0 29.7 27.9 27.9 28.9 28.2 29.5 36.3 31.9 29.5 36.0 31.6 29.4 35.8 31.3 9.2 7.5 8.6 11.7 10.0 11.2 12.1 10.2 11.5 26.0 17.6 23.1 26.6 20.2 24.6 Minnesota 100.0 100.0 100.0 30.1 24.7 24.4 29.8 29.4 28.8 9.6 10.8 11.1 26.4 29.3 Other (Roommates) 1990 2000 2009 281 113 394 448 167 615 456 126 582 26.2 22.2 25.0 3.8 2.9 3.5 5.1 4.0 4.8 4.4 2.8 4.0 31.6 4.1 5.8 4.1 Percent of Total Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (1990 & 2000); Claritas Inc. (2009) Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 17 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS Employment Growth Trends Since employment growth generally fuels household growth, employment trends are a reliable indicator of housing demand. Typically, households prefer to live near work for convenience. However, housing is often less expensive in smaller towns, making longer commutes attractive for households concerned about housing affordability. Recent employment growth trends for Steele County are shown in Tables 9 and 10. Table 9 presents resident employment data for Steele County from 2000 through January 2010. Resident employment data is calculated as an annual average and reveals the work force and number of employed persons living in the County. It is important to note that not all of these individuals necessarily work in the County. Table 10 presents covered employment in Steele County from 2000 through 3rd Quarter 2010. Covered employment data is calculated as an annual average and reveals the number of jobs in the County, which are covered by unemployment insurance. Most farm jobs, self-employed persons, and some other types of jobs are not covered by unemployment insurance and are not included in the table. The data in both tables is from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The following are key trends from the employment data: Labor Force/Resident Employment • With the exception of dips between 2001 and 2002 and again between 2002 and 2003, employment increased every year between 2000 and 2009, for a total increase of 6.0% over the decade. The total labor force also grew throughout the period, with dips in the same years as total employment dropped. Such a trend is typical in periods of increased unemployment because some people who have lost jobs choose to stop seeking employment, at which point they are no longer considered part of the labor force. • The unemployment rate in Steel County closely tracked that of Minnesota as a whole throughout the decade. Through 2009, it never deviated more than 0.4 percentage points from the State’s rate, and was within 0.1 points in six of the nine years. From 2000 through January 2010, the County’s and the State’s unemployment rates have been below the United States’ rate as a whole. However, unemployment in the County began to rise sharply after 2008. From 2008 to 2009, it increased by 3.3 percentage points, and then increased again by 0.8 percentage points going into January 2010. By January 2010, the County’s unemployment rate was 1.0 point higher than the State’s. The largest sector in Steele County’s economy is manufacturing, which has experienced a larger decline than many other industries in the present recession. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 18 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TABLE 9 RESIDENT EMPLOYMENT STEELE COUNTY 2000 to 2009 Unemployment Rate Steele County MN U.S. Year Labor Force Employment Unemployment 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010* 19,478 19,802 19,675 19,543 19,650 19,668 20,050 20,432 20,932 21,885 20,572 18,918 19,034 18,785 18,581 18,751 18,836 19,241 19,542 19,869 20,051 18,687 560 768 890 962 899 832 809 890 1,063 1,834 1,885 2.9% 3.9% 4.5% 4.9% 4.6% 4.2% 4.0% 4.4% 5.1% 8.4% 9.2% 3.1% 3.8% 4.5% 4.9% 4.6% 4.2% 4.1% 4.6% 5.4% 8.0% 8.2% 4.0% 4.7% 5.8% 6.0% 5.6% 5.1% 4.6% 4.6% 5.8% 9.3% 10.6% Number Percent 2,407 12.4 1,133 6.0 Change 2000-2009 1,325 236.6% --- --- --- * For January 2010 only. Sources: MN Department of Employment and Economic Development; Maxfield Research Inc. Covered Employment by Industry • The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest portion (26%) of the jobs in Steele County as of 3rd Quarter in 2009. Its loss of 1,666 jobs since 2000 almost completely offset gains in other industries. Losses in Construction (-224 jobs) and Information (-97 jobs), fully offset gains, leading to a net loss 137 (-0.7%) jobs between 2000 and 3rd Quarter 2009. • Because Steele County’s population grew rapidly between 2000 and 2009, comparing total jobs in each of those years does not fully capture the effects of the recession. From 2008 to 3rd Quarter 2009, Steele County lost 1,540 jobs. Manufacturing accounted for 54% (-836) of these lost jobs. Manufacturing, however, has been losing jobs for several years, so this figure is only about half of the jobs it lost between 2000 and 2009. Reduced revenues led to a loss of 363 government jobs (-20.4%). Losses in Construction were modest because construction had nearly come to a halt by late 2008. The only industries to gain employment were Education & Health Services (101 jobs) and Leisure & Hospitality (28 jobs), although their gains were very modest. • Wages dropped significantly in most industries between 2008 and 3rd Quarter 2009, and job losses were concentrated in the highest paying industries, such as Manufacturing, Trade/Transportation/Utilities, and Government. The losses have significantly depressed demand for new and higher-value housing. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 19 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TABLE 10 COVERED EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY PRIMARY MARKET AREA 2000 & 2008 Annual Average and 3rd Quarter 2009 No. 2000 Avg. Wage No. 2008 Avg. Wage 3rd Quarter 2009 No. Avg. Wage Chg. 2000-2009 No. Pct. Chg. 2008-2009 No. Pct. Goods Producing Industries 7,809 $34,750 6,797 $47,227 5,965 $46,124 -1,844 -23.6% -832 -13.9% Manufacturing Natural Resources & Mining Construction 6,887 137 785 $34,530 $27,520 $37,939 6,057 166 575 $47,759 $31,092 $46,194 5,221 183 561 $44,725 $31,457 $47,859 -1,666 46 -224 -24.2% 33.6% -28.5% -836 17 -14 -16.0% 9.3% -2.5% Service Providing Industries 10,319 $23,348 12,442 $32,565 12,098 $33,176 1,779 17.2% -344 -2.8% 996 2,781 238 1,961 956 1,500 1,418 469 $32,987 $16,115 $32,164 $38,350 $19,374 $26,887 $8,988 $18,767 1,212 3,151 149 2,124 1,879 1,976 1,506 466 $41,793 $21,491 $48,759 $68,985 $16,566 $38,437 $10,926 $23,944 1,069 2,971 141 2,105 1,794 2,077 1,534 407 $40,460 $22,099 $38,602 $56,872 $15,809 $38,112 $11,321 $25,730 73 190 -97 144 838 577 116 -62 7.3% 6.8% -40.8% 7.3% 87.7% 38.5% 8.2% -13.2% -143 -180 -8 -19 -85 101 28 -59 -13.4% -6.1% -5.7% -0.9% -4.7% 4.9% 1.8% -14.5% Government 1,851 $31,011 2,143 $36,867 1,780 $39,765 -71 -3.8% -363 -20.4% Total 19,980 -137 -0.7% -1,540 -7.8% Trade, Transportation & Utilities* Retail Trade Information Financial Activities Professional & Business Services Education & Health Services Leisure and Hospitality Other Services $28,513 21,383 $37,655 19,843 $35,181 * Excludes retail trade and includes wholesale trade Sources: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 20 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS Major Employer Interviews Maxfield Research Inc. interviewed representatives of large employers in Owatonna in March 2010. The interviews covered topics such as recent trends in job growth, projected job growth, job types, and average hourly wages or annual salaries. Representatives were also asked about housing needs of their employees. Interviews with the area’s largest employers not only provide data regarding commercial job growth, but also reveal employer attitudes and perceptions regarding housing demand in any given area. Table 11 on the following page shows the top 25 employers located in the PMA. All except one are located in Owatonna. The following are key points from the interviews with major employers: • Table 10 shows there were 9,204 jobs with the top 25 employers in the PMA in March 2010. The number is down about 8.3% from the last study in February 2006. • Most employers said that housing is not a typical concern for the employees that they hire. Most manufacturing and retail employees are from the Owatonna area and do not need to find housing. In cases where new employees do not live in Steele County, they typically commute from cities just outside Steele County such as Rochester, Austin, and Waseca, and do not choose to relocate to Owatonna. • The largest employer in Owatonna is now Federated Insurance Company, which employs about 1,500 people. Its employment numbers have remained stable through the recession. It was the only company interviewed whose new employees regularly had to relocate to Owatonna. Most relocating employees are executives from other areas of Minnesota and the United States, and many seek new, large homes with many amenities. New employees have not had difficulty finding such homes in Owatonna. • Viracon is the second largest employer, with 1,200 employees. It had about 1,500 employees during the last study, and peaked in 2008 with 1,900 employees. A manager estimated that the company would shed an additional 100 employees over the next year, primarily through attrition. The company has no plans to return to its peak workforce, both because it does not project demand to increase sufficiently and its productivity per employee has increased through the recession. • Manufacturers have experienced the highest job losses. Besides Viracon, Mustang Manufacturing Corporation and Slidell, Inc. both shut down since the last study, resulting in the loss of 300 jobs. SPX Power Team shed 210 jobs, but believes it will not cut more jobs and may hire incrementally in 2010 to fill specific needs. Wenger Corporation has eliminated about 100 jobs during the recession, but also expects its employment numbers to remain stable during the next year. • Several assisted living and memory care senior housing facilities opened in Owatonna since the last study. Although they are not in the top 25 employers, they have resulted in job creation in the senior housing industry and have provided some of the limited construction work in the city since then. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 21 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS TABLE 11 MAJOR EMPLOYERS CITY OF OWATONNA AND SURROUNDING AREAS March 2010 Employer Products/Services Federated Insurance Co Viracon/Curvlite Inc Truth Hardware Owatonna Hospital and Clinic Owatonna Public School District 761 SPX Power Team Wenger Corp Jostens Cabela's Steele County Wal-Mart Cybex Corp Lakeside Foods, Inc. McQuay International Pearson NCS Crane Creek Construction Blount Inc City of Owatonna Holiday Inn & Suites Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc. Cash Wise Foods Hy-Vee Food Store Prairie Manor (Blooming Prairie) Caterpillar Target Insurance Carriers Glass & Glass Product Manufacturing Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Physicians Elementary & Secondary Schools Other Electrical Equipment & Component Mfg. Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing Printing & Related Support Activities Sporting Goods, Hobby, & Musical Instrument Stores Executive, Legislative, & Other Gen. Govt. Support Department Stores Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing Fruit & Vegetable Preserving & Spec. Food Mfg. Vent., Heating, Air-Cond. & Comm. Refrig. Equip. Mfg. Printing & Related Support Activities Highway, Street & Bridge Construction Machine Shops;Turned Prod.;& Screw,Nut & Bolt Mfg. Executive, Legislative, & Other Gen. Govt. Support Hotels (exc. Casino Hotels) & Motels Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing Grocery Stores Grocery Stores Skilled Nursing Facility Machinery, Equipment, & Supplies Merchant Wholesalers Department Stores Employee Count* 1,500 1,200 704 700 700 540 450 420 329 325 315 250 240 175 160 145 135 126 125 120 115 115 115 100 100 Total 9,204 * Employment figures are estimated. Sources: MN Department of Employment and Economic Development; Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 22 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS Introduction The variety and condition of the housing stock in a community provides the basis for an attractive living environment. Housing is the primary building block of neighborhoods, supporting goods and services. We examined the housing market in Owatonna and the remainder of Steele County by: 1) reviewing data on the age of the existing housing in Steele County from the 2000 Census; 2) examining the housing stock by structure type; 3) examining recent residential building trends since 2000; and 4) examining condition of single-family, duplex, and triplex homes in Owatonna. Age of Housing Stock Table 12 on the following page shows the age of the PMA’s occupied housing stock in 2000. The table includes the number of housing units built in both Owatonna and the remainder of the County over the previous six decades as well as the number of units built prior to 1940. The table further breaks down the data by number of owner-occupied and renter-occupied units. The following are key points from Table 12: • In 2000, the largest share of the PMA’s housing stock was built before 1940 (27% of the total), followed by the 1970s (19% of the total), and the 1990’s (16% of the total). With 2,002 units being added between 2000 and 2009 (see Table 15), the 2000’s are the decade with the fourth most building activity. • The significant proportion of homes in the PMA built prior to 1940 indicates that there is likely a substantial need for rehabilitation and/or replacement. This is particularly true in the largely rural remainder of the County where 42% of the housing units were built prior to 1940, versus 20% of the housing units in Owatonna. • Overall, the number of housing units over 60 years old was roughly equal in Owatonna (1,731) and the remainder of the County (1,766). In contrast, the number of housing units built between 1990 and 2000 in Owatonna (1,615) was nearly 3.5 times greater than in the remainder of the County (463). • Nearly one-third of the rented units in the PMA in 2000 (695) were built prior to 1940. Many of these units in the outside of Owatonna are likely to be older single-family homes and farmsteads that are rented. • Twenty-five percent of all units rented in 2000 were built during the 1970s. The significant number of rental units built in PMA during this period was due, in part, to the development of federally subsidized rental projects during the decade. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 23 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS TABLE 12 AGE OF HOUSING STOCK STEELE COUNTY 2000 Year Structure Built Total Units Owatonna Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied Subtotal <1940 No. Pct. 1940s No. Pct. 1950s No. Pct. 1960s No. Pct. 1970s No. Pct. 1980s No. Pct. 1990s No. Pct. 6,651 2,043 8,694 1,242 489 1,731 18.7 23.9 19.9 345 98 443 5.2 4.8 5.1 1,082 192 1,274 16.3 9.4 14.7 812 186 998 12.2 9.1 11.5 1,207 538 1,745 18.1 26.3 20.1 605 283 888 9.1 13.9 10.2 1,358 257 1,615 20.4 12.6 18.6 Remainder of Steele County Owner-Occupied 3,653 Renter-Occupied 499 Subtotal 4,152 1,560 206 1,766 42.7 41.3 42.5 217 39 256 5.9 7.8 6.2 332 35 367 9.1 7.0 8.8 309 45 354 8.5 9.0 8.5 595 96 691 16.3 19.2 16.6 208 47 255 5.7 9.4 6.1 432 31 463 11.8 6.2 11.2 Steele County Total Owner-Occupied 10,304 Renter-Occupied 2,542 Total 12,846 2,802 695 3,497 27.2 27.3 27.2 562 137 699 5.5 5.4 5.4 1,414 227 1,641 13.7 8.9 12.8 1,121 231 1,352 10.9 9.1 10.5 1,802 634 2,436 17.5 24.9 19.0 813 330 1,143 7.9 13.0 8.9 1,790 288 17.4 11.3 16.2 2,078 Sources: Bureau of the Census; Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 24 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS AGE OF HOUS ING S TOCK S TEELE COUNTY 2000 2,000 1,745 1,731 1,766 1,615 1,600 No. of Units 1,274 1,200 998 888 691 800 443 256 400 367 463 354 255 0 Before 1940 1940s 1950s O watonna 1960s 1970s 1980s 1/90-3/00 Remainde r of County Housing Stock By Structure Type Table 13 shows the housing stock in Owatonna and in Steele County by type of structure and tenure as of 2000. This indicates the types of housing structures occupied or vacant and whether they are owned or rented. The following are key points from the table: • The dominant housing type is a single family detached home with this type representing 91% of all owner-occupied housing and 77% of all occupied units in 2000. Single-family homes accounted for 72% of all occupied housing units in Owatonna versus 88% in the remainder of Steele County. Since 2000, 66% of Owatonna’s new housing units and 78% of the remainder of the County’s units have been single-family (see Table 15). • Attached housing in structures of one to four units accounted for another 1,164 units or 9% of all occupied housing units in Steele County. The number of single attached structures (townhomes) that were owned outnumbered those rented 2-to-1. Conversely, the number of units rented in structures of two to four units outnumbered those owned units by about 5-to-1. Rental units dominated in structures with two or more units. • In 2000, there were 545 occupied mobile home units in Steele County, comprising 4% of the County’s occupied housing units. The vast majority (90%) of the County’s occupied mobile homes are owner-occupied. Nearly half (46%) of the County’s occupied mobile homes are located outside of Owatonna compared to 32% of the total number of occupied housing units. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 25 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS • As of 2000 vacancy rates of the housing stock in the PMA ranged from 1.9% in buildings of 20 to 49 units to 6.3% for structures of five to nine units. Single-family homes had a vacancy rate of 3.0% (2.0 % in Owatonna and 4.6% in the remainder of the County). TABLE 13 HOUSING STOCK BY UNITS IN STRUCTURE STEELE COUNTY 2000 Owatonna No Pct. Rem. of County No Pct. Steele County No Pct. Owner occupied: 1, detached 1, attached 2 to 4 units 5- to 9-plex 10 to 19 units 20 to 49 units 50 + units Mobile home 6,651 5,990 187 128 8 5 53 0 280 100.0 90.1 2.8 1.9 0.1 0.1 0.8 0.0 4.2 3,653 3,393 30 17 0 0 0 0 213 100.0 92.9 0.8 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.8 10,304 9,383 217 145 8 5 53 0 493 100.0 91.1 2.1 1.4 0.1 0.0 0.5 0.0 4.8 Renter occupied: 1, detached 1, attached 2 to 4 units 5- to 9-plex 10 to 19 units 20 to 49 units 50 + units Mobile home 2,043 222 101 603 226 398 405 76 12 100.0 10.9 4.9 29.5 11.1 19.5 19.8 3.7 0.6 499 278 6 92 18 49 16 0 40 100.0 55.7 1.2 18.4 3.6 9.8 3.2 0.0 8.0 2,542 500 107 695 244 447 421 76 52 100.0 19.7 4.2 27.3 9.6 17.6 16.6 3.0 2.0 Total occupied: 1, detached 1, attached 2 to 4 units 5- to 9-plex 10 to 19 units 20 to 49 units 50 + units Mobile home 8,694 6,212 288 731 234 403 458 76 292 100.0 71.5 3.3 8.4 2.7 4.6 5.3 0.9 3.4 4,152 3,671 36 109 18 49 16 0 253 100.0 88.4 0.9 2.6 0.4 1.2 0.4 0.0 6.1 12,846 9,883 324 840 252 452 474 76 545 100.0 76.9 2.5 6.5 2.0 3.5 3.7 0.6 4.2 242 129 12 46 17 19 9 4 6 2.7 2.0 4.0 5.9 6.8 4.5 1.9 5.0 2.0 218 178 0 6 0 3 0 0 31 5.0 4.6 0.0 5.2 0.0 5.8 0.0 0.0 10.9 460 307 12 52 17 22 9 4 37 3.5 3.0 3.6 5.8 6.3 4.6 1.9 5.0 6.4 Vacant/Vac. Rate: 1, detached 1, attached 2 to 4 units 5- to 9-plex 10 to 19 units 20 to 49 units 50 + units Mobile home Sources: US Census Bureau, Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 26 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS Condition of Housing Stock Data provided by the Steele County Assessor’s Office gives an indication of the condition of homes in Owatonna. The Assessor assigns one of 15 ratings ranging from Excellent to Poor to each single-family home, duplex, and triplex. Table 14 shows the number of homes by rating and the percent of the total homes assigned to each rating. The following are key points from Table 14: • About 39% of homes are rated Very Good, Very Good +, or Excellent. Only about 1% of homes are rated Average or lower. Only two homes are rated Fair, and none are rated Fair/Poor or Poor. • Based on a windshield survey of homes in Owatonna, the overall housing stock is in good condition. However, comparing a sample of homes from the windshield survey to their Assessor’s record indicates that many homes rated lower than Good/Very Good are visually in need of at least some minor maintenance such as new shingles, windows, siding, or paint. About 30% of homes are rated lower than Good/Very Good. • The most prevalent exterior maintenance problems were roofs in poor condition and siding in need of new paint or replacement. It was common to see roofs that may not have been replaced in over 20 years, if ever. TABLE 14 CONDITION OF SINGLE-FAMILY AND TOWNHOMES CITY OF OWATONNA 2009 Condition* Excellent Very Good + Very Good Very Good Good/Very Good Good + Good Good Average/Good Average + Average Average Average/Fair Fair Fair/Poor Poor Number 1,418 397 1,348 1,060 1,464 937 733 346 231 81 41 20 21 2 0 0 Percent 17.51% 4.90% 16.64% 13.09% 18.08% 11.57% 9.05% 4.27% 2.85% 1.00% 0.51% 0.25% 0.26% 0.02% 0.00% 0.00% Med. Yr. Built 2003 1996 1988 1965 1960 1955 1951 1950 1930 1916 1920 1898 1925 1923 - Med. Sq. Ft. 2,117 2,173 1,969 1,794 1,740 1,642 1,596 1,573 1,448 1,459 1,552 1,187 1,513 704 - Med. Value $201,550 $184,900 $162,100 $140,400 $132,900 $123,100 $116,600 $107,650 $93,500 $87,400 $71,900 $67,750 $68,100 $27,000 - Med. Val./Sq. Ft** $93.67 $87.73 $84.44 $80.22 $77.65 $74.96 $72.20 $68.11 $63.44 $59.01 $55.37 $55.68 $47.35 $40.10 - * Condition rating is determined by the Steele County Assessors' Office ** Median Value/Sq. Ft. does not equal median sq. ft. divided by median value because it is calculated from raw data on each record. Sources: Steele County Assessor's Office, Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 27 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS • The strongest determinant of a home’s condition is its age, with newer homes being in better condition. Homes in Excellent condition are largely new construction concentrated in the northern and eastern edges of Owatonna. Homes rated Average or lower are scattered throughout older areas of Owatonna. Residential Construction Trends in Steele County We obtained data from the Owatonna Building and Inspection Office, Steele County Planning Office, as well as from individual cities in the County on the number of building permits issued for new housing units in the PMA. This data is presented in Table 15, which displays the total number of building permits issued in Owatonna, as well as the remainder of the County for single-family homes, townhomes/twinhomes, and multifamily units each year since 2000. The following are key points about housing units added since 2000: • The City of Owatonna added 1,693 total housing units between 2000 and 2009, 66% of which were single-family homes. The remainder of Steele County added 309 housing units, 78% of which were single-family homes. A higher proportion of the remainder of the County’s new housing units was single-family due to the more rural nature of the area. Residential New Construction (Building Permits) in Owatonna 2000 to 2009 180 160 Number of Units 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 2000 2001 2002 Single-Family Homes • 2003 2004 2005 Townhomes/Twinhomes 2006 2007 2008 2009 Multi-Family Homes The largest percent increase in single-family unit permits in Owatonna (39%) occurred between 2001 and 2002 as the economy recovered from a short recession and began to experience booming growth. Total single-family permits peaked in 2003 at 161. Except for a slight increase between 2005 and 2006, single-family permits declined every year between MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 28 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS 2003 and 2009. The decline accelerated as the recession began, with permits dropping 42% between 2006 and 2007, 54% between 2007 and 2008, and 59% between 2008 and 2009. TABLE 15 RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION OWATONNA & THE REMAINDER OF STEELE COUNTY 2000 to 2009 Owatonna 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total 2000-2009 SingleFamily Homes 135 116 161 171 161 123 129 75 34 14 1,119 SingleFamily Homes 240 Townhomes/ Twinhomes MultiFamily Homes Total Housing Units 12 20 26 22 22 25 28 15 2 5 177 52 68 18 0 92 0 138 3 26 0 397 199 204 205 193 275 148 295 93 62 19 1,693 Remainder of Steele County MultiTownhomes/ Family Twinhomes Homes 36 33 Total Housing Units 309 Sources: City of Owatonna; Steele County Planning Department; various city clerks; Maxfield Research Inc. • Townhomes/twinhomes have experienced a similar decline in permit activity in Owatonna. After peaking at 28 permits in 2006, permits declined 46% between 2006 and 2007, and then 87% between 2007 and 2008. Total permits issued increased by 3 to a total of 5 between 2008 and 2009, but activity is still down 82% from the decade’s peak. • Senior housing comprised the majority of multi-family housing construction during the last decade. Whispering Oaks in Ellendale, opened in 2006, makes up 21 of the 33 multi-family units added in the remainder of the County. Of the 397 multi-family units added in Owatonna, 285 (72%) were in senior housing developments. Since 2006, all of the multi-family units added in Owatonna have been in four senior developments. Senior housing has performed well in a poor real estate market because the population of the PMA is aging and need rather than overall economic conditions tends to drive demand for senior housing. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 29 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS Introduction Maxfield Research Inc. analyzed the for-sale housing market by collecting data on: 1) singlefamily home sales in the City of Owatonna and the remainder of Steele County; 2) the residential lot supply in the Owatonna area; 3) pending for-sale developments in the Owatonna area; and 4) interviewing local real estate professionals, civic leaders and other community members directly involved in the local housing market to solicit their impressions of existing market conditions and trends. Home Resales Table 16 displays data on home sales in the City of Owatonna and the remainder of Steele County for the years 2000 through 2009. Table 17 shows the number of traditional sales relative to bank-owned sales in 2000 and between 2004 and 2009. The Steele County Assessor’s Office provided the data. The table shows the annual number of sales, average sales price, median sales price, and percentage increase in average sales price. The following are key points from the table: • The housing market was at its peak in Owatonna between 2005 and 2007. The number of homes sold declined from its high in 2005 of 559 to 335 by 2007, but prices continued to rise, reaching the highest average sales price of $174,240 in 2007. The average sales price in 2007 was 53% higher than in 2000, consistent with the real estate boom that was occurring nationwide. • The remainder of Steele County experienced a similar real estate boom, with average sales prices increasing 55% between 2000 and the peak in 2006. Sales volume peaked in 2004 at 143 homes. • Owatonna accounted for 79.6% of all home sales in Steele County between 2000 and 2009. In 2009, 77.9% of sales were in Owatonna. • The housing market declined between 2007 and 2009. The average sales price in Owatonna decreased 9% and the median sales price decreased 5%, much lower than in large metropolitan areas. Although Owatonna experienced rapid growth, the values of its homes did not increase at the same rate as those in larger metropolitan areas. However, the total number of sales dropped about 35% in Owatonna. • Sales of bank owned properties has put downward pressure on prices of non-bank owned properties and has made it more difficult to sell them. There were only 13 bank owned sales in 2000, but 111 in 2009 as a result of high numbers of foreclosures. According to realtors, most foreclosures now are a result of unemployment, not sub-prime loans. Therefore, foreclosures and bank owned sales are expected to continue until unemployment decreases. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 30 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 16 HOME RESALE TRENDS* PRIMARY MARKET AREA 2000 to 2009 Owatonna Remainder of Steele County Steele County Total Year No. Sold** Avg. Sales Price Avg. % Change Median Price No. Sold** Avg. Sales Price Avg. % Change Median Price No. Sold** Avg. Sales Price Avg. % Change 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 382 465 432 546 549 556 391 335 222 219 $113,639 $122,635 $135,516 $153,467 $156,958 $169,942 $169,750 $174,240 $168,100 $158,820 7.9% 10.5% 13.2% 2.3% 8.3% -0.1% 2.6% -3.5% -5.5% $108,200 $116,000 $126,000 $143,250 $147,000 $155,000 $160,000 $155,000 $153,750 $147,500 109 118 108 136 143 131 103 73 65 62 $98,099 $114,126 $113,961 $131,629 $140,015 $136,454 $152,520 $146,200 $145,270 $141,520 16.3% -0.1% 15.5% 6.4% -2.5% 11.8% -4.1% -0.6% -2.6% $89,500 $99,800 $109,600 $122,850 $129,900 $119,900 $142,800 $127,500 $141,000 $125,250 491 583 540 682 692 687 494 408 287 281 $110,189 $120,913 $131,205 $149,112 $153,457 $163,556 $166,158 $169,223 $162,929 $155,003 9.7% 8.5% 13.6% 2.9% 6.6% 1.6% 1.8% -3.7% -4.9% 00 - '07 Change 53% 43% 49% 42% 54% 07 - '09 Change -9% -5% -3% -2% -8% * Does not include bank-owned sales (e.g., foreclosures, short sales, liquidation, deed in-lieu of foreclosure) ** Includes single-family homes and duplex and triplex units. Sources: Steele County Assessor, Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 31 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 17 TRADITIONAL AND BANK-OWNED HOME SALES PRIMARY MARKET AREA 2000 and 2004 to 2009 ---- Steele County ---Bank Percent Owned Total Bank Owned Sales* Sales Sales Year Traditional Sales 2000 491 13 504 2.6% 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 692 687 494 408 287 281 18 29 30 45 87 111 710 716 524 453 374 392 2.5% 4.1% 5.7% 9.9% 23.3% 28.3% * Bank owned sales include foreclosures, short sales, liquidations, and deeds in-lieu of foreclosure. Sources: Steele County Assessor's Office, Maxfield Research Inc. • Home resale data for Owatonna from 2009 through March 2010 was reviewed from the Northstar Multiple Listing Service (241 total sales were reported in Owatonna). The data revealed that the average resale price of single-family homes was $157,730 for traditional sales and $94,800 for bank-owned sales and foreclosures. The bank-owned/foreclosure sales tended to be smaller, older homes in comparison to traditional sales. The average year built and finished square feet averaged 1951 and 1,687, respectively, for bank-owned/foreclosure sales and 1970 and 2,163 square feet for traditional sales. Current Supply of Homes on the Market Table 18 shows the number of homes currently listed for sale in Owatonna and the remainder of Steele County (including the Cities of Blooming Prairie, Ellendale, and Medford), distributed into six price ranges. The Southeast Minnesota Association of Realtors MLS provided the data. Table 19 shows the listing prices by number of bedrooms. Key findings from our assessment of the actively listed homes in the PMA are: • A total of 269 homes were listed with the regional Multiple Listing Service in Steele County in March 2010. In Owatonna there were 218 and in the remainder of the County there were 51. The median listing price for the PMA was $136,900 and the average price was $165,700 due to a large number of homes priced over $200,000. • Listing prices suggest a continuing deterioration of the Owatonna housing market and a possible stabilization of the market in the remainder of the County. The median listing price in Owatonna of $137,200 is about 7% lower than the median sale price of $147,500 in 2009, and it is unlikely that the median sale price will be equal to the median listing price. The MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 32 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS median listing price of $135,000 in the remainder of the County is about 8% higher than the median sale price of $125,250 in 2009. Although the volume of sales may be low, it is possible that the median sale price will be close to that of 2009. • Because of decreasing real estate values, 56.5% of homes are now listed under $150,000. The minimum income needed for a household that spent 3.0 times its annual income on housing to afford a home listed for $150,000 is $50,000. About 55% of all household in Steele County earn above $50,000, so the majority of households could afford a typical home for sale in Steele County. • Three-bedroom homes, which could serve the needs of many family households, are even more affordable. About 42% of homes for sale in Steele County in March 2010 had threebedrooms. With a median list price of $129,900, a household would need an income of $43,300 to afford a typical three-bedroom home if it spent 3.0 times its annual income. About 63% of all Steele County households have an income of at least $43,300. • About a quarter of homes for sale in both Owatonna and the remainder of Steele County are listed for $200,000 or over. These homes are likely to have four or five bedrooms and would require an annual income at least $66,700 to afford a $200,000 home. About 39% of households have incomes of at least $66,700. Because many homes in the $200,000 and over category are listed for far more than $200,000, these homes would be unaffordable to most households in PMA. TABLE 18 SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES CURRENTLY LISTED FOR-SALE PRIMARY MARKET AREA March 2010 Owatonna Remainder of PMA* Price Range No. Pct. <$100,000 $100,000 to $124,999 $125,000 to $149,999 $150,000 to $174,999 $175,000 to $199,999 $200,000 and Over 41 44 37 28 14 54 218 18.8% 20.2% 17.0% 12.8% 6.4% 24.8% 100% Min. Max. Med. Avg. $27,999 $598,500 $137,200 $168,743 Total PMA Price Range No. Pct. <$100,000 $100,000 to $124,999 $125,000 to $149,999 $150,000 to $174,999 $175,000 to $199,999 $200,000 and Over 16 8 6 7 1 13 51 31.4% 15.7% 11.8% 13.7% 2.0% 25.5% 100% Min. Max. Med. Avg. $31,900 $485,500 $135,000 $152,961 Price Range No. Pct. <$100,000 $100,000 to $124,999 $125,000 to $149,999 $150,000 to $174,999 $175,000 to $199,999 $200,000 and Over 57 52 43 35 15 67 269 21.2% 19.3% 16.0% 13.0% 5.6% 24.9% 100% Min. Max. Med. Avg. $31,900 $598,500 $136,900 $165,751 * Includes the Cities of Blooming Prairie, Ellendale, and Medford Sources: Southeast Minnesota Association of Realtors MLS, Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 33 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS • The median sale price is generally a more accurate indicator of housing values in a community than the average sale price. Average sale prices can be easily skewed by a few very high-priced or low-priced home sales in any given year, whereas the median sale price better represents the pricing of a majority of homes in a given market. TABLE 19 BEDROOMS AND LISTING PRICE OF SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES PRIMARY MARKET AREA March 2010 Bedrooms 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total No. 5 35 94 68 15 1 218 Pct. 2.3% 16.1% 43.1% 31.2% 6.9% 0.5% Owatonna Med. Price Avg. Price $79,900 $100,900 $110,000 $115,343 $129,700 $145,595 $179,900 $210,901 $315,000 $272,893 $123,900 $123,900 Bedrooms 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total No. 0 14 18 13 4 2 51 Pct. 27.5% 35.3% 25.5% 7.8% 3.9% Remainder of PMA Med. Price Avg. Price $107,950 $116,414 $147,000 $151,533 $124,900 $142,000 $209,900 $208,175 $382,450 $382,450 Min. Price $31,900 $44,900 $54,900 $63,000 $279,900 Max. Price $214,900 $326,000 $289,900 $349,900 $485,000 Bedrooms 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total No. 5 49 112 81 19 3 269 Pct. 1.9% 18.2% 41.6% 30.1% 7.1% 1.1% Total PMA Med. Price Avg. Price $79,900 $100,900 $110,000 $115,649 $129,900 $146,549 $172,000 $199,843 $284,900 $259,268 $279,900 $296,267 Min. Price $39,900 $38,760 $27,999 $54,900 $47,500 $123,900 Max. Price $214,900 $214,900 $375,000 $598,500 $399,900 $485,000 Min. Price $39,900 $38,760 $27,999 $64,900 $47,500 $123,900 Max. Price $214,900 $229,900 $375,000 $598,500 $399,900 $123,900 Sources: Southeast MN MLS; Maxfield Research Inc. Actively Marketing and Pending For-Sale Housing Developments Maxfield Research Inc. interviewed City administrators and developers/builders of single-family subdivisions and for-sale multi-family developments that are currently being marketed or are pending in the PMA. We identified 21 actively marketing subdivisions in four communities (Owatonna, Blooming Prairie, Medford, and Ellendale) and two pending subdivisions in Owatonna. As of December 31, 2009, according to the Housing and Redevelopment Agency, there MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 34 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS were a total of 949 vacant single-family lots and 238 townhome lots platted, some with sewer and some without. Many of these are in older neighborhoods, are individual lots, or are in areas without plans sufficiently advanced to consider pending subdivisions. This study focuses only on lots in subdivisions currently being marketed or that are pending. Table 20 shows information regarding single-family subdivisions and Table 21 shows information regarding townhome and patio home subdivisions. A map showing the locations of the subdivisions follows the tables. The following are key points about these subdivisions: • Thirteen of the 21 actively marketing subdivisions are in Owatonna. Four are in Blooming Prairie, two are Ellendale, and two are in Medford. Among the subdivisions there are 404 single-family lots available, 81% of which are in Owatonna. Available multi-family lots will hold 193 units, 69% of which are in Owatonna, if developed as planned. • Very little building is occurring in any of the actively marketing subdivisions. Before the recession developers were adding about 130 single-family units per year in Owatonna. The current supply of 328 would have lasted about two and a half years at that pace, but will last much longer at the current rate of building. • All of the subdivisions pending at the time of the February 2006 study and three additional subdivisions are now actively marketing. Due to the recession, only two new subdivision have been planned since the previous study. Highlands, planned by Welker Custom Homes Inc., is adjacent to Maple Creek Highlands to the West and will feature 16 single-family homes and 10 townhome units in five structures. The developer will not seek final approval until the economy recovers, and has not yet set price points. Riverwood Parks, planned by the owner of Morehouse Place, is platted for six quad-homes and two condominium units with an undetermined number of units. The developer does not plan to build for at least two years. Two existing subdivisions also have pending phases. Majestic Oaks has an additional 102 single-family homes planned whose lots have not yet received infrastructure and Maple Creek Estates has an additional 15 lots. Developers are not actively marketing these lots. • Actively marketing subdivisions predominantly target households seeking move-up housing. Of all the available single-family lots in Owatonna, 285, or 87%, are in subdivisions with at least some single-family homes priced over $250,000, and 139, or 42%, are in subdivisions with no single-family homes priced below $250,000. • Emerald Acres, Linnhaven, Sherwood Heights and Skyview Estates are market rate developments targeted to entry-level buyers. Base home prices are under $200,000 for most homes in these subdivisions. Autumn Hills is a project by the Owatonna HRA, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, and Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership to develop owneroccupied homes affordable to households earning 80% or less of the area median income. Four units are market rate and the others are subsidized. Three affordable units and one market rate unit have been built so far, though Habitat for Humanity built the market rate unit, so the household that lives in it ultimately purchased it for a lower-than-market-rate price. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 35 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 20 ACTIVE SINGLE-FAMILY SUBDIVISIONS PRIMARY MARKET AREA March 2010 Subdivision Name Lot/Unit Inventory Approved Available Base Lot Price / Average Price Base Home Price (incl. lot price) $225,000 - $500,000 Upper income, professionals, families. $300,000 - $400,000 Upper income professionals. Buyer Profile/Comments Owatonna Country Creek 5th 71 59 Country Creek 6th 24 17 $29,900 - $36,900 $36,350 N/A Country Creek 3rd & 4th 62 24 N/A $235,000 - $305,000 Move-up housing for professionals. Emerald Acres # 3 50 26 $26,900 - $31,900 $28,700 $140,000 - $300,000 Entry-level buyers for low-end, move-ups for $240,000+. Linnhaven 2nd & 3rd Add. 32 6 $150,000 - $200,000 Starter homes, younger families. Majestic Oaks 48 42 $26,000 - $34,000 $30,000 $39,900 - $74,900 $49,500 North Bluff Estates 135 57 $260,000 - $700,000 North Country #2 & #3 65 26 Sherwood Heights #5 27 8 Maple Creek Highlands 52 14 Skyview Estates 37 29 Autumn Hills 15 11 $38,900 - $72,900 $45,700 $29,900 - $74,900 $36,700 $25,950 - $55,950 $34,950 $25,900 - $79,900 $44,250 $31,900 - $38,900 $35,600 $25,000 - $40,000 Maple Creek Estates 40 9 Total - Owatonna 658 328 MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. $31,500 - $33,500 $32,500 $300,000+ $190,000 - $600,000 $184,000 - $300,000 $250,000 - $350,000 $170,000 - $350,000 $119,000 - $132,000 ($136,000 - $154,000) $300,000 - $600,000 SF lots. 4-phases. Total development planned for 150 units; 48 currently platted with infrastructure. Range from move-up to executive housing. Some building occurring. Move-up and upper-end homes with families and some empty nesters. Entry-level homes. Move-up housing. Some construction currently occurring. Under construction. Streets remain unpaved. City-owned lots. 4 for market rate, 11 for affordable at 80% AMI. Upper-income buyers. 28-unit phase 1 complete. 12 lots with infrastructure in phase 2 with 3 built. 15 add. lots planned. 36 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 20 (Continued) ACTIVE SINGLE-FAMILY SUBDIVISIONS PRIMARY MARKET AREA March 2010 Subdivision Name Lot/Unit Inventory Approved Available Base Lot Price / Average Price Base Home Price (incl. lot price) Buyer Profile/Comments Blooming Prairie Peterson 2nd Addition 11 11 $30,000 - $40,000 $200,000+ Stalled indefinitely due to the recession. Bray Addition 18 18 N/A N/A Stalled indefinitely due to the recession. Haberman Addition 7 5 N/A $250,000 - $450,000 High-end single-family homes. Prairie 3rd Addition 9 7 $45,000 $300,000 High-end single-family homes. Ellendale Countryview Estates 30 24 $22,000 - $27,000 $25,300 $150,000+ Move-up single-family homes. No construction since 2006. Edgewood Heights 8 7 $24,000 - $26,000 $25,600 $150,000+ Move-up single-family homes. No construction since 2006. Medford Scenic Heights 12 4 $29,700 - $42,900 $300,000-$400,000 Total - Rem. of PMA 95 76 Single-family, twinhomes, & patio homes. Source: Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 37 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 21 ACTIVE TOWNHOME AND PATIO HOME SUBDIVISIONS PRIMARY MARKET AREA March 2010 Subdivision Name Active Subdivisions Owatonna Eden Valley 2nd Addition -- Lot/Unit Inventory -Approved Available Base Lot Price Base Home Price (incl. lot price) $32,000-$34,000 $28,000 $26,900 $175,000 - $185,000 $175,000 $165,000 - $195,000 Middle income, starter homes. 112 total units. 64 in four-plexes, 48 in twinhomes. Singles, working professionals and seniors Upper-end SF and TH lots. Mostly target upper management professionals, doctors, etc. TH's along the pond. 4-phases Upper-end townhomes. Buyer Profile/Comments 112 92 Emerald Acres No. 3 17 12 Majestic Oaks 22 22 $20,000-$30,000 $25,000 $250,000 North Bluff Estates 36 24 $29,900 $200,000 - $250,000 Country Creek 6th Addition 12 8 N/A N/A Maple Creek Highlands 12 8 $20,000-$25,000 $175,000-$200,000 Skyview Estates 19 15 $33,900-$39,900 $26,900 $220,000 - $240,000 Blooming Prairie Prairie 3rd Addition 14 14 $20,000 $150,000 High-end townhomes. 14 homes on 7 lots. Medford Scenic Heights 24 22 $29,700-$42,900 $200,000 16 twinhome units on 8 lots and 8 patio home units on 8 lots. One twinhome (2 units) constructed. Riverview Addition 24 24 N/A N/A Platted for 12 lots with 24 townhomes. Stalled indefinitely due to recession Total - Owatonna Total - Rem. of pma 230 62 181 60 Higher-end move-up townhomes.. Construction ongoing. Under construction. Streets remain unpaved. Source: Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 38 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS Active Housing Subdivisions in Owatonna • In Owatonna, towhomes in Eden Valley 2nd Addition, Emerald Acres, Maple Creek Highlands, and Skyview Estates would attract entry-level buyers. Most are priced below $200,000. Majestic Oaks and Country Creek 6th Addition are targeted at higher-income households, with prices going as high as $250,000. • Before the recession an average of 18 townhomes for a total of 36 units were developed each year in Owatonna. The current supply of 133 units would have lasted almost four years at that pace. With townhome construction almost completely stopped, we do not believe any additional townhome lots will be platted until after the housing market recovers. • Eighty percent of available single-family lots outside of Owatonna remain vacant. Only four homes have been developed in Blooming Prairie’s new subdivisions. No development has MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 39 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS occurred in the Bray Addition or the Peterson 2nd Addition. Single-family homes in these subdivisions are planned with prices over $200,000. In Ellendale, only six out of 24 units are built in Countryview Estates and one out of seven are built in Edgewood Heights. Scenic Heights in Medford has been the most successful, with only four out of 12 single-family lots remaining vacant. • Almost no multi-family development has occurred recently outside of Owatonna. All of the lots remain available at Prairie 3rd Addition in Blooming Prairie and Riverview Addition in Medford. Scenic Heights in Medford still has seven townhome lots and eight patio home lots available, which will support 22 additional units. • All of the single-family and multi-family subdivisions in the remainder of Steele County entered the market in 2004 or later. The housing market in the remainder of the County began to soften between 2006 and 2007, and as a result all of the subdivisions have struggled to attract residents. Mobile Homes Maxfield Research Inc. investigated the availability of mobile homes in mobile home parks in Steele County. Traditionally, research shows that mobile homes usually serve as an alternative to permanent housing, and during times of housing scarcity, the number of homes usually rises. Table 22 displays information pertaining to the identified traditional mobile home parks in the County. Our research revealed that two traditional mobile home parks exist in the City of Owatonna and one exists in the City of Medford. Currently, Colonial Manor houses 216 mobile homes, Skyline Gardens contains 97 homes, and Lazy U Mobile Park has 165 homes, for a total of 478 pads. As of March 2010, we identified a total of 27 vacant pads at all of the properties, for a vacancy rate of 5.6%. However, 20 of the 27 vacant pads were at Colonial Manor. The following paragraphs summarize the mobile home parks in the County. Colonial Manor is located at 24th Avenue Northwest in Owatonna and contains a total of 216 pads. All of the pads are rented for $250 per month to residents with owned homes (Colonial Manor does not rent any homes). Tenants pay all utilities (water/sewer, garbage, electric). As of March 2010, 20 pads were vacant. The primary reason is not lack of demand, but that potential residents have a very difficult time obtaining financing for a new mobile home. Most of the homes are occupied by working families and seniors. The majority of the tenants work in Owatonna. Skyline Gardens is located at 2126 3rd Avenue Northwest in Owatonna and has a total of 97 pads. As of March 2010, only four pads were vacant. Skyline Gardens offers financing to people purchasing mobile homes in their park. This has enabled Skyline Gardens to remain almost full despite the inability of potential residents to obtain financing elsewhere. Pads are rented to residents with owned homes ranging from $250 to $260 per month. Tenant pays all utilities (garbage pick-up included). The majority of the residents are working families with very only a few seniors. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 40 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS Lazy U Mobile Park is located at 4100 66th Street Northwest in Medford and has a total of 165 pads. As of March 2010 there were only three vacant pads. All of the pads are rented for $275 per month to residents with owned homes. The rent includes water, sewer, and garbage, while the tenants pay the electricity. Most of the units are three-bedrooms, with a few one- and twobedrooms. There is a wide mix of tenants, including families and a few snowbirds. Most of the tenants work in Medford or Owatonna. TABLE 22 MOBILE HOME PARKS PRIMARY MARKET AREA March 2010 Project Name/ Address Total Pads Vacant Comments Rent Range Owatonna Colonial Manor 24th Avenue NW 216 20 $250 (pad only) Skyline Gardens 2126 3rd Ave. NW 97 4 $250 - $260 (pad only) All owned by residents, no rentals owned by park owner. Garbage pick-up included in rent. Management requires upkeep of units. Wide range of residents. Difficulty getting lending to purchase mobile homes has caused recent vacancies. All owned by residents. Garbage pick-up included in rent. Profile: mostly families, not many seniors, most work in Owatonna. Skyline Gardens provides financing to owners to purchase homes. Medford Lazy U Mobile Park 4100 66th St. NW 165 3 $275 (pad only) Only owner-occupied homes, no renters allowed in the park; water/sewer/garbage are included in rent. Profile: wide range of people, mostly families and a few snow birds. Source: Maxfield Research Inc. For-Sale Interviews Summary Maxfield Research Inc. interviewed area real estate agents, local developers, builders, and other persons familiar with Owatonna’s owner-occupied market to solicit their impressions of the current for-sale housing market in the community. The following are key points from those interviews. • Almost every person interviewed said that the housing market in Owatonna and Steele County is extremely soft. The average length of time to sell a home has increased and the average price for homes has decreased. • Higher than normal unemployment is greatly affecting the housing market. Layoffs are widespread at local industries and until employment improves, the housing market will stay soft. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 41 FOR-SALE MARKET ANALYSIS • Because of the poor resale housing market, activity is down because homeowners who may have considered moving up in the past are instead staying in their homes to avoid equity loss. In addition, fewer renters are purchasing homes, despite decreased home prices and the first time homebuyer tax credit available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 because of uncertainty in their employment. This is impacting home resales and the sales of new housing. Sales could slow further when the first time homebuyer credit is no longer available beginning in May 2010. • The inventory of homes on the market is very high. With a stable housing market, Owatonna should have about 150 homes listed for sale but there have been over 200 homes listed for sale for a long time. This large supply of homes for sale has put downward pressure on prices. • Foreclosures have greatly increased in Owatonna. At first, most of the foreclosures were among people who simply couldn’t make their mortgage payments but increasingly there are homeowners who are going into foreclosure because they owe much more money than the home is worth. • Construction of new homes has fallen dramatically over the past few years. At the current pace of construction, the lot supply in Owatonna will last several years at least. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 42 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS Introduction Maxfield Research Inc. identified and surveyed rental properties of twelve or more units in Owatonna. In addition, interviews were conducted with real estate agents, rental housing management firms, private owner landlords, and others in the community familiar with Owatonna’s rental housing stock. For purposes of analysis, we have classified rental properties into two groups: general occupancy and senior (age restricted). All senior properties are included in the Senior Rental Analysis. The general occupancy rental properties are divided into three groups: market rate (those without income restrictions), affordable, (those receiving tax credits in order to keep rents affordable), and subsidized (those with income restrictions). Although it was beyond the scope of the study to inventory and aggregate the number of scattered single-family homes that are rented in the PMA, Maxfield Research Inc. did interview some private homeowners on the properties that they manage to get a rough gauge of the singlefamily home, duplex, and triplex rental market. We are well aware of the role these homes play in the general occupancy rental housing market. Rented single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, and general occupancy market rate apartments compete for some of the same target markets. Results of the survey can be found in the Rental Market Interview Summary. General-Occupancy Rental Properties Our research of the PMA’s general occupancy rental market included a survey of 33 larger apartment properties in March 2010. These properties represent a combined total of 877 units, including 456 market rate units, 163 affordable units, and 258 subsidized units. At the time of our survey, 25 market rate units, five affordable units, and ten subsidized units were vacant, resulting in an overall vacancy rate of 4.6%. Our previous study, completed in February 2006, found 35 vacancies among market rate units, eight in affordable units, and eleven in subsidized properties, for an overall vacancy rate of 6.3%. The overall vacancy rate of 4.6% is near the industry standard of 5% vacancy for a stabilized rental market, which promotes competitive rates, ensures adequate choice, and allows for unit turnover. The market indicates a stable supply of rental housing in the community. Tables 23, 24, and 25 summarize information on general occupancy properties surveyed. Table 23 shows information on market rate properties, Table 24 shows information on affordable properties, and Table 25 shows information on subsidized properties. Photographs accompany each section of text and a map follows the final photographs. The following are key points from our survey of these developments. Market Rate Properties • There are 456 units in the 19 rate developments surveyed. A total of 25 vacant units were identified, for a vacancy rate of 5.5%. Vacancies were scattered among many buildings in MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 43 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS Owatonna, but buildings with vacancy rates over 5% tended to be older. This vacancy rate is somewhat lower than the rate of 6.3% when surveyed in February 2006, which may reflect a higher demand for rental housing. Many households can no longer qualify to purchase a home and turnover is lower because people are staying in their apartments rather than upgrading due to uncertain job prospects. • Of all the buildings, 42% had vacancy rates over 5%, but those buildings only accounted for 28% of all market rate units and all except one were more than 30 years old. • No new market rate rental buildings have been added to the city since the previous survey as a result of the recession and insufficient demand. Gateway Apartments, built in 2004, is the newest market rate general occupancy building. It has the highest rents in Owatonna, at $825 per month for one-bedroom units, $985 to $1,010 per month for two-bedroom units, and $1,150 per month for three-bedroom units. Currently, there are three vacancies in the building. Although monthly rents at Gateway are about 60% higher than the average in Owatonna, the added features and amenities, such as underground parking, in-unit washer and dryers, and bay windows warrant these higher rents. • There have been only three market rate general occupancy developments built since 1980; and only two built since 2000. Many of the older units, which are concentrated along 21st and 22nd Street NW and on or near State Avenue appear in need of renovations and updates, and it is likely that even well-maintained older units have outdated interiors. • The majority of market rate units are two-bedroom (260 units, or about 57%), followed by one-bedroom (160 units, or 35%), and then studios (20 units, or 4.4%) and three-bedroom units (16 units, or 3.5%). There were only four properties that offered studio units and four properties that offered three-bedroom units. • The monthly rents for studios ranged from $250 to $565, and averaged $390. One-bedroom monthly rents ranged from $400 to $825, and averaged $510. Two-bedroom monthly rents ranged from $530 to $1,010 and averaged about $650. Three-bedroom monthly rents ranged from $620 to $1,150, and averaged about $860. It should be noted that we were unable to obtain current rents for Topaz Holdings. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 44 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 23 MARKET RATE GENERAL OCCUPANCY RENTAL HOUSING CITY OF OWATONNA March 2010 Year Built Total Units Vacant Gateway Apartments 325 Hoffman Drive Owatonna 2004 60 3 Park Village Apts I & II 114 22nd Street NW/ 2250 N. Cedar Ave. Owatonna 2001/ 2002 36 Subland Apartments 140 West Pearl Owatonna 1999 Crestwood Apartments 216 12th St. NE Owatonna Summit Manor 166 22nd Street NW Owatonna Rent Range Unit Size 23 - 1BR 28 - 2BR 9 - 3BR $825 $985 - $1,010 $1,150 721 - 768 884 - 1,098 1,105 - 1,325 0 4 - 1BR 32 - 2BR $525 - $625 $625 - $725 15 3 14 - 1BR 1 - 2BR $435 $610 700 N/A 3-story building. Features: off-street parking, coin laundry, some balconies. Tenant pays heat and electric. 1979 11 2 1978 18 0 2 7 2 1 17 $595 $725 $850 $500 $625 - $650 740 836 932 650 828 One 2 1/2-story building. Features: off-street parking, coin-op laundry. Rent includes all utilities. Profile: Mostly married w/children, 2 singles, 1 couple, rest single-parents. Features: detached garage, wall-unit A/C, coin-op laundry, dishwasher, balcony/patio. Tenant pays all utilities. Profile: Half 50 and over, 2 couples with children. Hilltop Manor 1208 NE 3rd Avenue Owatonna 1978 12 0 1 - 1BR 11 - 2BR $500 $675 700 1,000 3-story building, balcony. Features: detached garage for $47/mo., coinlaundry, off-street parking. Tenant pays electric. Profile: about half couples, half singles. Apache Apartments 236 12th St. NE Owatonna 1976 11 1 2 - 1BR 7 - 2BR 2 - 3BR $575 $675 $775 740 836 932 One 2-story building. Features: off-street parking, coin-op laundry, some walk-in showers. Rent includes all utilities. Profile: mix of singles and couples, some kids and seniors. Northwest Manor 218 21st Street NW Owatonna 1975 24 0 9 - 1BR 15 - 2BR $450 $550 - $600 650 750 - 800 Features: four 2BR units have balconies, 16 detached garages at $45/mo. Gas and heat included in rent. Profile: wide range, mostly single, 4 seniors. Project Name/ Address MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. Unit Mix - 1BR 2BR 3BR 1BR 2BR 700 928 - 1,028 Comments 3-story building. Features: UG parking (included), community room, exercise room, game room, in-unit W/D, storage, walk-in closets, patio/balcony, bay windows, cable included. Tenant pays gas/electric. Profile: mix of singles, couples, and families. Features: detached garage, automatic garage door opener, dishwasher, balcony (2nd & 3rd floor only), storage in unit, coin-op laundry in building, laundry hookups in units (new building only), garbage disposal. Tenant pays electric. Profile: wide range, including some seniors. 45 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 23 (Continued) MARKET RATE GENERAL OCCUPANCY RENTAL HOUSING CITY OF OWATONNA March 2010 Year Built Total Units Vacant Clifton Apartments 1927-2019 Hartle Ave Owatonna 1974 48 2 Cedar Hills 215 22nd Street NW Owatonna 1970s 42 Academy Apartments 706/714 Academy St. Owatonna 1968 Schuh Apartments 445 State Avenue Owatonna Project Name/ Address Rent Range Unit Size Comments 12 - 1BR 36 - 2BR $545 $625 700 1,000 Two 3-story 18-unit and one 12-unit building. Features: coin-op laundry, some balconies, off-street parking, 38 detached garages at $40/mo. Tenant pays electric. Profile: mostly single workers, families, few seniors. 0 6 - EFF 12 - 1BR 24 - 2BR $250 $400 - $450 $550 - $600 N/A N/A N/A 3-story building. Features: laundry on each floor, storage rooms, offstreet parking, some balconies. Tenant pays electricity. Profile: primarily younger singles. Half month free rent on six month lease. 22 0 12 - 1BR 10 - 2BR $595 $676 600 750 Two 11-unit buildings. Features: detached garages-$40/mo., coin-op laundry, cats allowed w/deposit, picnic area, storage lockers. Renter pays gas and electric. Profile: wide range of residents, few seniors. Waitlist of 9 households. 1965 14 5 2 - EFF 4 - 1BR 8 - 2BR $555 - $565 $650 $750 600 - 700 700 - 800 1,000 2-story building. Features: off-street parking (23 spots), coin-laundry, a/c unit (charges extra). All utilities included. Profile: mixture of residents but primarily singles. MontClair Apartments 205-213 13th St. SW Owatonna 1950s 21 0 21 - 1BR $485 400 Three seven-unit bldgs. Features: no garages, wall-unit A/C, coin-op laundry, outdoor patio. Electric not included in rent. Profile: Avg. age 55 years, mostly singles, from young adults to seniors, no children. West Hills Estates 421-431 State Avenue Owatonna 1932 22 3 8 - EFF 10 - 1BR 4 - 2BR $400 - $425 $425 - $475 $625 - $650 312 - 319 436 - 637 572 - 671 Two 3-level buildings (11 units each); Residents pay electric. Features: 3 detached garages for $50/mo. (all occupied); off-street parking, wallunit A/C; some fireplaces; coin-op laundry; Profile: Mostly singles, some families. Cedar Ridge 107 NW 22nd Street Owatonna N/A 18 2 3 - 1BR 15 - 2BR $520 $570 - $585 N/A N/A MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. Unit Mix 3-story building. Features: balcony, off-street parking, coin-laundry, detached garage for $40/mo. Tenant pays electricity. 46 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 23 (Continued) MARKET RATE GENERAL OCCUPANCY RENTAL HOUSING CITY OF OWATONNA March 2010 Year Built Total Units Vacant Rent Range Unit Size Topaz Holdings* 112 NW 21st Street Owatonna N/A 18 2 3 - 1BR 15 - 2BR N/A N/A 2-story building, balcony Westgate Apartments 585 Adams Avenue Owatonna N/A 23 0 11 - 1BR 9 - 2BR 3 - 3BR $475 $530 $620 - $705 N/A N/A N/A 3-story building. Features: detached garages for $40/mo., off-street parking, wall A/C, coin laundry. Tenant pays all utilities except water & cable. Profile: single-parents, families, couples. Has had chronic problems with vacanies; full now b/c offered one mo. free rent with one yr. lease. North View Estates 250 21st Street NW Owatonna N/A 18 1 18 - 2BR $550 - $600 N/A 2-story building. Features: balcony, detached garage (included), laundry. Utilities vary by resident. Profile: mostly middle-aged singles. Modern Air Apartments 811 E. School Street Owatonna 1950 23 1 4 - EFF 16 - 1BR 3 - 2BR $395 - $400 $500 - $535 $650 - $745 192 - 320 640 750 - 900 456 25 5.5% Project Name/ Address Totals Unit Mix Unit Mix = 20 160 260 16 Comments Two 1-story buildings. Features: off-street parking, detached garages included with some units, coin-op laundry, 1/2 acre lawn. All utilities included. Profile: all single, 2 single women with children, predominantly adults age 40-50. - EFF 1BR 2BR 3BR *Current data not available. Source: Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 47 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS Market Rate General Occupancy Rental Gateway Apartments Park Village Apartments Subland Apartments Crestwood Apartments Summit Manor Apartments Hilltop Manor Apache Apartments Northwest Manor MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 48 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS Clifton Apartments Cedar Hills Schuh Apartments MontClair Apartments West Hills Estates Cedar Ridge Topaz Holdings Westgate Apartments MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 49 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS Northview Apartments Modern Air Apartments Affordable Properties • We identified five affordable properties (including four in Owatonna and one in Blooming Prairie), all of which were financed through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, otherwise known as the Section 42 program. The maximum income limit for residency at these properties ranges from 40% to 60% of the area median income. Income limits are shown in Figure 1. FIGURE 1 Income Limits Steele County Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program Family Size 1 Person 2 People 3 People 4 People 5 People 40% AMI $19,080 $21,840 $24,560 $27,280 $29,480 60% AMI $28,620 $32,760 $36,840 $40,920 $44,220 Source: MN Housing Finance Agency • Five vacant units were identified (3.1% vacancy rate) in Steele County as of March 2010. As in February 2006, all vacancies were units located at Woodbridge Apartments. Woodbridge is an apartment-style building, versus townhome units like the other affordable properties. Contributing to vacancies is the fact that it is a little older, lacks some of the amenities found at the newer properties, and has small two-bedroom unit sizes. Excluding Woodbridge Apartments, there are no vacant affordable rental units in Owatonna and long waiting lists at each property. • The five affordable apartment properties contain a total of 163 units. The majority of the units are three-bedroom (104 units) followed by two-bedroom (56 units). There are only three one-bedroom units and no studio or efficiency affordable units. The vast majority of tenants are families, including a high percentage of single-parents. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 50 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 24 AFFORDABLE GENERAL OCCUPANCY RENTAL HOUSING OWATONNA AND THE REMAINDER OF PMA March 2010 Year Built Total Units Vacant Willow Run I Townhomes 2630 3rd Avenue NE Owatonna 1999 24 0 Willow Run II Townhomes 2785 3rd Avenue NE Owatonna 2004 32 Prairie Village Townhomes 320-342 4th St. SE Blooming Prairie 2000 Cedar Run Townhomes 2300 Cedar Avenue N Owatonna Woodbridge Apartments 614/616/618 Bridge St. Owatonna Project Name/ Address Unit Mix Rent Range Unit Size Comments 24 - 3BR $805 $940 (MR) 1,200 Section 42 tax credit building. Target income: 60% AMI - $36,840 for family of three. Features: attached garage, W/D in unit, dishwasher, pantry, patio, mini-blinds, storage in-unit, playground, basketball hoop, gazebo. Tenant pays heat/electric. Profile: mostly young working families with kids. 22 tax credit units. Waiting list of 20 households. 0 32 - 3BR $765 1,338 Section 42 tax credit building. Target income: 60% AMI - $36,840 for family of three. Tenant pays heat/electric; Features: attached garage, W/D in unit, dishwasher, pantry, patio, mini-blinds, storage in-unit, playground. Tenant pays heat/electric. Profile: All families. 28 tax credit units. 4 Section 8 units. Waiting list of 30 names at Willow Run II. 12 0 5 - 2BR 1 - 2BR 6 - 3BR 1,320 1,355 1,510 Section 42 tax credit building. Target income: 60% AMI - $36,840 for family of three. Features: attached garage with auto opener included, playground in courtyard, central air, washers and dryers in units, walk-in closets, patio. Resident pays for gas, electric, phone, cable. Profile: mostly middle-aged, some families, some seniors. 1997 24 0 24 - 3BR $805 1,200 Section 42 tax credit building. Target income: 60% AMI - $36,840 for family of three. Features: attached garage, W/D in-unit, dishwasher, patio, mini-blinds, storage in-unit, playground, basketball hoop, gazebo. Tenant pays heat/electric. Profile: working families with 2-4 children, some singleparent families. All tax credit units. Waiting list of 15 households. 1993 71 5 3 - 1BR 50 - 2BR 18 - 3BR $560 $625 - $650 $780 623 702 - 870 1,175 3-bldg. Sec. 42 (tax credit) project with 60 tax credit units. Target income: 60% AMI - $36,840 for family of three. Features: detached garage is $40/mo., wall-unit A/C, coin-op laundry on each floor, dishwasher, balcony/patio, walk-in closets, $25 storage lockers on each floor, miniblinds, playground/picnic area. Resident pays electric. Profile: mix of ages and household sizes. 163 5 Totals 3.1% $500 $500 (Handicap) $611 Unit Mix = 3 - 1BR 56 - 2BR 104 - 3BR Source: Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 51 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS • Along with income limits for residents, the properties have maximum rents that are based on a percentage of median income – usually 40% to 60% of median income. With these limits, rents at the affordable properties range from $560 for the one-bedroom, $500 to $650 for two-bedroom units, and $611 to $805 for three-bedroom units. These rents are similar to many of the market rate properties, and there is likely some market overlap. • The LIHTC program was established in 1986 – thus all of these buildings were developed since then, with the oldest being Woodbridge (opened in 1993). The remaining properties were all built within the last fifteen years and have many of the more modern amenities that few other rental properties in the County have such as attached garages, automatic garage door openers, washers and dryers in the units, central air, dishwashers, and playgrounds. Affordable General Occupancy Rental Housing Willow Run I Townhomes Willow Run II Townhomes Cedar Run Townhomes Woodbridge Apartments Subsidized • All of the subsidized properties are HUD Section 8 or Rural Development (formerly FmHA) properties, requiring rent of 30% of a resident’s adjusted gross income (AGI). Five of the properties are subsidized through Rural Development, while four of the properties receive subsidies through HUD Section 8. All properties were built prior to 1990, with Heather Court being the most recently built subsidized property (1989). MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 52 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS • The nine properties offer a total of 258 subsidized rental units in the County. Ten vacancies were reported by building managers, translating to a vacancy rate of 3.9%. Typically, subsidized rental properties should be able to maintain vacancy rates of 3% or less in most housing markets. Half of the vacancies were found at Ellendale Square, which is currently exempt from tenant income restrictions due to its high vacancies, in the City of Ellendale. The eight properties in Owatonna had a total of five vacancies out of 242 units, for a vacancy rate of 2.1%, indicating demand for subsidized housing. • About 44% of the units at the surveyed apartments are two-bedroom units (113 units), 28% are three-bedrooms (73 units) and 26% are one-bedrooms (52 units). There are also six units that have four bedrooms (2%). There were no efficiency or studio units identified in the subsidized properties. • Although exact figures were unavailable, interviews with the property managers indicated that a sizable majority of the residents at properties subsidized through Rural Development are receiving some sort of rental assistance. This enables them to pay 30% of their income for rent, even if 30% of their income is below the basic rent. Without rental assistance, very low income residents would be required to pay the basic, regardless if it was greater than 30% of their income. The fact that most households in Rural Development properties receive rental assistance is an indication that most of these households have an annual income of about $18,000 or less (a household earning $18,000 paying 30% of their income for rent would pay a rent of $450 – about the average basic rent at Rural Development properties). • Unit and common area amenities are limited at the subsidized properties. Features and amenities found at most subsidized developments include playground/picnic areas, balcony/patios, walk-in showers, and storage space. One property features detached garages renting for $35 per month, with the remaining offering only off-street parking for their residents. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 53 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS TABLE 25 SUBSIDIZED GENERAL-OCCUPANCY RENTAL HOUSING OWATONNA AND THE REMAINDER OF PMA March 2010 Year Built Total Units Vacant Rent Range Unit Size Comments Heather Court 635-639 Hilltop Owatonna 1989 36 0 24 - 2BR 12 - 3BR 30% of AGI 748 902 2-story Rural Development project. Features: off-street parking, coin-op laundry, basketball court, some walk-in showers. Tenant pays electricity. Minimum and maximum rents range from $465 to $635 for 2 BRs and $496 to $677 for 3 BRs. North Court T.H. 1512 St. Paul Road Owatonna 1989 29 0 1988 16 1 1BR 2BR 3BR 4BR 1BR 2BR 30% of AGI Cedardale North 324 Cedardale Dr. Owatonna Cedardale West 325 Cedardale Drive Owatonna 2 18 7 2 10 6 624 864 1,008 1,168 624 768 1985 16 0 14 - 1BR 2 - 2BR 30% of AGI 624 768 Rural Development tax-credit project. Features: off-street parking, some walk-in showers, balcony/patio, & coin-op laundry room. Tenant pays heat & electric. Min. and max. rents range from $477 to $666 for 1BR's, $500 to $696 for 2BR's, $525 to $741 for 3BR's, & $550 to $766 for 4BR's. Rural Development building. Min. and max. rents range from $420 to $581 for 1BR's and $455 to $616 for 2BR's. Features: off-street parking & some walk-in showers. Tenant pays electric. Rural Development building. Features: off-street parking, some walk-in showers, & coinop laundry. Rent includes all utilities except electricity.Min. and max. rents range from $425 to $585 for 1BR's and $460 to $610 for 2BR's. Cedardale T.H. 315 22nd Street SE Owatonna 1980 30 0 20 - 2BR 10 - 3BR 30% of AGI 869 954 Park View Heights 429 St. Paul Place Owatonna 1979 48 0 8 - 2BR 36 - 3BR 4 - 4BR 30% of AGI 911 1,035 1,283 Lincoln Square Apts. 433 16th Street NE Owatonna 1975 55 4 26 - 1BR 25 - 2BR 4 - 3BR 30% of AGI 625 825 1,125 Ivanhoe Town Houses 615/625 Linn Avenue Owatonna Ellendale Square 7th St. & 2nd Ave. Ellendale 1973 12 0 8 - 2BR 4 - 3BR 30% of AGI 782 905 Section 8 building. Features: off-street parking; W/D hook-ups in unit, & utility room. Rent includes all utilities. 1983 16 5 14 - 1BR 2 - 2BR 30% of AGI 600 700 2-story Rural Development project. Features: coin-op laundry on each floor, emergency pull-cord system, A/C wall sleeve, community room w/kitchen; Profile: mix in ages with some seniors. Converted from senior to General Occupancy in Nov. 2005. Tenant pays electricity. Minimum and maximum rents range from $400 to $471 for 1BR's and $480 to $501 for 2BR's. Currently has exemption from income limits. 258 10 3.9% Project Name/ Address Totals Unit Mix - 30% of AGI Section 8 and tax credit project. Features: window-unit A/C must be provided by resident; some 2BR units have patios; W/D hook-ups in-unit; storage space available; detached garages $35/mo.; playground/picnic area; beauty shop, no pets allowed. Resident pays heat and electric. Max rents are $641 & $709 for 2BR's & 3BR's, respectively. Waiting list of 17 names for 2BR, 22 names for 3BR. 2-story Section 8 project. Features: off-street parking, some walk-in showers, balcony/patio, W/D hook-ups in-unit. Tenant pays heath and electricity. Max rents are $655/2BR, $741/3BR, $832/4BR. Utility allowance: $75/2BR, $98/3BR, $137/4BR. Mostly families with head of household under 50. Waiting list of 60-80 names (2-3 years) Five 3-story buildings. Forty-four units are Section 236, eleven are Section 8. Features: wall-unit A/C, diswasher, disposal, microwave, mini-blinds, playground/picnic area w/ BBQ. Profile: wide mix, singles, families, few seniors. Wait list for Section 8 and 236 units. Currently offering 1st mo. rent free w/1-year lease. Minimum and maximum rents range from $564 to $612 for 1 BRs, $705 to $765 for 2 BRs, and $856 to $929 for 3 BRs. Source: Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 54 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS Subsidized General Occupancy Rental Heather Court Apartments North Court Townhouses Cedardale North Cedardale West Cedardale Place Townhomes Parkview Heights Lincoln Square Apartments Ivanhoe Town Houses MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 55 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS Housing Choice Voucher Program In addition to subsidized apartments, Steele County also has a “tenant-based” subsidy called Housing Choice Vouchers to help lower income households find affordable housing. The tenantbased subsidy is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD), and is managed by the Owatonna Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). Under the Housing Choice Voucher program (formerly Section 8 Certificates and Vouchers), qualified households are issued a voucher that the household can take to an apartment that has rent levels allowable under HUD guidelines. The household then pays 30% of their adjusted gross income for rent and utilities, and the Federal government pays the remainder of the rent to the landlord. Applicants in Steele County may be eligible for the program if their income is below the current limits shown in the figure below, which are set by HUD on an annual basis. FIGURE 2 Income Limits Steele County Housing Choice Voucher Program Family Size Very Low-Income 1 Person 2 People 3 People 4 People 5 People 6 People 7 People 8 People $23,850 $27,300 $30,700 $34,100 $36,850 $39,550 $42,300 $45,000 Source: Owatonna HRA To be eligible for the Housing Voucher program, rental units must have rent levels allowable under HUD guidelines – or below the “Payment Standard,” which is the same as Fair Market Rents in Steele County. In Steele County, the Payment Standard is $550 for one-bedroom units, $701 for two-bedroom units, $882 for three-bedroom units, and $1,050 for four-bedroom units. Currently, there are 100 vouchers issued. Because the majority of these households have very low incomes, very few could afford rental housing in Owatonna without the assistance of the Voucher program. Demand for the program is high, as there are about 760 names on a waiting list, including about 350 names who meet preference criteria (e.g., currently are housing cost burdened, victims of domestic violence, and homeless). With current low turnover, it is about a three year wait to receive a voucher. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 56 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS General Occupancy Rental Properties in Owatonna Pending Rental Developments in the PMA There are currently no pending general occupancy rental housing developments in Steele County. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 57 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS Rental Market Interview Summary Interviews with area rental property managers, real estate agents, private owners, and other persons familiar with the rental market in Owatonna were conducted to solicit their impressions of the rental housing market in the community. The following are some key points from these interviews: • Many of the property managers expressed that the current market rate rental housing market is very soft. The current overall market rate vacancy rate of 5.5%, is slightly above market equilibrium of 5%, but does not indicate a market as poor as property managers at even successful properties described. The large number of buildings with vacancy rates over 5%, despite only accounting for 28% of the total general occupancy rental units, may be fueling the worse than justified perception of the market. The chart below shows that smaller, older apartments have vacancy rates above the market equilibrium. Also, most apartments increased rent very modestly since 2006 and in some cases they had to reduce rents for larger units. Managers may be responding to the inability to increase rent as much as they would have liked. Vacancy Rate by Apartment Type Type Market Rate - Post 2000 Market Rate - Pre 2000 Affordable Subsidized Duplex and Triplex Avg. Yr. Built 2003 1970 1998 1982 - Tot. Units 96 360 163 258 90 Tot. Vac. 3 22 5 10 4 Vac. Rate 3.1% 6.1% 3.1% 3.9% 4.4% • Managers indicated that they have higher than usual numbers of resident not paying rent ontime or at all. Within six months evictions will probably increase dramatically, leading to higher vacancies than currently exist. • No major renovations that added amenities occurred since the last study with the exception of the Lincoln Square Apartments. Some apartments completed minor maintenance such as painting. • Much of Owatonna’s rental housing stock is composed of medium-size (12 to 18 units) structures targeted at the low- to moderate-income market. Many of these smaller buildings were built prior to 1985, and do not feature a variety of contemporary amenities. Single-Family Rental Housing We interviewed two owners of rented single-family homes and duplexes up to six-plex buildings in Owatonna in order to help gauge the market among smaller buildings. The following are some key findings from our interviews. • The owners we interviewed owned a total of 150 units in a variety of buildings scattered throughout the City of Owatonna, including 90 units in buildings with six or fewer units. As MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 58 RENTAL MARKET ANALYSIS of March 2010, we found a total of four vacant units out of the 90 units in smaller buildings, for a vacancy rate of 4.4%. There were triple the number of vacancies during the winter, but spring is typically a period of high leasing activity. • Rents at the smaller building generally range from about $400 to $475 per month for onebedroom units, $500 to $600 per month for two-bedroom units, and $600 to $700 for threebedroom units. Rents have been reduced for some tenants who are struggling financially in order to retain them as tenants versus advertising for new tenants. • While the overall vacancy rate is relatively low, the reduction in rent for some tenants combined with some tenants who have simply been unable to pay rent has led to increased “economic vacancies,” or a reduction in income generated by the rental properties despite being close to fully occupied. • Overall, turnover has been low during the past couple of years because of the poor economy. Existing residents in the rental properties are unable or reluctant to purchase housing because of their job uncertainty, despite the incentives available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009’s Homebuyer Tax Credit. • The rental market is soft as it takes longer to fill vacant units than in the past. Because there is a smaller supply of good renter prospects, some landlords are accepting higher-risk tenants than they would during better times to fill vacant units. • It was mentioned that the smaller complexes seem to be easier to rent than the larger complexes. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 59 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS Senior Housing Defined The term “senior housing” refers to any housing development that is restricted to people age 55 or older. Today, senior housing includes an entire spectrum of housing alternatives, which occasionally overlap, thus making the differences somewhat ambiguous. However, the level of support services offered best distinguishes them. Maxfield Research Inc. classifies senior housing properties into four categories based on the level of support services offered: Adult/Few Services; where few, if any, support services are provided and rents tend to be modest as a result; Congregate; optional services where support services such as meals and light housekeeping are available for an additional fee or service-intensive where support services such as meals and light housekeeping are included in the monthly rents; Assisted Living; where two or three daily meals as well as basic support services such as transportation, housekeeping and/or linen changes are included in the fees. Personal care services such as assistance with bathing, grooming and dressing is included in the fees or is available either for an additional fee or included in the rents. Memory Care; where more rigorous and service-intensive personal care is required for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Typically, support services and meal plans are similar to those found at assisted living facilities, but the heightened levels of personalized care demand more staffing and higher rental fees. These four senior housing products tend to share several characteristics. First, they usually offer individual living apartments with living areas, bathrooms, and kitchens or kitchenettes. Second, they generally have an emergency response system with pull-cords or pendants to promote security. Third, they often have a community room and other common space to encourage socialization. Finally, they are age-restricted and offer conveniences desired by seniors, although assisted living developments sometimes serve non-elderly people with special health considerations. The four senior housing products offered today form a continuum of care from a low level to a fairly intensive one; often the service offerings at one type overlap with those at another. In general, however, adult/few services developments tend to attract younger, more independent seniors, while assisted living and memory care developments tend to attract older, frailer seniors. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 60 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS CONTINUUM OF HOUSING AND SERVICES FOR SENIORS Single-Family Home Townhome or Congregate Apartments w/ Nursing Assisted Living Apartment Optional Services Facilities Age-Restricted Independent Apartments, Congregate Apartments Memory Care Townhomes, Condominiums, or w/ Intensive Services Units Cooperatives Fully Independent Lifestyle Fully or Highly Dependent on Care Senior Housing Products Source: Maxfield Research Inc. Senior Housing in the Primary Market Area As of March 2010, Maxfield Research identified 19 senior housing properties in the PMA. These properties contain a total of 767 units. Six of the properties are subsidized, while the remaining 13 are market rate. Table 26 provides information on market rate properties and Table 27 provides information on subsidized properties. Information in both tables includes year built, number of units, unit mix, number of vacant units, rents, and general comments about each property. Photographs follow each section and a map of the properties follows the final photographs. The following are key points from our survey of the PMA’s senior housing supply. Market Rate Senior Properties Maxfield Research Inc. identified 13 existing market rate, senior properties in Steele County. These properties contain 540 rental units, and represent all four previously defined levels of care on the senior housing continuum displayed in Figure 2. The properties are listed in Table 26 by the type of service they provide. The following are key findings from each level of care: Adult/Few Services • There are three adult/few service facilities with a total of 123 units. Two of the properties, Morehouse Place and Realife Cooperative, are owner-occupied cooperatives for active older adults. Under the cooperative model, residents buy a share of the corporation that owns the building and then leases their unit from the corporation for a monthly fee. The remaining property, Southway Manor, is a senior rental property that offers few services. There are currently no vacancies at any of the developments. • Realife Cooperative requires an entrance fee of $21,046 to $25,898 for its one-bedroom units and $30,522 to $32,120 for the two-bedroom units. Morehouse Place requires an entrance MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 61 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS fee of $25,200 to $25,898 for its one-bedroom units and $28,136 to $47,425 for its twobedroom units. • Amenities in the market rate units are significantly greater than in their subsidized counterparts. All three developments offer covered parking, patios, and community rooms. Morehouse Place and Realife Cooperative also offer gardening areas, libraries, and other recreational spaces. Morehouse Place and Southway Manor have washers and dryers in the units. • The average age of residents was similar at each development, with the average age being 78 at Morehouse Place, 75 at Southway Manor, and 80 at Realife Cooperative. Congregate • We identified four properties for a total of 166 units in Owatonna. As March 2010, there were no vacancies at any property. There were also no vacancies at the time of the previous study in February 2006. Sixty-one units have been added since the previous study in February 2006 with the opening of Countryside, so the continued lack of vacancy indicates high demand for congregate housing. • In April or May of 2010 Heather Haus will convert from a congregate development to an assisted living facility, removing 20 units of the congregate senior housing stock. Accordingly, unmet demand for congregate housing will increase. • Countryside is a catered living facility built in 2006 that can provide assisted living services for additional fees as residents age and their needs increase. One meal per day, weekly housekeeping, activities, and transportation are included in the base congregate living fee. Monthly rent for a basic one-bedroom unit is $1,730, for a one-bedroom with a den is $1,895, and for a two bedroom ranges from $1,945 to $2,025. Currently about 60% of the residents receive only a congregate level of care, while the other 40% receive assisted living care. • The Brooks is a 50-unit congregate facility built in 2000. Monthly rents range from $1,745 to $2,025 for one-bedroom units and $2,185 for two-bedroom units. This property is more service-intensive and includes some personal care assistance, which is reflected in the higher monthly rents. They have seven detached garages available for $50 per month, as well as a beauty/barber shop, exercise room, and community dining room. It is important to note that like Countryside, The Brooks is a congregate/assisted living hybrid. While the base service package would classify the property as a congregate property, residents can also receive assisted living care should they require such services. Assisted Living • There are five assisted living facilities in Owatonna, with a total of 158 units. Three of the five facilities, representing 117 units, or 74% of the total, were built since the last study in February 2006. Because need drives demand for assisted living more than economic trends, development of assisted living has continued despite the recession. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 62 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS TABLE 26 MARKET RATE SENIOR HOUSING OWATONNA AND THE REMAINDER OF PMA March 2010 Year Built No. of Units No. Vacant Morehouse Place 353 Lemond Rd. Owatonna 1998 46 0 Southway Manor 2260 Hartle Avenue Owatonna 1997 Realife Cooperative 235 22nd St. SW Owatonna 1988 Project Name/City No. Type 14 - 1BR 32 - 2BR Subtotal 45 0 32 0 3 units for-sale 123 Unit Mix/Sizes/Rents Monthly Rent Sizes Adult/Few-Services $25,200 - $25,898 $706 - $739 935 - 1,624 $28,136 - $47,425 $806 - $1,234 828 - 856 12 - 1BR 33 - 2BR 770 - 850 975 - 1,100 14 - 1BR 614 - 659 18 - 2BR 817 - 914 0 $690 - $725 $790 - $875 $21,046 $564 $30,522 $726 - $23,082 $606 $32,120 $855 Comments ^ Cooperative building. Features: underground parking included in fee, some fireplaces, balcony/patio, W/D in-unit, storage locker in garage, emergency ^ call, craftroom, wood shop, gardening, library, billiard table, car wash, exercise room, porch, guest suite, & limited activity program. Profile: Avg. age 78 years, 11 couples. Waiting list of 8 names. Features: tuck-under garages - $60/mo., detached garages - $50/mo., wallunit A/C, dishwasher, disposal, walk-in closet, balcony/patio, 2/3 of units have W/D, coin-op laundry also, community room. Profile: Avg. age 75 years. ^ Cooperative project. Features: 20 detached garages are $25/mo. (full), offstreet parking, garden plots, community/activity/dining room, reading ^ alcoves w/books, craft/woodworking room, patio, storage bins, gazebo. Profile: Avg. age 80 years, 5 couples. They have a small waiting list. They turnover about 3 units/year. 0.0% ^ Tenants are required to purchase shares of the cooperative for the amount listed. Countryside 2408 St. Paul Road Owatonna 2006 61 0 30 - 1BR 11 - 1BR/Den 20 - 2BR 505 - 615 605 - 751 716 - 886 Congregate $1,730 $1,895 $1,945 - $2,025 Park Place 125 Park Street Owatonna 2001 35 0 27 - 1BR 8 - 2BR 507 - 605 848 $1,285 - $1,530 $1,799 The Brooks 2480 St. Paul Road Owatonna 2000 50 0 40 4 2 4 MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. - 1BR (A) 1BR (B) 1BR (C) 2BR (D) 528 644 825 1,000 $1,745 $1,795 $2,055 $2,185 Rent includes one meal/day, weekly housekeeping, activities program, transportation, social-wellness programs, & staff supervision. Additional assisted living services available for a fee. Monthly rent includes noon meal, housekeeping, transportation arrangements. Other meals, laundry service, and home care services are available for extra fee. Avg. age is 87. Base monthly fees include utilities, laundry, housekeeping, one meal (noon), & activities. Building features dining room, beauty shop, fireplace room, exercise room, & 7 detached garages. About 30%-40% of residents have Elderly Waivers. 63 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS TABLE 26 (Continued) MARKET RATE SENIOR HOUSING OWATONNA AND THE REMAINDER OF PMA March 2010 Project Name/City Heather Haus 223 4th St. NW Blooming Prairie Year Built No. of Units No. Vacant 1995 20 0 16 - 1BR 4 - 2BR 166 0 0.0% Subtotal No. Type Valleyview of Owatonna 1212 Frontage Rd Owatonna 2008 60 41 38 - Studio 20 - Suite 2 - 2BR Traditions of Owatonna 24th Place NW Owatonna 2006 42 0 38 - 1BR 4 - 2BR Park Place 125 Park Street Owatonna 2001 15 0 Alterra Sterling House 334 Cedardale Dr. Owatonna 1996 20 6 19 - Private 1 - Companion Whispering Oaks 2408 St. Paul Road Ellendale 2006 21 0 1 - Studio 10 - 1BR 10 - 2BR 158 47 29.7% Subtotal MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 7 - Studio 8 - 1BR Unit Mix/Sizes/Rents Sizes Monthly Rent Congregate (continued) 537 - 607 $780 713 $850 312 468 624 550 - 625 820 Assisted Living $2,476+ Comments Currently a congregate facility that will be converting to assisted living in mid-April to May. Attched to Prairie Manor Care Center. Building features community & private dining, community lounge w/fireplace, chapel, common laundry, garden plots, and detached garages. Profile: avgerage age = 85 years. Remodeled hotel. Monthly fee includes: 3 meals/day, housekeeping, 24hr staff, scheduled transportation, & activities. Building features dining room, chapel, beauty shop, fitness center, indoor pool, malt shop. $2,485 $2,895 Inlcudes memory care in building. Monthly fee includes: 3 meals/day; personal care, medication dispensation, health monitoring, housekeeping, linen, & laundry, emergency call, activity director, 24-hour staff. 452 540 $2,183 $2,296 Base fee includes all meals and snacks; additonal fee for Level 2 personal care package. Avg. age is 87. 225 300 $2,250 1-story building. Features: Community library/activity/dining room, outdor patio, chapel services. Monthly fee includes 3 meals/day, personal care, medication dispensation, health monitoring, housekeeping, & linen/laundry service. Available to private pay residents only. 400 805 1,035 $1,900 $2,250 $2,575 Base monthly rent includes 3 meals/day, activities, & housekeeping. Building features beauty shop, fireplace, computer room, fitness room, & game room. 64 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS TABLE 26 (Continued) MARKET RATE SENIOR HOUSING OWATONNA AND THE REMAINDER OF PMA March 2010 Year Built No. of Units No. Vacant Valleyview of Owatonna 1212 Frontage Rd Owatonna 2008 30 26 30 - Studio 312 $2,476+ Secured area in remodeled hotel with assisted living. Monthly fee includes: 3 meals/day, housekeeping, 24hr staff, scheduled transportation, & activities. Traditions of Owatonna 24th Place NW Owatonna 2006 10 0 10 - Studio 400 $2,985 In building with assisted living. Monthly fee includes: 3 meals/day; personal care, medication dispensation, health monitoring, housekeeping, linen, & laundry, emergency call, activity director, 24-hour staff. Traditions of Owatonna II 2008 24th Place NW Owatonna 26 0 26 - Studio 450 $2,985 26 (beds) 8 22 - Standard 2 - Dbl Occ. 225 300 $2,860 Adding another 20 units that will open in April or May 2010. Monthly fee includes: 3 meals/day; personal care, medication dispensation, health monitoring, housekeeping, linen, & laundry, emergency call, activity director, 24-hour staff. 1-story building. Features: Community library/activity/dining room, outdor patio, game room, chapel services. Monthly fee includes 3 meals/day, personal care, medication dispensation, health monitoring, housekeeping, & linen/laundry service. Available to private pay residents only. 92 34 Project Name/City Clare Bridge Cottage 364 Cedardale Dr. Owatonna 1999 Subtotal No. Type Unit Mix/Sizes/Rents Sizes Monthly Rent Memory Care Comments 37.0% Source: Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 65 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS • Forty-one of the 56 vacancies in the PMA are in Valleyview of Owatonna, the newest facility opened in 2008. Excluding Valleyview, the vacancy rate for assisted living is 6.1%, which is slightly below the market equilibrium of 7%. • Valleyview Assisted Living was converted from the former Ramada Inn. The property is located off of Interstate 35 and Highway 14 and includes 90 units - 60 assisted living units and 30 memory-care units. The property has experienced extremely high vacancies, having only 19 assisted living residents as of March 2010. According to Valleyview personnel, the high vacancies are the result of Steele County pulling its Elderly Waiver contract from the facility. Valleyview was originally planned to have all of the units designated for Elderly Waivers. As such, the facility is open only to private pay residents at this time. Reinstating the County contract for Elderly Waivers at Valleyview would likely result in lease-up of most of the vacant units as the need for these units is demonstrated by the lack of vacancies in senior buildings that accept Elderly Waivers. • Sterling House and Clare Bridge Cottage also accept only private pay and as a result have 30% and 31% vacancy rates, respectively. Traditions of Owatonna, Park Place, and Whispering Oaks accept Elderly Waivers and have no vacancy. Therefore, need for assisted living is high in Owatonna, but much of it comes from lower-income seniors who cannot afford assisted living without assistance. • Sterling House and Whispering Oaks include only traditional assisted living units. Valleyview of Owatonna and Traditions of Owatonna also include memory care units, and as already mentioned, Park Place also includes congregate units. • All of the developments include in the base fee three meals per day and housekeeping. Each also has a dining room and activities. Valleyview of Owatonna and Whispering Oaks have beauty shops and fitness rooms. Amenities are relatively similar because all of the facilities were built since 1996 as the demand for assisted living grew. Memory Care • There are four memory care facilities with 92 beds in Owatonna. Three, accounting for 66 beds, or 72% of the total beds, opened since the last study in February 2006. As of March 2010, 28 of 36 vacancies in the PMA were in Valleyview. Excluding Valleyview, the vacancy rate was still 12.9%, which is well above the market equilibrium of 7%. Traditions of Owatonna and Traditions II of Owatonna had no vacancies, while Clare Bridge of Owatonna had 31% vacancy. • All of the facilities offer studio/private rooms, but only Clare Bridge Cottages offers shared rooms, of which there are only two. Ninety-eight percent of all units in Owatonna are in studio/private rooms. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 66 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS Market Rate Senior Housing Morehouse Place (Adult - Few Services) Southway Manor (Adult - Few Services) Countryside (Congregate/AL) Park Place (Congregate/AL) The Brooks (Congregate/AL) Traditions I (AL/MC) Traditions II (MC) Alterra Sterling House (AL) MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 67 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS Clare Bridge Cottage (MC) Valley View (AL/MC) Subsidized Senior Housing Properties • There were a total of 228 units in the County’s five subsidized senior properties. There were six vacant units among these properties as of March 2010, resulting in a vacancy rate of 3.0%. • Four of the subsidized senior properties (Cedardale South, Cedardale Place, Ivanhoe Apartments, and Maple Trails Apartments) are located in Owatonna. These properties have a combined total of 193 units, or 85% of the County total. Four of the six vacancies were at Cedardale South. Excluding Cedardale South , the vacancy rate in Steele County was only 1.0%, indicating that the market for subsidized senior housing in Owatonna is strong. The County’s other two subsidized properties are located in Medford (20 units) and Blooming Prairie (15 units). • Maple Trails Apartments, opened in 2006, is the only subsidized senior housing built in the last 25 years. Its units are accessible for seniors with disabilities, and it includes a community room. • Overall, the unit sizes at the subsidized senior properties are considerably smaller than many of the previously mentioned general-occupancy rental properties, and smaller than most of the market rate senior rental properties. • A small portion of residents in Cedardale Place are not seniors because the development is open to low-income individuals with disabilities who are of all ages. As a result, the average age of residents is 73, slightly younger than most senior housing facilities where the average age tends to be in the mid-80s. Subsidized senior housing offers affordable rents to qualified lower income seniors and handicapped/disabled persons. Typically, rents are tied to residents’ incomes with rents based on 30 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI), or a rent that is below the fair market rent. Two Federal government agencies, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development, provide funding for the vast majority of subsidized senior housing properties. In Steele County, the HUD Section 8 program sponsors three of the properties, with the remaining two classified as Rural Development properties. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 68 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS TABLE 27 SUBSIDIZED SENIOR HOUSING OWATONNA AND THE REMAINDER OF PMA March 2010 Project Name/City Year Built No. of No. Units Vacant No. Unit Mix/Sizes/Rents Type Sizes Monthly Rent Comments Maple Trails Apartments 165 24th Place NW Owatonna Cedardale South 345 Cedardale Dr. Owatonna 2006 25 0 25 - 1BR 540 30% of AGI Section 202 building. Features: Controlled entry, activity room, community room, laundry facilities. Tenants pay heat & electric. 1984 36 4 35 - 1BR 1 - 2BR 634 832 30% of AGI Medford Manor 216 SE 1st Street Medford Cedardale Place 2211 Hartle Ave. Owatonna 1982 20 2 20 - 1BR 550 30% of AGI 1980 68 0 67 - 1BR 1 - 2BR 449 554 30% of AGI Rural Development building. 3-story. Min. rent = $425 for 1BR & $455 for 2BR. Max. rent = $604 for 1BR & $634 for 2BR. Features: off-street parking, community room, some walk-in closets & showers, coin-op laundry room, & emergency call system. Rent includes all utilities except electricity. Section 8 buildings. Features off-street parking, some walk-in showers, coin-op laundry, & emergency call system. Rent includes all utilities except electricity. Section 8 senior/disabled project. Features: detached garages - $35/mo.; wall-unit A/C must be supplied by resident; walk-in showers; coin-op laundry; community room; library; game room; Market rents are $628 & $712 for 1BR's and 2BR's, respectively. Tenants pay electric. Profile: Avg. age 73 years, 2 couples. Waiting list of 14 names. Prairie Villa 455 2nd Street SE Blooming Prairie 1980 15 0 15 - 1BR 870 30% of AGI Rural Development project operating under Section 8. Market rents are $455/mo.; off-street parking; rent includes all utilities except electricity; community room; some walk-in showers; coin-op laundry; emergency call system. Avg. age is 83, no couples. Usually turn about 1 unit/year. Ivanhoe Apts. 220/230 18th St. SW Owatonna Totals 1973 64 0 64 - 1BR 416 30% of AGI Section 8. Two 2-story buildings. Features off-street parking, community room, some walk-in showers, coin-op laundry, & emergency call system. Rent includes all utilities. 228 6 2.6% Source: Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 69 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS Subsidized Senior Housing Maple Trail Apartments Cedardale South Cedardale Place Apartments Ivanhoe Apartments MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 70 SENIOR HOUSING ANALYSIS Senior Rental Properties in Owatonna Pending Senior Housing Developments We identified two senior housing developments currently under consideration in the PMA, both of which are in Owatonna. The recently completed Traditions of Owatonna II building that opened in 2008 is currently constructing a new addition. Slated for occupancy in Spring 2010, the new addition will include 20 memory care units. Furthermore, Traditions is also planning an addition to Traditions of Owatonna I that would include 20 memory care units and 10 assisted living units. Countryside recently purchased land adjacent to its current site for a future expansion, but has not yet determined the number of units, service level, and timing of the expansion. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 71 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Introduction Previous sections of this study analyzed the existing housing supply and the growth and demographic characteristics of the population and household base in the City of Owatonna and its PMA (Steele County). This section of the report presents our estimates of housing demand in Owatonna from 2010 to 2015 and 2015 to 2020. Demographic Profile and Housing Demand The demographic profile of a community affects housing demand and the types of housing that are needed. The housing life-cycle stages are: 1. Entry-level householders • Often prefer to rent basic, inexpensive apartments • Usually singles or couples without children in their early 20's • Will often “double-up” with roommates in apartment setting 2. First-time homebuyers and move-up renters • Often prefer to purchase modestly-priced single-family homes or rent more upscale apartments • Usually married or cohabiting couples, in their mid-20's or 30's, some with children, but most are without children 3. Move-up homebuyers • Typically prefer to purchase newer, larger, and therefore more expensive single-family homes • Typically families with children where householders are in their late 30's to 40's 4. Empty-nesters (persons whose children have grown and left home) and nevernesters (persons who never have children) • Prefer owning but will consider renting their housing • Some will move to alternative lower-maintenance housing products • Generally couples in their 50's or 60's 5. Younger independent seniors • Prefer owning but will consider renting their housing • Will often move (at least part of the year) to retirement havens in the Sunbelt and desire to reduce their responsibilities for upkeep and maintenance • Generally in their late 60's or 70's MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 72 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 6. Older seniors • May need to move out of their single-family home due to physical and/or health constraints or a desire to reduce their responsibilities for upkeep and maintenance • Generally single females (widows) in their mid-70's or older The baby boom generation will have the biggest effect on the housing market in Owatonna as their life cycle continues. Baby boomers are currently ages 46 to 64, and as they age over this decade, they will increase the population in the age groups 55 to 74. The 55 to 64 and 65 to 74 age groups in Owatonna will see increases of 955 (+34%) and 898 (+57%) people, respectively, during this decade. Some of these baby boomers will prefer more expensive single-family homes, while many others who become empty nesters may prefer to downsize or desire maintenance-free alternatives. With the baby busters following in the baby boomers’ wake, the age group 45 to 54 will decline, somewhat decreasing the overall demand for move-up housing. Housing Demand Calculations Demand for additional housing in Owatonna will primarily come from household growth, although replacement need will also contribute to the need for additional residential development. Pent-up rental demand can also be a source of housing demand. We did not find pent-up demand in Owatonna, as the rental vacancy rate is above the 5% stabilized rate. Table 28 shows our calculations of housing demand in Owatonna from 2010 to 2015 and 2015 to 2020. Table 1 in the Demographic Analysis section shows that Owatonna is projected to add 1,550 households between 2010 and 2020. We also project that Owatonna can capture 20% of growth in the Remainder of PMA (50 households) by providing sufficient housing choices, for a total potential growth of up to 1,600 households. Another factor in calculating demand for housing is an examination of replacement need. Replacement need is generated from the loss of housing, or the need to replace housing units that are physically or functionally obsolete (i.e., they no longer meet the needs of the current housing market). A review of the age of Owatonna’s housing stock from the U.S. Census and the Steele County Assessor’s Office revealed that there are about 2,000 housing units built prior to 1940. Based on the Assessor’s condition rating and a windshield survey of the City, we estimate that about 0.35% of these units should be replaced annually, or about seven units. This would result in a replacement need for 70 housing units between 2010 and 2020. The current downturn in the local and national economy combined with a sharp reduction in home values has led to little demand for new housing in Owatonna for the past couple of years. Only 19 housing units were added in Owatonna in 2009, down from a peak of 275 in 2004. Home construction in 2010 is not poised to exceed the 2009 level by a significant margin as the poor economy continues. Thus, we project that 60% to 65% of the household growth in Owatonna this decade will occur after 2015 (or about new 1,005 units), with the remaining 35% to 40% over the next five years (595 new units). Demand will likely be lowest in 2010 and steadily increase each successive year as the economy improves and home values begin rising again. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 73 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Based on demographic and market trends, we believe that 30% to 35% of the housing demand from household growth and replacement need in Owatonna between 2010 and 2020 (about 190 to 220 between 2010 and 2015 and about 310 to 365 between 2015 and 2020) will be for rental housing (including senior rental housing). This rental rate is higher than currently exists in Owatonna because in this decade the leading edge of the baby boom generation will age into their 70s, at which point many will seek to shed the responsibilities of home ownership. In addition, as a proportion of the growing senior population seeks to downsize, there will be an increase in existing single-family homes becoming available, thereby reducing the number of new single-family homes needed to meet demand. In addition, we believe that there will be pent-up demand for new rental products when the economy rebounds due to the relative lack of new market rate units added over the past three decades. Pent-up rental demand is another source of housing demand. A healthy rental market is expected to have a vacancy rate of about 5% to allow for sufficient consumer choice and unit turnover. With pent-up demand (a shortage of units), persons who would normally form their own rental households instead room with other persons in a housing unit, live with their parents, or live in housing outside of the area and commute to jobs. In Owatonna, we found that the overall vacancy rate was 5.5% among the general-occupancy rental supply – indicating no pent-up demand. TABLE 28 HOUSING DEMAND SUMMARY CITY OF OWATONNA 2010 to 2020 2010 to 2015 Household growth* (plus) Replacement need (equals) Total housing demand 2015 to 2020 + = 595 35 630 + = 1,005 35 1,040 (times) Percent rental demand (equals) Rental housing demand x = 30% to 189 to 35% 221 x = 30% to 312 to 35% 364 (plus) Pent-up rental demand (equals) Total rental housing demand + = 0 to 189 to 0 221 + = 0 to 312 to 0 364 (times) Percent owner demand (equals) Total owner housing demand x = 65% to 410 to 70% 441 x = 65% to 676 to 70% 728 *Includes Owatonna (1,550) plus 20% of growth in Remainder of County (50) Source: Maxfield Research Inc. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 74 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS For-Sale Housing Needs Table 28 shows that there is a projected demand for about 410 to 440 additional owner-occupied housing units in Owatonna between 2010 and 2015. We estimate that about 75% of the demand for owned housing will be for single-family homes (about 300 to 330 homes), and the remaining 25% for multifamily units (100 to 110), such as townhomes and a senior condominium/cooperative. Demand for multifamily owned housing is primarily generated by empty nesters seeking to downsize from their existing single-family homes. Currently, Owatonna has a supply of about 480 platted single-family lots available with sewer and about 200 platted townhome lots available with sewer. Approved phases to existing subdivisions would add more lots to the supply. With demand for new single-family and townhomes expected to be low for the next year or more and gradually increasing as the economy improves, no new single-family or townhome lots will likely be needed until 2013. From 2015 to 2020, we calculate that another 675 to 730 owner occupied homes will be needed for Owatonna’s to reach its projected 2020 population and household base of 29,750 people and 11,850 households. This demand equates to the average development of 135 to 146 new owneroccupied homes each year, or a pace similar to earlier last decade. Rental Housing Needs Based on the calculations in Table 28, demand exists for an additional 190 to 220 rental units in Owatonna between 2010 and 2015 and another 310 to 365 between 2015 and 2020. This rental demand includes senior rental housing, which accounts for a large portion of the rental demand because of the aging demographics (senior housing demand is discussed in more detail in the following section). Calculated senior rental demand (120 to 135 units between 2010 and 2015) is subtracted from total rental demand resulting in general-occupancy rental demand for 70 to 85 units between 2010 and 2015. Between 2015 and 2020, demand for 155 to 180 senior rental units is subtracted from total demand resulting in demand for 155 to 185 units between 2015 and 2020. Landlords overwhelmingly state that the local rental market is soft and that no new units are needed until the local job market improves. Thus, most of the short-term rental demand would not be needed for about another two years – or likely 2012 at the earliest. Our research found that there have been only three market rate apartments built in Owatonna in the last 30 years. Our interviews revealed that there is demand for newer, contemporary units, as the last market rate apartment built (Gateway Apartments) has performed very well. Thus, we project that there would be demand from existing residents for a new market rate product. Building a new apartment complex would also free up units in older market rate buildings that have rents affordable to most lower-income groups. This will help satisfy demand from lower-income renters by 2015. Our review of the rental housing market during this decade indicates that about 67% of the demand in Owatonna is for market rate units (47 to 57 units), and about 33% is for affordable units (23 to 28 units). MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 75 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Senior Housing Demand Maxfield Research Inc. calculated excess demand in Owatonna for the various senior housing product types, including adult rental, adult ownership, congregate, assisted living, and memory care, as well as subsidized senior rental. The calculations of excess demand are based on multiplying the age/income-qualified base for market rate senior housing by appropriate captures rates for each product type and then subtracting the existing supply. Generally, the age/incomequalified base for market rate senior housing is seniors age 65+ with incomes of $30,000+, although lower income homeowners also income-qualify and the capture rate is higher for seniors age 75+ (the primary target market). Currently, the City of Owatonna has a supply of 123 adult units, 146 congregate units, 137 assisted living units, 92 memory care units, and 193 subsidized senior rental units. When comparing the calculated total demand to the existing supply, we find that Owatonna has an adequate supply of assisted living and memory care units to meet the city’s need over the next five years (especially when the planned expansions to Traditions I and II are completed). We find demand for an additional 55 to 65 adult ownership units (cooperative, townhomes or condominium), 45 to 50 adult rental units, 50 to 55 congregate units, and 25 to 30 subsidized senior units to meet the city’s need through 2015. Table 29 below shows the calculated demand for each product type over the next five years, as well as between 2015 and 2020. TABLE 29 SENIOR HOUSING DEMAND SUMMARY CITY OF OWATONNA 2010-2020 2010 to 2015 2015 to 2020 Market Rate Adult Ownership* Adult Rental Congregate AL MC 55 - 65 45 - 50 50 - 55 0 0 35 30 55 25 20 Subsidized Rental 25 - 30 25 - 30 175 - 200 190 - 220 Total - 40 35 60 30 25 * Includes age-restricted townhomes, condominiums, & cooperatives Source: Maxfield Research Inc. The demand figures for 2015 to 2020 are derived by first calculating the total number of units needed in 2020 based on maintaining the penetration rates for each type of senior housing needed to satisfy current demand. We then subtract the number of units needed in the next five years, resulting in the demand for 2015 to 2020. In total, we calculate demand for an additional 190 to 220 senior housing units in Owatonna from 2015 to 2020. Overall, the penetration rate of senior housing in Owatonna to meet demand equates to about one unit for every four seniors age MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 76 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 65+. Currently, Owatonna has one unit for every 4.6 seniors (691 units for 3,155 seniors). Senior properties in Owatonna serve seniors from throughout Steele County, and the penetration rate needed to meet the County’s demand is about one unit for every six seniors. Growth of the age 65+ population in Owatonna from 3,155 seniors in 2010 to 4,300 seniors in 2020, or a 36% increase, will generate the additional senior housing demand this decade. Much of the senior growth will occur as the leading edge of the baby boom generation ages into their early 70s (the oldest baby boomer will be age 74 in 2020). The primary target market for senior housing is seniors ages 75 and over, however. Seniors age 75+ are projected to grow at a slower rate during this decade (+16%, or 250 additional 75+ seniors in Owatonna). Thus, additional demand for assisted living and memory care housing – the highest levels of care offered – is projected to be less than for more independent senior products between 2015 and 2020. Owatonna Recommendations This section recommends housing development concepts for Owatonna from 2010 to 2015, based on the demand analysis and interviews with persons knowledgeable about the Owatonna housing market. Table 30 shows a summary of these development concepts. Detailed recommendations for each housing type are also included. Single-Family Housing We recommend maintaining a three-year lot supply, which ensures adequate consumer choice without excessively prolonging developer carrying costs. If building in 2010, 2011, and 2012 matches the 2008 level of 34 units and no new lots are added to the supply, building of about 100 units will occur in the next three years, leaving 380 lots available in 2013. To meet the remaining need for 200 single-family homes by 2015, 100 lots would be used per year between 2013 and 2015. The current lot supply will therefore be sufficient through 2013, at which point the City would need to start platting at a rate of about 130 lots per year to keep up with projected demand through 2020. The current lot supply will satisfy or exceed the need for entry-level and executive homes, but may fall slightly short of meeting the need for move-up homes. Based on lot prices, existing homes in developing subdivisions, and interviews with developers, we estimate that about 20% of the available lots in Owatonna will be developed as entry-level single-family homes. In 2009, 219 homes sold in Owatonna, and as of March 2010, 218 were listed for sale, so there is about a one year supply of existing homes for sale in Owatonna, and about 75% of them are listed below $200,000. Building additional entry-level homes would further saturate the entry-level market, and given that existing homes can largely satisfy the need for entry-level housing, we do not recommend additional platting of lots intended for entry-level homes through 2015. At least 20% of available lots will develop with executive homes, but the proportion will likely be higher because an additional 59% of available lots are in subdivisions planned to include significant numbers of executive homes. We therefore also do not recommend additional platting of lots intended for executive homes. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 77 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The remainder of lots will develop as move-up housing. If developers proceed with their current plans for platted lots, it is unlikely that the City will meet its 2010 to 2015 need for move-up housing. Due to tight credit, a weak real estate market, and a sense of economic insecurity, we believe that a portion of households that would have considered executive housing three years ago will now instead purchase move-up housing, which would result in some lots currently intended as executive housing being developed as move-up housing. If this does not occur, we recommend that the city allow some additional platting for move-up single-family homes. TABLE 30 RECOMMENDED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OWATONNA 2010 to 2015 Purchase Price/ Monthly Rent Range No. of Units Pct. of Total Owner-Occupied Housing Single-Family Entry-level Move-up Executive Total Townhomes/Condominiums/Cooperatives* Entry-level Upper-end Total $150,000 - $200,000 $200,000 - $300,000 $300,000+ 15 216 77 310 - 17 231 83 330 5% 70% 25% 100% $150,000 - $200,000 $200,000+ 50 - 55 50 - 55 100 - 110 50% 50% 100% $725 - $1,000 - 47 - 57 23 - 28 70 - 85 67% 33% 100% General Occupancy Rental Housing Market Rate Rental Housing Affordable/Subsidized Rental Housing Total Senior Rental Housing Subsidized Adult/Few-Services Rental Congregate Total $850 - $1,000 $1,700 - $2,200 25 45 50 120 - 30 50 55 135 21% 37.5% 41.5% 100% * Includes senior ownership units (about half of the units could be age-restricted). Source: Maxfield Research Inc. For-Sale Multifamily Housing In Owatonna, the target market for for-sale multifamily housing (twinhomes, townhome, and condominiums) has been empty-nesters and young seniors who want to own their residence but MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 78 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS do not want the responsibility of maintenance. In larger housing markets with high housing costs, younger households also find purchasing multifamily units to be generally more affordable than purchasing new single-family homes. This is not the case in Owatonna, and thus, there is little demand from younger households. There are currently lots available to support about 200 additional twinhome/townhome units in Owatonna. With demand projected for 100 to 110 units by 2015, the current supply of lots will satisfy all need for multifamily owner-occupied housing in Owatonna for the next five years. Among the demand for multifamily units, we find that about half could be age-restricted housing in either a townhome or cooperative development. The target market for cooperative housing partially overlaps both the senior ownership and rental markets. Thus, the development of a cooperative would reduce townhome demand by no more than half of its units (it may also slightly reduce senior rental demand). General-Occupancy Rental Housing Market Rate While our analysis of the rental market found that the overall vacancy rate is above the 5% stabilized rate in Owatonna, we also find that Owatonna has an older rental housing stock as there have only been two market rate general occupancy apartments built since 2000. The vacancy rate at the two newest buildings is 3.1%, whereas the vacancy rate at older buildings is 6.1%. Based on our interviews and research, demand exists for newer, contemporary market rate units. We recommend developing a general occupancy apartment complex with between 45 and 60 units in the City of Owatonna. While the Gateway Apartment project (built in 2004) has performed well, we recommend waiting to bring a new apartment on-line until the local job market improves and the building could take advantage of pent-up demand for higher-amenity apartment units. To appeal to the target market (young professionals and some seniors), we suggest the proposed apartment project have a unit mix consisting of approximately 20% to 25% one-bedroom units, 60% to 65% two-bedroom units, and 10% to 20% two-bedroom plus den/three-bedroom units. For a contemporary building with underground parking similar to Gateway Apartments in a downtown location, we recommend rents of $800 to $825 for one-bedroom units, $950 to $1,000 for two-bedroom units, and $1,100 to $1,150 for two-bedroom plus den/three-bedroom units. For a market-rate building with tuck-under or detached garages with more basic finishes, we recommend rents of $650 to $700 for one-bedroom units, $800 to $850 for two-bedroom units, and $925 to $975. Affordable Existing LIHTC affordable properties are performing very well with three of the four Owatonna properties being fully occupied with waiting lists. These three properties range in size from 24 to 32 units and feature townhome units. We recommend another similar affordable rental MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 79 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS property with 20 to 30 units. To meet the needs of larger families, these properties should feature mostly three-bedroom units. We recommend waiting to bring this development on-line until the job market improves. If a new market rate development is added to Owatonna, several units in older market rate buildings with rents affordable to lower- and moderate-income households will become available as existing residents “step-up” into the new market rate apartment. Thus adding more than 30 new affordable units in addition to a new market rate building would begin to adversely impact older market rate properties. Senior Housing Independent The demand for 175 to 200 senior housing units in Owatonna over the next five years is for independent housing, including adult rental and ownership units, congregate units, and subsidized rental. We recommend the development of an adult building with roughly 50 units that would be either rental or cooperative. Both types of buildings have been successful in Owatonna and our calculations indicate that one building of each type could be supported. However, we recommend that only one of the two buildings come on-line during a couple year period so that they do not share their initial marketing periods. Otherwise, the absorption of both could be slowed, especially if the resale housing market does not improve much from the current situation. We also find demand for a 50-to 55-unit congregate building. As we understand, CountrySide purchased an adjacent parcel for a future expansion. If this expansion is congregate, it would satisfy the demand over the next five years, otherwise there is the potential for a separate congregate facility in Owatonna. The vacancy rate among subsidized senior buildings is very low, and our demand calculations indicate there is a need for additional units in Owatonna. Maple Trail Apartments is a 25-unit subsidized rental building financed through the HUD Section 202 program that opened in Owatonna in 2006. Maple Trail Apartments has been very well received and is currently fully occupied. We recommend pursuing a similar building with 25 to 30 units over the next five years. Assisted Living and Memory Care The existing supply of assisted living and memory care units in Owatonna plus planned additions to Traditions I and II will meet the need for additional assisted living or memory care units in Owatonna over the next five years. While the overall vacancy rate among assisted living and memory care facilities in Owatonna is low, much of the current excess demand keeping the facilities fully occupied is from low income seniors utilizing the Elderly Waiver program to pay for their services. The 65 available units at Valley View Assisted Living could accommodate the MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 80 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS demand from very low incomes seniors with Elderly Waivers in Owatonna over the next five years, negating the need to add more units to the community. Housing Rehabilitation Program As we understand, the City of Owatonna has applied to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for a $308,000 grant through the Small Cities Development Program to rehabilitate 10 owner-occupied and 10 renter-occupied housing units in Owatonna. HUD funds the program, which offers deferred loans of $8,000 per rental unit and $20,000 per ownership unit to fund repairs such as new roofing, plumbing, wiring, or windows. Residents of the units must be low- or moderate-income, with a single person earning no more than $22,600 per year or a family of four earning no more than $32,000 per year. Based on our analysis of the housing stock in Owatonna and the incomes of residents, the demand for housing rehabilitation funds far exceeds the supply of funds. Excluding apartment buildings, 2,412 housing units, or about 30% of Owatonna’s total housing, are rated below Good/Very Good, the point at which we determined in our windshield survey homes typically require some exterior repairs. Additionally, 1,320 households that own their homes earn less than $32,000 per year. If even a small portion of these households lived in homes rated below Good/Very Good, homes qualifying for the program would greatly exceed 10. In addition, interviews with landlords indicated significant need for the program among rental properties. We therefore recommend that the City continue to pursue funds for rehabilitation, even if it receives the grant it has applied for. MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. 81