Rental Housing Journal Metro
December 2015
3. Credit Screening 4. Portland Apartment Research Report 5. President’s Message – Our Fast Paced World
6. How to Dodge a Tax Hit When Selling Rental Property
11. Ask the Secret Shopper – ‘Tis The Season to be Jolly
7. President’s Message – Gratitude & Appreciation
12. Historic Lending Discrimination Settlement Addresses Allegations of Modern Day Redlining
10. Flipping Edges Out Renting As The Preferred Investing Strategy
Portland/Vancouver
www.rentalhousingjournal.com • Professional Publishing, Inc
Published in association with: METRO Multi-Family Housing Association; Rental Housing Association of Oregon; IREM & Clark County Association
The Top Amenity Trend in 2016 for Today’s Tech-Savvy Residents:
3Q15 Market Overview
Property-Wide WiFi
Multifamily Housing Update
Part I of III
By Eric Markow
Portland, OR Payroll Job Summary Total Payrolls 1 Annual Change RCR FY15 Forecast RCR 2016 Forecast RCR 2017 Forecast RCR 2018 Forecast RCR 2019 Forecast Unemployment (NSA)
,115.9m 39.5m (3.7%) 35.7m (3.3%) 28.1m (2.5%) 30.6m (2.7%) 30.6m (2.6%) 24.8m (2.1%) 5.2% (Sept.)
3Q15 Payroll Trends and Forecast Portland employers found another gear during the summer quarter, hiring at a 18year high 39,500-job, 3.7% year-on-year rate, up from 2Q’s strong 33,000 (3.1%) job performance. Faster hiring in the construction and services sectors was largely responsible for the surge as the foregoing sectors hired at a collective 21,700-job, 4.1% pace, up from 15,600 (3.0%) in 2Q15. Notably, manufacturing head counts continued to rise at a vigorous rate, especially in the transportation equipment industry, which is benefiting from strong foreign and domestic demand for trucks, aircraft and rolling stock. Subsector payrolls increased at an 11.7% y-o-y rate, representing the third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Seasonally adjusted data also were strong, recording a net gain of 10,800 jobs July to September, the best quarter since 2005. The period ended on a sour note, however, as workers lost a net of -1,300 jobs in September, the weakest month posted since July 2010. RED Research specified a Portland payroll forecasting equation using current and lagged U.S. payroll growth and lagged ...continued on page 12 Professional Publishing Inc., PO Box 6244 Beaverton, OR 97007
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ith widespread technology use by residents of all ages and the rise of the Millennial generation, property-wide WiFi, Gigabit speeds, WiFi calling, and smart home features are what’s next in technology trends for apartments in 2016. Rental properties have to provide the technology amenities the market demands, starting with highspeed, reliable internet service. Apartment living is evolving because of shifting population dynamics. With 77 million tech-savvy Millennials (ages 18-36) entering the apartment market, they are transforming the demand for technology-oriented amenities in both private and shared residential spaces. It’s not hard to see why Internet is the No. 1 desired technology-based amenity today. In addition to attracting droves of new residents, new
technologies actually have the potential of opening up untapped ancillary income for owners. High speed access to the internet for information and entertainment is an integral part of the lives of more and more Americans, but especially the millennials who grew up with such services. Dense,
bandwidth intensive content such as YouTube videos, movies, and video games is a given for this market. Millennials want to stay connected on their devices anywhere for social media and real-time interactions on platforms like Twitter and ...continued on page 9
Vancouver, Washington Ordinances Protecting Vulnerable Renters
By Heather Hill, Bluestone & Hockley Real Estate Services
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hile the ordinance passed by the city of Portland on October 14 requiring 90-day notices for PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit #5460
no cause evictions and rent increases over 5% in a 12 month period gained attention across the region, a similar ordinance en-
acted a month prior in Portland’s sister city Vancouver, Washington may have served as a catalyst. The Vancouver City Council unanimously approved three ordinances on September 21 aimed to protect a low income population they term as “Vulnerable Renters.” The first ordinance, VMC 8.45, prevents landlords from denying an application for rent based on a renter’s source of income, specifically federal and state public benefits or rent subsidies. Oregon Landlord Tenant Law already includes this renter protection. ...continued on page 17
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