StateofHousingReportSantaRosaCounty,Florida
May2017
Producedby:
HomeBuildersAssociationofWestFlorida4400BayouBlvd.,Suite45Pensacola,Florida32503
850-476-0318
www.WestFloridaBuilders.com
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TableofContents
AMessagefromtheHomeBuildersAssociationofWestFlorida............................................5Figure:MapofLocationofPotentiallyAvailableResidentialCapacity................................................6
ExecutiveSummary................................................................................................................7Figure:RatioofVacantLotSalestoNewHomeSales,1992-2016....................................................7Figure:HistoricalandProjectedPopulationGrowthbyAgeSegment..............................................10Figure:NewHomes,Pre-1950to2025..............................................................................................11
KeyFindings..........................................................................................................................12
HowCanCountyGovernmentAddressHousingIssues?.........................................................15Figure:MapofParcel-specificPotentialResidentialAvailability......................................................16
Introduction..........................................................................................................................17PurposeandScopeofthisStudy.....................................................................................................17
NationalHousingMarketTrendsandTheirImpactonSantaRosa.........................................18Figure:MedianSingleFamilyHomeValueforSantaRosaandtheNation,1994-2016..................18Figure:MedianValueperSquareFootforSingleFamilyResidencesinSantaRosaasaPercentoftheNationalValue,1996-2016........................................................................................................19Figure:RateofInterest,30-YearConventionalMortgageLoan,1972-2017...................................20Figure:RateofInterest,30-YearConventionalLoan,2016-2017....................................................21Figure:AnnualizedInflationinResidentialConstructionInputs,1994-2017...................................22Figure:HomeownershipRatesbyAgeSegment,1982-2016...........................................................23Figure:DelinquencyRateonSingleFamilyResidentialMortgages,1991-2016..............................23Figure:MortgageDebtServiceExpenseasPercentofDisposablePersonalIncome,1980-2016...24
LocalHousingMarketDriversAffectHomesPricesandAvailability.......................................24EmploymentTrends.......................................................................................................................25
Figure:EmploymentSharebySector,1970and2015.......................................................................26Table:ProjectedGrowthinJobsLocatedinSantaRosa,bySector,2016-2021..............................27Table:ProjectedGrowthinOccupationsLocatedinSantaRosa,2016-2021..................................27
CommutePatterns.........................................................................................................................28Figure:NetCommutingFlows,2002-2014......................................................................................29
WheredoResidentsWork?............................................................................................................29Table:WhereSantaRosansWorkedin2002and2014....................................................................30Figure:MedianAgeofPopulation,1970-2105................................................................................31
DemographicsoftheHousingMarketplace...........................................................................31PopulationandHouseholds............................................................................................................31
Figure:HistoricPopulationGrowthRatesforSantaRosa,Florida,andtheNation,1990-2015......32Figure:ComponentsofPopulationChanges,2001–2015................................................................33Figure:SourceofPersonalIncomeforSantaRosaResidents,1970-2015......................................34
FuturePopulationGrowth..............................................................................................................34Figure:PopulationGrowthforSelectedNorthwestFloridaCounties,1990-2015..........................35Figure:PopulationChangeperYear,1971-2016.............................................................................36Figure:NewResidentPopulationperNewSingleFamilyHomeSold,1991-2015..........................36
AgeCharacteristics.........................................................................................................................37Figure:PopulationGrowthbyAgeSegment,1970-2015................................................................37
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Figure:PopulationbyAgeSegment,2016and2025.........................................................................38Figure:HistoricalandProjectedPopulationGrowthbyAgeSegment..............................................38
IncomeTrends...............................................................................................................................39Figure:PersonalIncomeperCapita,1991-2015..............................................................................39
TheAffordableHousing/WorkforceHousingSituation..................................................................39Figure:GrowthinValueforTopTier,BottomTier,andAllHomes,1996-2016..............................40Figure:LowerIncomeHouseholdsasaShareofTotalHouseholds,County,State,Nation..............40Figure:MiddleClassHouseholdsasaShareofTotalHouseholds,County,State,Nation................41Figure:UpperMiddleClassHouseholdsasaShareofTotalHouseholds,County,State,Nation.....41Figure:HighIncomeHouseholdsasaShareofTotalHouseholds.....................................................42
SantaRosaHomeownershipRates.................................................................................................42Figure:MapofHomesteadStatusforGulfBreeze............................................................................43
PerformanceoftheSantaRosaHousingMarket....................................................................44Table:ActualYearBuilt,SingleFamilyResidentialParcels,byCity...................................................44Table:NumberofResidencesbyType,RatioofSingleFamilyResidencestoVacantResidential,allSantaRosaParcels,byCity................................................................................................................45
BuildableLots.................................................................................................................................45Figure:RatioofVacantLotSalestoNewHomeSales,1992-2016..................................................46Figure:MapofPotentialResidentialAvailabilityforNavarre...........................................................47Figure:VacantResidentialLotSalesandMedianPrice,1991-2016................................................48Figure:NumberofBuildersandAverageNumberofHomesSoldperBuilder,1991-2016.............49
NewHomeSalesandPrices............................................................................................................49Table:MostRecentYear(2015):NewResidencesbyArea(City),Type,andPrice(JustValue)........49Figure:NewHomes,Pre-1950to2025..............................................................................................50Figure:NewHomes(SpecandPresold),PriceandNumberofUnits,1991–2016..........................50Figure:SingleFamilyBuildingPermitsbyMonth,January2000–February2017............................51Figure:RateofAnnualIncreaseinMedianSalePriceforNewHomes,1992-2016.......................51
TheMarketforResalesofExistingSingleFamilyHomes.................................................................52Figure:SalesperMonth,ExistingSingleFamilyHomes,September1990–February2017.............52Figure:MedianSalePrice,ExistingHomeSales,1990-2017...........................................................53Figure:MedianPriceperSquareFoot,ExistingHomeSales,1990-2017........................................53Figure:MapofQualityofImprovementsforMilton.........................................................................54Figure:For-SaleResidentialInventory,January2010–February2017,s.a......................................55
TrendsinLoantoValueRatio.........................................................................................................55Figure:AnnualMortgageOriginationbyTypeofMortgageLoan,1991-2016................................56Figure:MedianLoantoSalePriceRatioforNewHomeswithMortgages,1990-2017...................57
InterestRateIncreasesHaveImpactsonAffordability....................................................................57
TheJobCreationimpactofHomebuildinginSantaRosaCounty............................................58
ConcludingRemarks..............................................................................................................59
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AMessagefromtheHomeBuildersAssociationofWestFlorida
SantaRosaCountyhaslongbeenoneofthefastestgrowingcountiesinoneofthefastestgrowingstates
inthenation.Regionaljobcreationandaswellingnumberofretireeshavecombinedtocreateadynamic
environmentwheredevelopers,builders,realtors,andotherbusinesseshelptheCountymeetits
commitmenttoprovideahigh-qualityhomeforallnewSantaRosaresidents.
AspartofthecollaborationbetweenCountygovernmentandthebusinessesthatmeettheneedsof
residents,theBoardofCountyCommissionersagreedtosolicitinputfromcommunitybusinessleaders
intothecomprehensiveplanningprocess.Thefollowingreport,commissionedbytheHomeBuilders
AssociationofWestFloridaandperformedbyUWFeconomistDr.RickHarper,providesdetailed
informationabouttheSantaRosahousingmarket.
Amongthekeyfindingsthatemergefromtheresearchare:
• Theestimatedannualeconomicimpactofproductionof1,500newhomesperyear,atthecurrent
medianpricepernewhome,is$288millioninlocalincome,alongwith$25.8millionintaxesand
otherrevenuestolocalgovernments.Thiscreates5,327netnewjobsinthelocaleconomy.
• Inventoriesofhomesforsaleweredownby53percentinFebruary2017relativeto2010,with
declinesfromJuly2015onwardpickinguppace.Ofsignificantimpactoninventorylevelsisa
significantdecreaseinthenumberoflotsavailablefornewhomeconstruction.
• Aswithhousingmarketsnationwide,affordabilityinSantaRosawillbechallengedbyexpectations
ofincreasesinmortgageinterestrates,ascarcityofinventoryandafinancialregulatory
environmentnotasconducivetorealestatelendingasitoncewas.
• TheSantaRosaresidentialrealestatemarketiscurrentlyhealthy,witharisingnumberof
transactionsinboththenewandexistinghomemarkets.Priceincreaseshavebeenstrongestin
theexistinghomemarket,withpricesrisingtomorecloselymatchnewhomeprices.
• Concentrationisincreasinginthehome-buildingmarketovertime,possiblyreducingcompetition.
Thenumberofbuildersdeliveringnewhomestocustomersislowerthanitwasagenerationago,
in1991.However,survivingbuildersarelarger,withtheaveragenumberofhomesdeliveredper
activebuilderperyearbeingtriplewhatitwasagenerationago.
• Higherrequiredcapitallevelsforso-calledhigh-volatilitycommercialrealestate(HVCRE)assets
suchasundevelopedlandarethelawofthelandforlenderstoday.Thishasstymiedfinancingfor
theflowofnewlandprojectsthroughthepipelinethatwouldhavekeptthesupplyofbuildable
lotshigh.
• Localjobgrowth,withtheongoingshiftintoservicestargetedatthegrowingretireeandthe
tourismsectors,willnotbesufficienttosupportneighborhooddevelopmentsimilartothatofthe
lastdecade.SantaRosawillneedtocontinuetoattracthigher-incomeregionalcommuters.
ThestudywillbefascinatingforanyonewhocaresaboutthefutureeconomicvitalityoftheCountyandI
encourageyoutoreadit.
Sincerely,
DavidPeaden
ExecutiveDirector
HomeBuildersAssociationofWestFlorida
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Figure:MapofLocationofPotentiallyAvailableResidentialCapacity
Source:FLDOR,NAL67F201602VAB
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ExecutiveSummarySantaRosahastraditionallybeenamongthefastestgrowingcountiesinFlorida.Itssuccessinattractingresidentshasbeenduetostrongschools,affordableandnewerhomes,lowtaxes,safestreets,andagreatqualityoflife,amongotherthings.ThesearethefactorsthathaveledpeopletovotewiththeirfeetandtheirwalletsandbecomeSantaRosaresidents.Theyarethefactorsthatwillcontinuetodrawnewresidentsinyearstocome.Becauseitisnotyetahigh-wageemploymenthub,thegrowthoftheCountyhasbeen,andwillbe,tiedtotheeconomicsuccessesofitsneighbors.ThesesuccessesareincreasingandSantaRosawillbenefitinthesamewaythatitalwayshas.Duetothequalityofamenitiesthatattractwell-educated,high-earningresidents,themostrecentdatashowthatSantaRosahasthehighestmedianhouseholdincomeofanyFloridacountywestofJacksonvilleandthefourthhighestamongFlorida’s67counties.However,thereareworriesthattheCountyrisksbecomingavictimofitsownsuccess.Manyneighborhoodsindesirableareasarelargelybuiltout.Buildersreportthatincreasesinbuildablelotpriceshaveledthemtoholdbackonotheramenities,includingsquarefootage,astheyattempttomatchhomepricestoavailablehouseholdincome.Figure:RatioofVacantLotSalestoNewHomeSales,1992-2016
Giventheregionaljobgrowththatistocome,andSantaRosa’sroleasthepreferredhomeforthefamiliesthatfillthebestjobs,potentialnewresidentswillsoonfacepriceincreasesandorhomeamenitydeclinesunlessdevelopersareabletobringbuildablelotstothemarketatagreaterrate.Theratesofnewlotcreationandsalesofthelastdecadewillnotbesufficienttomeetanticipatedhousingdemandataffordableprices.WhileSantaRosa’spopulationdensitymightnotappeartobelargerelativetootherpartsoftheState,thelargeamountoflandtiedupinparks(BlackwaterRiverStatePark,GulfIslandsNationalSeashore),andmilitaryinstallations(EglinAFB,WhitingField)meansthatscarcityconstraintsarereal.
0.60.81
1.21.41.61.82
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016Va
cantlotssoldpern
ewhom
ebuilt
Source:MetroMarketTrends,FLDept.ofRevenueNALfile,author's calculations
RatioofVacantLotsSoldtoNewHomesBuilt,1991- 2016
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Muchofthedisruptionofthehousingboom/bustcyclethatconsumed2003-2013isbehindus.BoththenumbersoldandthemediansalepriceofnewhomesintheCountybottomedin2009,at482and$189,350,respectively.In2016,thosenumbershadincreasedto999,and$220,900.ThenumberofexistinghomessoldintheCountyin2016wasup90percentfromits2011troughof2,127homes,andthe2016medianexistinghomesalepricewasup31percentfromits2013trough.Salesofexistinghomesin2016,at4,037units,wereonlyslightlybelowtheboom-inducedhighof4,143reachedin2005.Lookingforward,thechallengesforSantaRosawillcenteraroundavailabilityandaffordability.Theseconcernsaremovingtotheforeasinventoriesofhomesforsalehavedeclinedandpricesforexistinghomeshaverisen.Affordabilityimproveswhenfamilyincomesrisefasterthanhouseprices,andwheninterestratesfall.Housepricescanstaylowaslongasbuildershaveaccesstoaffordableinputs,includinglabor,materials,andland.Goodjobcreationinthetwo-countymetroareaoverthenextseveralyearswillletwagesgrowandwillkeepinboundmigrationfromothercountiesandstatesathealthyrates.AhealthynationaleconomymeansthatthetraditionalretireedynamicthatletsnewhouseholdsmovesouthtoadopttheFloridalifestyleandNorthwestFloridaaffordability,isinplace.However,thestrongincreaseinthesalespriceforexistinghomesinrecentmonthsisconsistentwithdeclininginventories,anderodeaffordability.Themoremodestincreaseinnewhomepriceshelpsaffordability,butrisingbuildablelot,materials,andlaborpriceswillforcepricesupovertime.Mortgageinterestratesarepoisedtorise.FinancialmarketsexpecttheFedtoraiseinterestratesgradually,whichwillkeepmonthlypaymentsaffordable.Conventionalwisdomholdsthatsomepotentialhomebuyerswill“getoffthefence”andtrytobuybeforepricesrisemoreandbeforeinterestratesrise,soitwillbea“seller’smarket”forthenextseveralquartersandperhapsbeyond.However,asbothhomepricesandinterestratesmoveuplaterthisyearandin2018,fewerbuyerswillqualifyforthemortgageloanstheyneed,puttingaslowdownonsalesandpricegrowthatthatpoint.Itistooearlytosaywithconfidencewhenwewillhitthatpoint.Thisnotonlyhurtsaffordabilityfornewhomebuyers,butitalsostiflesmobilityofexistinghomeownersintheregion,asmoreofthembecomelockedinplace.Thisisbecauseanewmortgageforpurchaseofaneworexistinghomewillcomewithahigherinterestratethatraisesthemonthlypayment,evenwhenthedifferenthomebeingconsideredcomeswithapurchasepricenohigherthantheirexistinghome.AmongthefactorsthatargueforcontinuedrobustgrowthinthedemandforhomesistheongoinghiringassociatedwiththemultiyearexpansionofNavyFederalCreditUnion(NFCU)facilities,locatedsome17quickmileswestofAvalonBoulevard.Analysisdonein2015bytheUWFHaasCentercalculatedthatNFCUhiringwouldincreasejobgrowthratesforthetwo-countymetroareaby78percentrelativetotheirlongrunaverage.Additionally,thegrowthinmilitarybudgetsunderdiscussioninearly2017inWashingtonwillundoubtedlybringincreasedspendingtoSantaRosaanditsneighbors,particularlytothesouthendoftheCounty.The
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continuedgrowthintourismspendingforthelocalareaandtherevitalizationofthePensacolaurbancorewillalsobringgrowth.NocountywillbenefitmorethanSantaRosafromeachofthesetrends.TheMarch24,2017U.S.BureauofLaborStatisticsreleaseofbenchmarkrevisionsforthelastthreeyearsoflocalareaemploymentdatashows2016jobgrowthforEscambiaandSantaRosatohavebeenlargerthanhadpreviouslybeenreported.Further,hiringcommitmentsbymajorbusinessesintheregion,particularlyinNFCU,butalsoelsewhere,alongwithgoodlevelsofcapitalinvestmentintheregion,suggestthatgrowthwillcontinue.Giventhatboth2015and2016sawdecentinboundmigrationandwagegrowth,currentforecastsforlocalhousingmarketdemand,andthusunitssoldandmedianprice,willlikelyneedtoberevisedupward,particularlyiftheunusuallyhighjobgrowthissustainedoverseveralyears.Thesignsarethatitwill.Thepresenceoftheabovefactorsleadsustoviewtheslowdownof2008–2013astransitoryintheEscambia-SantaRosa-Okaloosalabormarket.Riskstoexistinggrowthforecastsaretotheupside,andthemostlikelypatternforSantaRosaincomingyearswillbetocontinuetoattractadisproportionateshareofhigher-incomepurchasersemployedacrosstheregion.Salesofnewhomeswillbeabletoexpandatratespreviouslyassociatedwiththe2003–2005housingboom,ifcapacityallows.Historically,salesofnewhomesinSantaRosaCountyaveraged654peryearforthe10yearsfrom2007to2016,whichincludedthehousingbust.2015and2016newhomesalesaveraged920,showingrecoveryfromthedepthsoftheGreatRecession.However,newhomesaleshadaveraged1,115peryearforthe10yearsfrom1997to2006,whichincludedthehousingboom.Populationgrowthforecastsbasedoncontinuedstrongjobgrowth,whencombinedwithtypicalnewhomepurchaseratespernewresident,indicatethat1,379to1,623newhomesperyearfromnowuntil2025willbeneededifprojecteddemandistobemet.Thus,whilehousinggrowthwillbeslightlylessthanitwasduringthepeakoftheboom,theCountymustbeready,withsufficientlotsinthepipelineforbuilderstobuy,forconstructionrateswellabovetheaverageofthelast10years.Fromtodayuntil2025,itisclearthatalmostallpopulationgrowthwillbeduetotwodemographicgroups.Oneisindividualsbornin1964orearlier(primarilyBabyBoomers)seekinghousingappropriateforahouseholdwithnochildren,andtheotherwillbeyoung(adultsaged30–45)familieswithchildren.Thatcomponentofthepopulationmadeupofadultsaged20-29and45–59willactuallydeclineoverthistime.Thus,theforecastsindicatethatasignificantpartofnewhousingdemandwillcomefromBabyBoomers,includingalargegroupofthoseaginginplaceandseekingsomethingdifferentfromtheirlongtimefamilyhome,aswellasfrominboundnewresidentswhofitFlorida’straditionalretireeprofile.Itappearsthatthereisrelativelylittleproductcurrentlyonthemarketdesignedforspecificappealtothiscohort.TheotherlargedemographicistheonethathaspropelledSantaRosagrowthoverthelastseveraldecades,whichisadultsaged30–45withchildreninthehome.
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Figure:HistoricalandProjectedPopulationGrowthbyAgeSegment
Withaveragehouseholdincomegrowthlikelytobeinthe3to3.5percentrangefromnowuntil2025,housingwouldbecomelessaffordableifhomepricegrowthweretobeinexcessofgrowthinpurchasingpowerofhouseholds.Tighteningsupplyinneighborhoodsservedbythebestschoolsandwiththebestcommutes,willkeephousepricegrowthinthoseareasaboveCounty-wideaveragehouseholdincomegrowth.Asintherecentpast,themajorityofthenewfull-timeresidentpopulationthatworkswillhavejobsoutsideSantaRosaCounty.Ifjobgrowthandcommutingpatternsoftherecentpastholdinthenearfuture,thenforeverynewresidentlivingandworkinginSantaRosa,therewillberoughly7newresidentswhochoosetoliveinSantaRosawhileworkingelsewhere.ThispointstothedesirabilityofSantaRosahomes,schools,affordability,andqualityoflifetofamiliesacrossNorthwestFloridaandbeyond.ItalsomeansthatthereisnocountyinNorthwestFloridathathasabiggerstakeintheeconomichealthoftheregionthanSantaRosa.Further,itmeansthatSantaRosagrowthisnotguaranteed.IftheCountydoesnotcontinuetoinvestintheschools,infrastructure,andservicesthathavemadeitattractive,thosepotentialnewresidentswillsettleelsewhere.ThebottomlineisthatSantaRosamustworktoprovidehighqualityoflifewithoutcompromisingthetraditionalaffordabilityofnewhomes.Ifitisabletodoso,itwillcontinuetobethecountyofchoiceforpotentialnewresidents.ThefollowingFigure(reproducedlaterinthereport)showsthattherecentupwardtrajectoryoftheSantaRosahousingmarkethasthepotentialtocontinue.Ifconditionsareright,thehousingmarketwillenablethequalityoflife,andtheeconomicimpactthathaveputSantaRosainthetoptierofFloridacountiesacrossarangeofincome,health,andeducationmetrics.
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65yrs+
55- 64yrs
45- 54yrs
35- 44yrs
0- 35yrs
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics, CEDDS,2016
PopulationGrowth,inthousands, byAgeSegment
2005- 2015
2015- 2025
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Figure:NewHomes,Pre-1950to2025
Furtherparcel-specificdetailonresidentialavailabilityandotherdescriptorsareprovidedinaMapAppendixfortheCountyoverall,andforPace,Milton,GulfBreeze,andNavarre.Thesedescriptorsinclude:residentialavailability(improvedvs.vacantresidential),ageofstructure(yearbuilt),qualityofimprovements(minimumtosuperior),homesteadstatus,Improvedresidentialpricepersquarefoot(appraised),andvacantresidentialpricepersquarefoot(appraised),amongothers.ALaborMarketForecastAppendixcontainsdetailsonprojectedoccupationalgrowthfortheSantaRosacommutingregion,aswellasdetailsonexpectedemploymentgrowthbyindustrysector.TheseappendicesareavailableontheHBAwebsite.
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1991
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2021
2024
Source:NAL67F201602VAB,FloridaDeptofRevenue,author's calculations
NewHomesBuiltAnnually, Pre-1950- 2015,andProjected,2016- 2025
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KeyFindings• PopulationgrowthinSantaRosaCountyisprojectedtoaverage1.9percentperyear
overthe2017–2025period.Thisgrowthwillbeconcentratedintwocohorts.Oneistheretireeagecohort,primarilyduetothesizeoftheBabyBoomerpopulation,andtheotheristhedual-earnerwithschool-agechildrencohort,whichhasbeenatraditionalsourceofSantaRosagrowth.
• Afteraccountingformultifamilydemandandreplacementofaginghousingstock,Santa
Rosahomebuilderswillneedtoprovideanaverageof1,498newsinglefamilyhomesperyearfrom2017to2025inordertomeetthedemandgeneratedbyprojectedpopulationgrowth.ThiswillrequiremorenewhomesperyearthanhavebeenbuiltandsoldinSantaRosainanyyearsexcept2003–2005.
• Therewillbesufficientdemandfornewsinglefamilyhomestosupportabsorptionofup
to760netnewunitsperyearthatmeetthelifestyleneedsoftheage65+population.Thesemightbeage-restrictedorage-targetedcommunitiesandmightincludeaclubhouse,walkingtrails,hobbycentersandrecreationalspace.Otherneedswouldlikelyincludesmallerlotsize,outdoormaintenance,andtheywouldperhapsbegated.Thiswillbethefastestgrowingsegmentofthepopulation,bothinpercentagetermsandinabsolutenumbers,overthenext10years.However,whiletheseniorcohortisalreadysubstantialinSantaRosa,asofyetthereseemtoberelativelyfewneighborhoodsthatprovidetheseamenities.
• Duetothesizeofthemillennialgeneration,andthetraditionalattractivenessofthe
SantaRosacommunity,therewillbesufficientdemandtosupportthepurchaseofupto352homesperyearthatmeettheneedsofyoungerfamilies,includingavailabilityingoodschooldistrictsandwithacomfortablecommuteandsafestreets.ThisisSantaRosa’straditionalsweetspotintheregionalhousingmarket.
• Theestimatedannualeconomicimpactofproductionof1,500newhomesperyearat
thecurrentmedianpricepernewhomeis$288millioninlocalincome,alongwith$25.8millionintaxesandotherrevenuestolocalgovernments,and5,327netnewjobsinthelocaleconomy.Toputthisinperspective,totalearningsfromjobslocatedinSantaRosain2016wereabout$2.16billion.
• SantaRosaisprimarilyasinglefamilyresidencemarket,highonneighborhoodquality
oflifeandlowonurbanamenities,andthiswillonlychangeslowly.U.S.Censusdataindicatethattheshareofmultifamilystructurebuildingpermitsissuedoverthe2001–2106periodwasonly4.2percentoftotalpermitsissued,versus26.8percentinEscambiaCounty,and28.7percentinOkaloosa.
• SantaRosa’sstrongappealcanbeseeninitscommuterbalance.U.S.Censusdatashow
thatthe21,795SantaRosanswholeavehomeeverydaytoworkinothercountiesisa
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largernumberthanthecommutingoutflowsoftheother12NorthwestFloridacountiescombined.
• TheSantaRosaresidentialrealestatemarketiscurrentlyhealthy,witharisingnumber
oftransactionsinboththenewandexistinghomemarkets.Priceincreaseshavebeenstrongestintheexistinghomemarket,ascompetitionhasletpricesrisetomorecloselymatchnewhomeprices.
• Inventoriesofhomesforsaleweredownby53percentinFebruary2017relativeto
2010,withdeclinesfromJuly2015onwardpickinguppace.
• Whilepricegrowthinuppertierhomesdominatedtherealestateboom,bottomtierhomeshaveexperiencedafastervaluegrowthratesincethetrough.Therearemarketopportunitiesatboththehighandlowendsofthespectrum.
• Aswithhousingmarketsnationwide,affordabilityinSantaRosawillbechallengedby
expectationsofincreasesinmortgageinterestrates,ascarcityofinventoryandafinancialregulatoryenvironmentnotasconducivetorealestatelendingasitoncewas.
• Affordabilitywillbechallengedbylocalfactorsincludingrisingcostsattributablebothto
thecostofbringingbuildablelotstomarket,andtohighermaterials,subcontractor,andlaborcosts.Theongoingrecoveryofconstructionvolumeandnewhome,aswellasexistinghomesales,pointstoapendingscarcityofinventory.
• Concentrationisincreasinginthehome-buildingmarketovertime.Thenumberof
buildersdeliveringnewhomestocustomersisactuallylowerthanitwasagenerationago,in1991.However,survivingbuildersarelarger,withtheaveragenumberofhomesdeliveredperactivebuilderperyearbeingtriplewhatitwasagenerationago.
• Higherrequiredcapitallevelsforso-calledhigh-volatilitycommercialrealestate
(HVCRE)assetssuchasundevelopedlandarethelawofthelandforlenderstoday.Thishasstymiedfinancingfortheflowofnewlandprojectsthroughthepipelinethatwouldhavekeptthesupplyofbuildablelotshigh.
• Itisestimatedthatrecentmovestakingthemortgageinterestratesfrom3.5to4.5percentwouldeliminateabout4.1percent,ormorethan2,600,householdsfromqualifyingforthatloan.Anincreaseto5.5percentwouldkeepanadditional3,000householdsfromqualifyingtopurchasethelate-2016medianpricedhome.
• NoothercountyinNorthwestFloridaisasconnectedtoneighboringcountiesasSanta
Rosa.MoreSantaRosansgetupandgotoworkoutsideSantaRosathaninsidetheCounty,andthistrendhasgrownovertime.U.S.Censusdatatellusthatfrom2002to2014,thenumberofSantaRosansworkinginSantaRosaincreasedby1,075,or6.2
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percent,butthenumberofSantaRosansworkingoutsideSantaRosaincreasedby7,473,or22.4percent,overthe12-yearperiod.Thismeansthatforevery1newjoblocatedinSantaRosaandheldbyaSantaRosaresidentoverthe2002–2014period,therewere7newjobslocatedoutsideSantaRosaandheldbyaSantaRosaresident.
• ContinuedprosperityoftheCounty,includingeventualdevelopmentofadditionalhigh-
wagelocalbusinesses,willrelyontheabilityoftheCountytocontinuetomeetthehousingneedsofcommuting,dual-income,middle-classandupper-middle-classfamilieswithchildren,andofretirees.
• Localjobgrowth,withtheongoingshiftintoservicestargetedatthegrowingretiree
andthetourismsectors,willnotbesufficienttosupportneighborhooddevelopmentsimilartothatofthelastdecade.SantaRosawillneedtocontinuetoattracthigher-incomeregionalcommuters.
• Familieswithchildrenneedhighqualitypublicschoolsthatserveneighborhoodswitha
reasonablecommutetimetohigh-wageemploymentcenters.Newschoolsmustbeplannedandbuiltwiththisinmind,asschoolsarounddesirableexistingneighborhoodswiththesecharacteristicsareatenrollmentcapacity.
• WhileOkaloosaiswhereFlorida’smilitaryworks,SantaRosaiswhereFlorida’smilitary
choosestolive.ThevalueofSantaRosa’sdeployedservicememberpropertytaxexemptionasashareofassessedvalueis26timesthestateaverageandis24percenthigherthantheshareinneighboringOkaloosa,thesecondhighestcountyinthestate.MilitaryhouseholdsareparticularlyconcentratedinNavarre,with72percentofmortgageloansfornewhomepurchasebeingVAloansin2015/2016.
• Becauseitsrapidgrowthhasbeenfocusedonthehousingneedsofcommutingworkers,
SantaRosadoesnotyethavealonghistoryofmeetingtherealestateneedsofseniors.Whilethecurrentseniorpopulationissubstantial,thereismuchuntappedmarketpotentialremaining,giventheprojectedgrowthinthiscohort.Theseresidentsdonotplacedemandsontheschoolsystem.
• Thereentryofthepublicly-tradednationalbuildersintotheSantaRosamarketprovides
alargevolumebuilderwithaccesstolowercostcapitaltopurchasebuildablelotsfromsubdivisiondevelopers.Theyhavebroughtfinancialexpertiseandascaleofoperationsinconstructionthatallowsvolumediscountsinpurchaseofconstructionmaterials.Thishasputcompetitivepricepressuresandbuildablelotavailabilitypressuresontootherbuildersinthenewhomemarket.
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HowCanCountyGovernmentAddressHousingIssues?Competitionisimportantinhomebuildingtoencouragethechoiceandpricecompetitionthatensuresaffordability,particularlyintheentrylevelmarket.However,concentrationinSantaRosahasincreasedovertime.Theaveragenumberofhomessoldduringayearbyabuilderincreasedfrom3.6peryearin1991to11.1peryearin2016,atthesametimeasthenumberofbuildersactiveinthemarketduringanygivenyearfellto79percentofits1991level.In2016,fewerthanadozenofthe90activebuilderssoldmorethan20homes.Onlythreesoldmorethan100,and51ofthe90soldtwoorfewer.TheCountycanencouragecompetitionandaffordabilitybystrikingthebestbalancebetweenpublicinterestsanddeveloperandbuilderinterests.Becausedelayiscostlytodevelopersandbuilders,thiswouldincludereductionsinregulationsthatmightbeduplicativeofstateorfederalrules.ThereputationenjoyedbytheSantaRosasubdivisiondevelopmentandpermittingprocess,ofbeingabletogetthejobdonemorequicklyandwithlesshasslethansurroundingcounties,hastobeguardedzealously.Further,somesubdivisionregulationsaretoughtoimplementifthecostcanonlybespreadacrossasmallnumberofbuildablelots.Ifchangesinsubdivisionregulationscanbemadethatencouragethesmallersubdivisionsthatarenotfinanciallyattractivetothelargerbuilders,thiswillhelpkeepsmallerbuildersinthemarket.Giventhebuildoutofsomeareasthatarehighlydesirabletocustomers,smaller-scaledevelopmentswillincreasinglybecomenecessaryfortheCountytocontinuehealthygrowthinpopulationandincome.Subdivisiondevelopmentiscostly.Installationofstreets,utilities,andneededinfrastructurecaneasilyruninthe$15,000-$25,000rangeperlot,evenbeforeconsideringthecostoftheunderlyingland.Theburdenofinfrastructuredevelopmentcostwillinevitablyaffectaffordabilityandmustthereforebeevaluatedcarefully.Itisclearfromthedatathatthesupplyofeasilybuildablelotshasdiminishedwiththegrowthofthehousingstock.MeasuresthattheCountycouldtaketoencouragebringinglotstomarketwillimproveaffordability.Thisisparticularlyimportantgiventhatfederalmeasureshavebeenputinplacetolimitthebanklendingwasformerlyavailabletodevelopbuildablelots.SantaRosaanditsneighborshavebeenattheforefrontofFlorida’smovementtoimplementthecareeracademiesthatbuildworkforcecredentials.Inaneconomywheretechnologyandglobalizationlimitjoboptionsinmanytraditionaloccupations,constructiontradesremainaviablehigh-wageoptionthatcan’tbeoutsourcedtoothernations.Housingaffordabilitywillbehelpedbyanadequatesupplyofskilledtradesmenandwomen,andbyreadyavailabilityofskilledsubcontractors.SantaRosaneedstoputnewschoolswherepeoplewanttolive.Infrastructurewillbeneededandperpersoninfrastructurecostsarelessenedwithdensity.AttemptstodrivedevelopmenttooutlyingSantaRosaareaswillsendpotentialresidentstoothercounties.
16
Figure:MapofParcel-specificPotentialResidentialAvailability
Source:FLDOR,NAL67F201602VAB
17
IntroductionSantaRosaCountyhashadaComprehensivePlaninplacesince1990,butin2013begantopreparethesecondmajorrevisiontothePlan.Thependingrevisionsareintendedtotaketheplanninghorizonouttotheyear2040.TheCommissionandCountystaffhaveestablishedprotocolstoreceivepublicinputintotheplandevelopmentprocess.AsisnotedontheSantaRosaCountyGovernmentwebsite:
TheComprehensivePlanisanofficialpublicdocumentadoptedbytheSantaRosaCountyCommissionthatsetsforththecounty’spoliciesandguidesdecision-makingrelatedtothephysicaldevelopmentofthecounty.Itisformulatedinbroadtermsandcreatestheframeworkforfutureimplementation,suchasparcel-specificzoningorthedesignofinfrastructureprojects.Thepurposeofthisdocumentistoevaluateexistingconditionsandadequatelyplanforfutureexpansionrelatedtoprojectedgrowthrates.
SantaRosaCountyincludeshousinggoalsaspartofitscomprehensiveplan.Goal3.1isto“Ensuretheprovisionofsafe,affordableandadequatehousingforthecurrentandfutureresidentsofSantaRosaCounty,”whileObjective3.1.Aisto“providearegulatoryenvironmentthatencouragesacompetitivehousingmarketbetweenprivatesectorhousingprovidersandencouragestheprovisionofhousingforallpresentandfutureresidents,includingworkforce,collegegraduate,andlowincomehouseholds.PurposeandScopeofthisStudyInordertohelpdefineandmeettheCounty’shousinggoalsandobjectives,theHomeBuildersAssociationofWestFlorida(HBAWF),theSantaRosaCountyChamberofCommerce(SRCOC),andtheSantaRosaCountyBoardofRealtors(SRBOR)haveagreedtoprepareandpresentthe“StateofHousingReport”(henceforthSHR)annuallytotheSantaRosaCountyBoardofCountyCommissioners(BOCC).AssetoutintheCountyComprehensivePlanPolicyDocument,theSHRmust:
…quantifythenumberofhousingunitsprovidedinthepreviousyearbyarea,type,andprice;itwillevaluatethesupplyanddemandforhousingbystandardincomeranges;evaluatetheavailabilityofaffordablehousingforspecialincomegroupssuchascollegegraduates,serviceindustries,andpublicsectoremployees;measurethechangeinhomeownershiprates;andprojecthousingneedsforthenextyear.Thereportwillalsoidentifyfactorswiththepotentialimpactthehousingmarketsuchasdevelopmentregulations,theavailabilityofinfrastructure,andmarketforcesandmakerecommendationsasappropriate.
InassessingtheSantaRosaCountyhousingmarket,thecurrentstudypresentscounty-wideinformationaswellasdrill-downs,primarilyviamappingandpriceandquantitydata,fortheurbanizedareasofMilton,Pace,GulfBreeze,Navarre,andJay.WhileinformationontheareasofNavarreBeach,Holt,andothernamedareasisalsoavailablefromdatasources,thevolumeoftransactionsthatoccurinthoseareasarenotsufficienttodrawinferencesaboutpriceand
18
quantity,andothertrends.Inassessingtheeconomicdriversunderlyinghousingmarketneedsandperformance,thecurrentstudyidentifiesthegeographieswherepeoplework,wheretheyhavetheirleisureactivities,andwheretheyshopandplay.ForSantaRosa,theseactivitiesoccurnotonlywithinSantaRosaCounty,butalsoinEscambiatothewest,andOkaloosatotheeast.ThereisnoothercountyinNorthwestFloridathatsendsahighernumberofpeopletowork,generallyathigh-wagejobs,inothercountieseveryday.Thesefamilieswillhavelookedatmanyotherneighborhoodsinothercountieswheretheycouldhavelocated,buttheychoseSantaRosabecauseitbestmeetstheirneedsintermsofvalueandlifestyle.ThecontinuedreputationofSantaRosaasthecountyofchoiceinNorthwestFloridarequiresplanningthatidentifiesandprovidesapathforwardintermsofinfrastructure,zoning,andservicesthatwillsupportSantaRosanstodayandinthefuture.
NationalHousingMarketTrendsandTheirImpactonSantaRosaTheSantaRosaresidentialrealestatemarketisaffectedbybothnationalandlocalfactors.Nationally,housinghasmostlyrecoveredfromtherealestateboomandsubsequentbustthatdominatedthemarketforatleastthelast15years.Aglutofinexpensivefunding,muchofitprovidedbyourglobaltradingpartners,aidedbyeasymoneyfromtheFed,broughtmortgageinterestratesintheearly2000sdowntolevelsnotseensincethe1960s.Aconcurrentexpansionofsubprimemortgageorigination,andsaleofthosemortgagesintotaxpayer-guaranteedmarkets(viaFannie,Freddie),expandedthenumberofhouseholdsabletoborrow.TheseissueswerecompoundedbyfinancialderivativesandleverageamonghighlyinterconnectedWallStreetfinancialinstitutions.Together,theyensuredthatthehousingdownturnthatfollowedthe2003–2005boomledtoahousingmarketmeltdownthatculminatedintheGreatRecession.Asthefastestgrowinglargestate,andanexpectedrecipientofstrongcontinuedgrowthduetopendingBabyBoomerretirements,Florida,andSantaRosa,wererightinthemiddleofboththeboomandthesubsequentbust.Figure:MedianSingleFamilyHomeValueforSantaRosaandtheNation,1994-2016
$80,000$100,000$120,000$140,000$160,000$180,000$200,000$220,000
1996-04
1997-02
1997-12
1998-10
1999-08
2000-06
2001-04
2002-02
2002-12
2003-10
2004-08
2005-06
2006-04
2007-02
2007-12
2008-10
2009-08
2010-06
2011-04
2012-02
2012-12
2013-10
2014-08
2015-06
2016-04
MedianSingleFamilyHomeValue,Apr94- Dec16
Nation
SantaRosa
19
AscanbeseenintheFigureabove,thesinglefamilyhomevaluationrun-upinSantaRosalaggedthenationalincreaseslightlyatfirst,butduringthehousingboomcaughtupto,andexceeded,nationalprices.Themedian-pricedsinglefamilyhomeinSantaRosawasvaluedat$92,200inmid-1996,butthenroseinvaluetoapeakof$206,000inlate2005andearly2006.Themedianvaluethenfelloverthenext5yearstothe$149,000to$152,000range,whereitstayeduntiltheendof2012,untilbeginningitsrisetoitsJanuary2017valueof$180,400.Nationally,thatsinglefamilyhomeoriginallyvaluedat$99,600inmid-1996hititshighof$196,600inmid-2007,beforefallingtoalowof$151,500inlate2011.ByJanuaryof2017thenationalmediansinglefamilyhomepricehadrisenbackto$195,300.TheSantaRosamediansinglefamilyhomevaluethusremains12.7percentbelowits2005peakinJanuary2017,whilethenationalmediansinglefamilyhomevalueisonly1.2percentbelowitsmid-2007high.Theboom/bustcyclewasparticularlysevereincoastalSouthFloridacounties.OnlyTheVillages,amongFloridaurbanareas,hasrecoupedmoreoftherecession-inducedmedianpricegapthanSantaRosaCountyandneighboringEscambiaCounty.InJanuaryof2017Miamiregistered19percent,Tampa16percent,Orlando22percent,PanamaCity26percent,andCrestview-FortWalton25percent,belowtheirpre-busthighs,versus13percentforSantaRosa.SomeofthiswasbecauseSantaRosamedianpricesneverroseasmuchasinsomeFloridacounties.Ironically,itwasatleastpartlybecauseofthelackofavailablebeachfrontproperty(itistiedupinnationalseashoreandmilitarybases)thatSantaRosaavoidedtheseverepricepeaks,troughs,andassociatedillsofmanyFloridacounties.Thefactthatnationalvalueshavegrownmorerapidlythanlocalvaluesfrom2013onwardhashelpedaffordability.Whilemanyworkerswhomoveforajobhavelimitedchoicesintermsofrelocationdestination,affordabilitywillbeparticularlyimportantinattractinginboundmigrationofpotentialnewresidentswhoareabletochoosebetweenretirementvenues.Figure:MedianValueperSquareFootforSingleFamilyResidencesinSantaRosaasaPercentoftheNationalValue,1996-2016
70%75%80%85%90%95%
1996-04
1997-02
1997-12
1998-10
1999-08
2000-06
2001-04
2002-02
2002-12
2003-10
2004-08
2005-06
2006-04
2007-02
2007-12
2008-10
2009-08
2010-06
2011-04
2012-02
2012-12
2013-10
2014-08
2015-06
2016-04
Percento
fU.S.m
edian
Source:ZillowHomeValueIndex,2017
MedianValueperSquareFoot, SantaRosaasPercentofU.S.,Apr96-Dec16
AllSantaRosaHomes
20
ThemovebytheFedtoreturninterestratestoamorenormallevelwillundoubtedlyleadtohigherratesonthe30-yearconventionalfixedratemortgageloan.FinancialmarketsexpecttheFedtoraiseinterestratesgradually,whichwillkeepmonthlypaymentsaffordable.Conventionalwisdomholdsthatsomepotentialhomebuyerswill“getoffthefence”andtrytobuybeforepricesrisemoreandbeforeinterestratesrise,sothemarketshouldbestrongforthenextseveralquarters.However,asbothhomepricesandinterestratesmoveuplaterthisyearandin2018,fewerbuyerswillqualifyforthemortgageloanstheyneed,puttingaslowdownonsalesandpricegrowthatthatpoint.Itistooearlytosaywithconfidencewhenthemarketwillhitthatpoint.Figure:RateofInterest,30-YearConventionalMortgageLoan,1972-2017
Theincreaseininterestrateswilldampenaffordability.Whilerateswereinthe3.5percentrangespriortotheNovember2016election,theythenrosealmostimmediatelytothe4.1to4.3percentrange(seeFigurebelow),wheretheyhavestayedforfivemonths.Financialmarketcommentatorshavesaidthatthisriseisduetoexpectationsforanexpansionaryfiscalpolicystancethatwouldincorporatesomecombinationoftaxcutsanddefenseandinfrastructurespendingincreases.Whilethereisstillsubstantialuncertaintyabouttheformthesemeasuresmighttake,additionaldeficitspendingwilltendtodriveinterestratesup.HeightenedinflationexpectationsandanimprovedjobmarketareexpectedtoleadtheFedtoraiseshort-terminterestratesaswell.Itseemsreasonabletothinkthat,barringanotherrecession,the30-yearfixedratemortgageloanwillbeinthe4.5to5percentrangeayearfromnow,andthe5to6percentrangeforseveralyearsbeyondthat.
0
5
10
15
20
Mar-72
Mar-74
Mar-76
Mar-78
Mar-80
Mar-82
Mar-84
Mar-86
Mar-88
Mar-90
Mar-92
Mar-94
Mar-96
Mar-98
Mar-00
Mar-02
Mar-04
Mar-06
Mar-08
Mar-10
Mar-12
Mar-14
Mar-16
Percent
Source:FreddieMac,FederalReserveEconomic Data
30-YearFixedRateMortgageRate,1972- 2017
21
Figure:RateofInterest,30-YearConventionalLoan,2016-2017
Changesinthenationalfinancialregulatoryenvironmenthavealsoaffectedthewillingnessandabilityofbankstolendmoneyintherealestatedevelopmentprocess.So-called“HighVolatilityCommercialRealEstate(HVCRE)”lendingtypicallyincludesloanstodeveloperswhointendtoconvertavailablelandintosubdivisions.Becauseofthehistoricalvolatilityoflandprices,andthepossibilityofbankruptcybyborrowers,theseloansaretypicallyclassifiedasrisky.Thegeneraltrendinrecentyearstowardslessleverageforbanks,asembodiedintheBaselIIIaccords,meansthatU.S.banksmustholdmorecashorequityascollateralagainstthepossibilityofadefaultbyasubdivisiondeveloperonaloan.Thisreducedleveragereducestheattractivenesstothebankofmakingthatsubdivisiondevelopmentloanversusdeployingtheiravailablecapitalinadifferentway.Sincethepriceofabuildablelotistypicallythelargestsingleexpensebuiltintothesalepriceofanewhome,lackofsupplyinthesubdivisionpipelinewillraisenewhomeprices.Thecostofresidentialconstructioninputshasbeenhighlyvolatileovertime.TheFigurebelowsuggeststhataperiodofrelativecalminconstructioncostsmaybeendingasconstructioninputpricesheadbacktotraditionallyhigherratesofinflation.Localbuildersreferencedincreasesinlumberandsheetrockprices,alongwithbuildablelots,andashortageofskilledlabor,asfactorsthattheyareseeingintheearly2017market.
3.4%3.6%3.8%4.0%4.2%4.4%
Source:FreddieMac,FederalReserveEconomic Data
30-YearFixedRateMortgageRate,3/31/16- 3/30/17
22
Figure:AnnualizedInflationinResidentialConstructionInputs,1994-2017
Severalothermarketdriverswillbedifferentoverthecomingdecade.OneisthathomeownershiprateshavedeclinedinthewakeoftheGreatRecession,particularlyforyoungerhouseholds.TheU.S.Censuspublishesdataregardinghomeownershipratesbyagesegment.Theserateshavedeclinedsincepeakingintheearlypartofthedecadeofthe2000s,andthatrateofdeclineincreasedforyoungerhouseholdsfollowingthefinancialcrisisandGreatRecession.Whileallhouseholdswillneedaroofovertheirheads,thedecliningownershipratewillskewforecaststowardsrentalhousing,eventhoughhomeownershipcontinuestoberelativelymoreattractivefinanciallythanrenting.Anotherdifferenceisthatthepopulationcontinuestoageandhouseholdsizesbecomecorrespondingsmaller.Theaveragehouseholdsizeforthe65–74-year-oldsegmentnationallywas1.91in2012,accordingtotheU.S.Census,whileitwas3.34forhouseholdsaged35–44.Duetoaging,Millennials(birthyears1982to2004)haverecentlyovertakentheBabyBoomers(birthyears1946–1964)asthelargestgeneration.Overthecomingdecade,itisthecombinedgrowthofthosetwosegmentsthatwilldriveallofthenetnewgrowthinSantaRosa.
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
Mar-94
Mar-95
Mar-96
Mar-97
Mar-98
Mar-99
Mar-00
Mar-01
Mar-02
Mar-03
Mar-04
Mar-05
Mar-06
Mar-07
Mar-08
Mar-09
Mar-10
Mar-11
Mar-12
Mar-13
Mar-14
Mar-15
Mar-16
Source:U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics, FederalReserveEconomics Data,author's calculations
RateofInflationforInputstoResidentialConstruction, Jan94- Feb17
23
Figure:HomeownershipRatesbyAgeSegment,1982-2016
Itwasasignoftheweaknessofthehousingmarketthatpeoplebecamemorelikelytodefaultontheirmortgageloanthanontheircarloan.Highleverageinhousinglending,alongwithfallingprices,meantthatworkerswouldratherkeeptheircarthantheirhouse.Figure:DelinquencyRateonSingleFamilyResidentialMortgages,1991-2016
Overall,however,thelowinterestratesassociatedwithexceptionalratesofmoneysupplycreationbytheFedhaveallowedmortgagedebtburdenstoeasetohistoricallylowlevels.Whilethathelpsaffordability,itraisesthepossibilityofahousingslowdownwhenratesreturntomorenormalhistoricallevels.
024681012
Jan-91
Mar-92
May-93
Jul-94
Sep-95
Nov-96
Jan-98
Mar-99
May-00
Jul-01
Sep-02
Nov-03
Jan-05
Mar-06
May-07
Jul-08
Sep-09
Nov-10
Jan-12
Mar-13
May-14
Jul-15
Sep-16
Percent
Source:FederalReserveBoardofGovernors, FederalReserveEconomic Data
DelinquencyRates:CreditCardDebt,SingleFamilyResidentialMortgageDebt
MortgageDebtCreditCardDebt
24
Figure:MortgageDebtServiceExpenseasPercentofDisposablePersonalIncome,1980-2016
LocalHousingMarketDriversAffectHomesPricesandAvailabilityThehousingmarketboomandbusthaditsowncharacteristicsinSantaRosa.Oneofthemostimportantwasthebuildoutofsomeofthe“bestandeasiest”partsoftheCounty.Thesewerebuildablelotsinsubdivisionswithfewwetlandsissuesandlittleneedforexpensiveimprovements.GoodavailabilityataffordablepricesiskeytoSantaRosa’scompetitiveadvantageinhousing.Theeconomicprofileofthethreecountiesthatwillprovidethejobsthattheseworkingfamiliesholdischangingovertime.ThefamiliesthatchooseSantaRosawillbewhite-collarratherthanbluecollar,withhouseholdersfromPaceandGulfBreezecommutingintothePensacolaurbancore,andhouseholdersintheSouthendoftheCounty,eastofGulfBreeze,commutingtothehigh-wagejobsatHurlburtFieldandEglinAFB.ThejobgrowthwithinSantaRosawillofcoursebedrivenbybusinessneeds,whichwillbefocusedonprovidingagrowingresidentpopulationwithlocaloptionsforshopping,eating,healthcare,education,andotherservices.ThecommutetoEscambiawillbedrivenbygrowthinfinancialservicesandprofessionalservices,whilethecommutetoFortWaltonwillcontinuetobedrivenbymilitaryandcivilianemployeesatthemilitarybases.TheuniquerolethatSantaRosaplaysintheregionalcommunityashometohigh-earningfamilieswhovalueitsschooldistrictandotheramenitieswillpaydividendsinthehousingmarketoverthecomingyears.Duetothehighshareofresidentswhocommutetogoodjobs,SantaRosa’shousingaffordabilityislikelytostaystrong,ashouseholdincomesgrowataratemoresimilartothenationthanthatforecastedforFlorida.Ofthefactorsthataretheprimarydriversofaffordability,interestratesandbuildinginputcostsaresimilaracrossthenation(withtheexceptionoflandprices),whilejobgrowthandearningscandiffersubstantially.ThetrendoffallingoutputperworkerthathascharacterizedFloridaasitshiftedawayfromconstruction,realestatedevelopment,andfinanceintheyearsfollowingtheGreatRecession,widenedtheincomegapwiththenation.However,SantaRosaisprojectedtocontinuetoattractthemore
44.55
5.56
6.57
7.5Jan-80
Sep-81
May-83
Jan-85
Sep-86
May-88
Jan-90
Sep-91
May-93
Jan-95
Sep-96
May-98
Jan-00
Sep-01
May-03
Jan-05
Sep-06
May-08
Jan-10
Sep-11
May-13
Jan-15
Sep-16
Percent
Source:BoardofGovernors oftheFederalReserveSystem,FederalReserveEconomic Data
MortgageDebtService:PercentofDisposable PersonalIncome1980-2016
25
highly-educated,higher-earninghouseholdswhoseincomewillkeeppacewiththenationaleconomy.EmploymentTrendsTheregionismovingawayfromdominantemploymentclustersinmilitary,manufacturingandagriculturethatwerethecoreoftheSantaRosaeconomytwogenerationsago.Itisnotthatthesesectorsarenotrobust;theyare,buttheyaresubjecttoincreaseduseoftechnologytoreplaceworkersinuniformorontheshopfloor.ThecomparisonprovidedbelowillustratesthesizeofthesectorsoftheSantaRosaeconomyin1970andin2015.Ascanbeseen,thefederalmilitaryandciviliansectorshaveshrunkfromabout27percentoftheCounty’sjobsin1970tolessthan5percenttoday.Manufacturinggeneratedabout12percentofjobsinSantaRosatwogenerationsago,butonlytwopercenttoday.Farmemploymentwentfrommorethan6percenttolessthantwopercent.Theseoncedominantsectorshavebeenreplacedintheemploymenthierarchy.Healthcare,leisureandhospitality,andretailtradenowdominatethejobgrowthcategoriesforNorthwestFloridaandforSantaRosa.
26
Figure:EmploymentSharebySector,1970and2015
TheUWFHaasCenter,aspartofaU.S.EconomicDevelopmentAdministrationprojecttoexaminetheregionaleconomyinthewakeoftheoilspill,producedforecastsofjobslocatedwithinSantaRosaCountybyeconomicsector,andforecastsofgrowthinspecificoccupationslocatedinSantaRosaCounty.TheseTablesarereproducedimmediatelybelow.Thetablesaresortedbythenumberof2016jobslocatedinSantaRosaCounty.Thefirstofthetwochartsshowstheeconomicsectorinwhichthejobsarelocated.Publicschools,limited-servicerestaurants,andfull-servicerestaurantsarethelargestjobgeneratingsectors.Theprojected5year(2016–2021)jobgrowthshowshowmanynet(afternettingoutretireesandotherjobleavers)jobsareexpectedtobecreatedby2021,withthelastthreecolumnsshowingcurrentearningsperjobinthatsectorlocallyandforthenation.Thecolumnmarked“LQ”referstothelocationquotient,whichisameasureoftheshareofthelaborforceinthatsector,comparedtothenationalshareinthatsector.AnLQofonemeansthatourlocaleconomyhasthesameshareofworkersinthatsectorasdoesthenationaleconomy.AnLQof1.15wouldmeanthatourlocaleconomyhas15percentmoreworkersinthatsectorthanwouldbeexpectedrelative
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
FarmEmploymentForestry,Fishing,Other
MiningUtilities
ConstructionManufacturing
WholesaleTradeRetailTrade
Transportation,WarehousingInformation
FinanceandInsuranceRealEstate,RentalandLeasingProfessional/TechnicalServices
ManagementofCompaniesAdministrativeandWasteServices
EducationalServicesHealthCareandSocialAssistanceArts,Entertainment,Recreation
Accomodation,FoodServiceOtherServices,exceptPublicAdmin
FederalCivilianFederalMilitary
StateandLocalGovernment
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics, CEDDS2016
EmploymentSharebySector,2025,2015,1970
2025
2015
1970
27
tothenation,whileanLQof.85wouldmeanwehave15percentlessthanthenationalaverage.Thegreenhighlightsareforvaluesthatareabovethelocalaverage.Table:ProjectedGrowthinJobsLocatedinSantaRosa,bySector,2016-2021
Source:HaasCenter,2017Thefederalstatisticalagenciesalsoprovideinformationaboutthenumberofpeopleemployedinparticularoccupationsinalocaleconomy.Hereweseethatthetopfiveoccupationsin2016forjobslocatedinSantaRosawerefoodpreparationandserving,retailsalesperson,cashier,military,andcustomerservicerepresentative.Whatcanbeseenisthatourlocalmilitarymissionsarewell-paidrelativetothenationalaverage,butthatalmostnogrowthisexpectedinmilitaryemploymentoverthenextseveralyears.Table:ProjectedGrowthinOccupationsLocatedinSantaRosa,2016-2021
Source:HaasCenter,2017Thelessontobetakenfromthewithin-SantaRosaemploymentforecastsistwo-fold.Onepointisthat“retailfollowsrooftops,”sothatthehigh-growthoccupationsarethosethatprovideservicesneededbytheresidentcommunity.Withtheexceptionofthemilitaryjobs,customerservicerepresentatives,andpossiblyofficeclerks,thetoptenoccupationsarefocusedonleisureandhospitalityandhealthcare.However,high-wagejobgrowthwillinevitablyevolveasentrepreneursfindthatSantaRosahasbuiltthelivable,well-educated,affordable,well-runcommunitywheretheywouldliketobuildtheirbusiness.TheotherlessonhereisthatSantaRosa,untillocalhigh-wagegrowdevelopsitsownsustainablemomentum,willneedtocontinuetoattractthebestandthebrightestofthewell-educatedhouseholdsthatcommutetoworkinneighboringcounties.TheStateofFloridaalsopublishesoccupationalforecastsviaCareerSourceFlorida.PleaseseetheForecastAppendixforthisstudy,availableontheHBAwebstie,toviewmoredetailfor
28
WorkforceDevelopmentRegionsI(EscambiaandSantaRosa),andII(OkaloosaandWalton).Aslongasschoolsaregoodandtransportationandothercriticalinfrastructureneedsevolvetomeetcommunityneeds,thosehigh-wagehouseholdswillseriouslyconsiderSantaRosaCounty.CommutePatternsItisnotanexaggerationtosaythattheSantaRosahousingmarketlivesanddieswithdecisionsbyworkerscommutingfromthehighamenityneighborhoodsofSantaRosatotheemploymentcentersofEscambiaandOkaloosa.U.S.Censusdatatellusthatin2014,themostrecentyearofdata,therewere21,795moreworkersexitingSantaRosaboundforotherplacesofworkthantherewereworkerslivinginothercountiescommutingintoSantaRosa.Farfrombeinganegative,thisisasignthatpeopleandfamilieswhocouldchoosetoliveanywherewithincommutingdistanceoftheirworkplacechoosetoliveinSantaRosa.ThesepeoplevotewiththeirfeetandtheirpocketbookstoenjoythelifestyleamenitiesthatSantaRosahastooffer,andthenmakethecommutetowork.AsameasureofhowstrongtheSantaRosaresidentialattractionis,onecanlookacrossthe13countiesprofiledbytheUWFHaasCenterintheCountySnapshotsectionofthe2017NorthwestFloridaForwardplanproducedbyHaas,Florida’sGreatNorthwest,andTIPStrategies.Ofthe13countiesstretchingfromEscambiatoWakulla,9hadnetcommuteroutflowsand4hadnetcommuterinflowsduringthemostrecentdatayear.SantaRosa’snetoutflow,at21,795,waslargerthanthe19,529netoutflowoftheother8outflowcountiescombined.Infact,oftheSantaRosanswhoreportedtotheCensus’AmericanCommunitySurveythattheycommutedtowork,moreofthemcommutedtoworkinEscambiathancommutedtoworkinSantaRosa.Escambia,SantaRosa,andOkaloosaarejoinedatthehipeconomically.Escambiacannothaveahealthyurbancore,andOkaloosacannotemploythemilitaryandcivilianstaffneededtherewithoutahealthySantaRosa.Conversely,SantaRosacannotthrivewithoutsuccessfuleconomicdevelopmentinneighboringcounties.
29
Figure:NetCommutingFlows,2002-2014
Source:HaasCenter,2017WheredoResidentsWork?Muchofthismigrationoccursasheadsofhouseholdstakenewjobsandsearchfordesirablehousingandamenities.TheSantaRosahousingmarketdependscriticallyontheavailabilityofemploymentwithinareasonablecommutingdistanceforhouseholdsheadedbymenandwomenwhoareinthelaborforce.TheoverwhelmingmajorityofthejobsthattheseSantaRosansholdarelocatedinEscambia,SantaRosa,andOkaloosaCounties.ThedatashowthattheintegrationofSantaRosansintoalargerregionaleconomyhasgrownovertime.TheLongitudinalEmployer-HouseholdDynamics(LEHD)programispartoftheU.S.CensusBureauandproducesanddisseminatesdataaboutoriginsanddestinationsofcommutesforworkersacrossthenation.2002istheearliestdatayearthatisavailableand2014isthemostrecent.WhatthedatashowforSantaRosaCountyisthatemploymentofSantaRosanshasrisenfromanestimated50,646in2002to59,194in2014.Ascanbeseenbelow,thisincreaseof8,548,or16.9percent,inthenumberofworkingSantaRosansoverthe12-yearperiodislargeenoughsothattheincreaseof1,075SantaRosanswhoworkinSantaRosaactuallyrepresentsadecrease,from34.2to31.1percent,intheshareofworkingSantaRosanswhoworkinSantaRosa.ThenumberofSantaRosansworkinginSantaRosaincreasedby1,075,or6.2percent,butthenumberofSantaRosansworkingoutsideSantaRosaincreasedby7,473,or22.4percent,from2002to2014.
30
Table:WhereSantaRosansWorkedin2002and2014
EscambiaandOkaloosaclearlydominatethecommutingoutflow-takentogether,theyemploy3.4timesthenumberofSantaRosansasothercountiescombined.However,thisdoesnotindicateaone-wayexodusfromSantaRosa.ThesameLEHDdatashowthatsome3,195OkaloosansworkedinSantaRosain2014,upfrom1,601in2002.Therewere8,445EscambianswhoworkedinSantaRosain2014,upfrom7,386in2002(thesefiguresareforEscambiaCounty,Florida;therewerealsosome894fromEscambia,ALworkinginSantaRosain2014).Thus,theincreasingintegrationgoesbothways;moreregionalresidentsworkinSantaRosathanbefore,andmoreSantaRosansworkoutsideofSantaRosathanbefore.ThisincreasingintegrationofSantaRosansintotheregionaleconomyhelpsdiversifyfinancialriskforSantaRosafamiliesbyspreadingjobsacrosssectorsandgeographies,butitalsomeansthatanincreasingshareofSantaRosapersonalincomeisearnedoutsidetheCounty.Outofeverydollarofpersonalincome,about53centswouldhavebeenearnedinSantaRosatwogenerationsago,andthesharehasfallento28centstoday.IncomeearnedoutsideSantaRosahasrisenfrom23centsto33centsonthedollaroverthatsameperiod.ThismeansthathousingdemandgrowthinSantaRosahasbeendrivenbyemploymentgrowthinkeysectorsinEscambiaandOkaloosaaswellasbyjobgrowthwithinSantaRosa.AsecondmajortrenddrivingchangesinthehousingmarketinSantaRosaistheagingofthepopulation.ThemedianageoftheU.S.populationhasincreasedovertimeastheBabyBoomergenerationmovestowardretirementandashealthcareoutcomeshaveimproved,particularlyforolderAmericans.ThemedianageofAmericansincreasedby9.9yearsduringthelasttwogenerations,andby9.6yearsforFloridians.However,themedianageofSantaRosansincreasedby15.9yearsoverthesame1970–2015period,astheBabyBoomersaged,as
Count Share Count Share Change
EscambiaCounty,FL 23,616 39.9% 22,700 44.8% 916
SantaRosaCounty,FL 18,415 31.1% 17,340 34.2% 1,075
OkaloosaCounty,FL 8,009 13.5% 5,754 11.4% 2,255
BayCounty,FL 919 1.6% 727 1.4% 192
LeonCounty,FL 744 1.3% 998 2.0% -254
WaltonCounty,FL 644 1.1% 372 0.7% 272
DuvalCounty,FL 592 1.0% 292 0.6% 300
OrangeCounty,FL 505 0.9% 100 0.2% 405
HillsboroughCounty,FL 401 0.7% 150 0.3% 251
MobileCounty,AL 386 0.7% 305 0.6% 81
AllOtherLocations 4,963 8.4% 1,908 3.8% 3,055
TotalAllJobs 59,194 100.0% 50,646 100.0% 8,548
Source: LEHD On the Map, 2017
20022014
JobsCountsbyCountiesWhereWorkersareEmployed-AllJobs
31
retireesfoundSantaRosamoreinvitingthananincreasinglycrowdedSouthFlorida,andastheeconomyshiftedmoretowardshealthcareandeducation,andmilitaryoccupationsgrewslowlyifatall.Figure:MedianAgeofPopulation,1970-2105
Theagingofthepopulation,alongwithchangesinchild-bearingpatterns,hasdrivenhouseholdsizedown.This,alongwithincreasednumbersofpeoplelivingaloneduetodivorceorwidowhood,andincreasedwealth,hascausedadecreaseovertimeinthesizeofhouseholdnationallyandinSantaRosa.
DemographicsoftheHousingMarketplaceInthissection,weassesstheexistingmarketandthenidentifythenewhouseholdsthatwilllikelywishtolocateinSantaRosaCounty.Welookatfactorsarecloselycorrelatedwithhomerentalandpurchasingpatterns.Thesefactorsincludetheirlikelyhouseholdincome,theirage,theireducationalattainment,andatthesizeoftheirhouseholds.These,alongwithcommutepatterns,willtellusalotaboutwhattypesofhomestheywillneed,whethertheywillpurchaseorrent,andwhatsomeoftheirmunicipalserviceneedswillbe.EmploymenttrendsforlocalandneighboringworkplaceswillinfluencetherateofpopulationgrowthaswellasthehomepricethresholdsassociatedwithaffordabilityPopulationandHouseholdsPopulationgrowthistheprimarydriverofdemandfornewhousingunitsinanylocalhousingmarket.PopulationgrowthhasbeenstronginSantaRosarelativetoFloridaandthenation,ascanbeseenintheFigurebelow.
20
25
30
35
40
45
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics, CEDDS,2016
MedianAgeofResidentPopulation, 1970- 2015
SantaRosa Florida Nation
32
Figure:HistoricPopulationGrowthRatesforSantaRosa,Florida,andtheNation,1990-2015
Populationincreasecanbebrokendownintoconstituentcomponentsofnaturalincrease(numberofbirthsminusnumberofdeaths)andnetmigration(theamountbywhichthenumberofin-moversexceedsthenumberofout-movers).Likemostrapidlygrowingareas,SantaRosadependsoninboundmigrationofpeoplecomingfromothercountiesandstates.2010wasarelativelyweakgrowthyearforFloridagenerallyasweworkedthroughthedebrisoftheGreatRecession.In2010,theUniversityofFlorida’sBureauforEconomicandBusinessResearch(BEBR)estimatedthatSantaRosagainedabout2.3residentsvianetmigrationforeverynewresidentgottenthroughnaturalincrease.By2015,thatratioroseto4.5asthejobmarketimprovedandinterstatemigrationpickedupandmorefamiliesshoppedforhomesinSantaRosaCounty.Incontrast,aweak2010forslowergrowingneighboringcountiesofEscambiaandOkaloosameantnetmigrationwasnegativein2010beforerecoveringstronglyseveralyearslater.ThedesireofregionalhouseholdstoenjoythebenefitsofSantaRosaresidencyisalsoreflectedinthetypeofpopulationgrowthexperiencedbytheCounty.IntheFigurebelow,U.S.Censusestimatesofthesourcesofpopulationgrowthareshown.Thegreysegmentofeachverticalbarrepresentspopulationgrowthcausedbybirthsanddeathsofresidents,whilethebluesegmentshowsnetdomesticmigration.Ascanreadilybeseen,inboundmigrationofnewresidentsvastlyexceedslocalincreaseinmostyears(2010isnotprovidedasitisaDecennialCensusyear).
100%
150%
200%
250%
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015Percento
f1990populatio
n
Source:HaasCenter,Woods&PooleEconomics,2016
Population 1990- 2015:SantaRosa,Florida,Nation,1990=100%
SantaRosa Florida Nation
33
Figure:ComponentsofPopulationChanges,2001–2015
Source:HaasCenter,2017TheagingofthenationandofSantaRosahascausedachangeintheshareoftotalpersonalincomethatisattributabletofederaltransferpaymentsnationallyandlocally.BecausetransferpaymentsfromthefederalgovernmentintheU.S.aredirectedprimarilytowardsolderAmericans(MedicareandSocialSecurityarethetwolargestfederaltransferpaymentprograms),theshareoftransferpaymentsinadollar’sworthofpersonalincomehasgrown.BecausethemedianageoftheSantaRosapopulationhasincreasedmorerapidlythanforFloridaandthenation,theshareoftransferpaymentsinSantaRosapersonalincomehasalsogrownmorerapidly,goingfrom6centsin1970to20centstoday.Whiletheshareoftransferpaymentsinpersonalincomeforthenationhasalsogrownastheseprogramshavegrownandasthepopulationmedianagehasincreased,theincreasehasbeenmorepronouncedforSantaRosaduetoitschangingagestructure.TheAmericanCommunitySurvey(ACS)isarichsourceofinformationaboutpeoplewholiveinourCounty.WhentheACSreplacedtheCensuslongformin2000,itwastoenableamorefrequentupdatetolookatwholiveswhere,andwhattheydo.TheCensuslongformgaveusthatinformationeverytenyears,butgiventhelengthoftimeittookgovernmentstatisticianstodothenecessaryqualitycontrolprocesses,theinformationwasoutdatedalmostwhenwegotit.ThatsameoneinsixsamplingframehasbeencarriedintotheACS.
34
Figure:SourceofPersonalIncomeforSantaRosaResidents,1970-2015
FuturePopulationGrowthFuturepopulationgrowthwillbetheprimarydriveroffuturehousingdemand.HereweusepopulationgrowthestimatesprovidedbytheUniversityofFlorida’sBureauforEconomicandBusinessResearch(BEBR)alongwithothersourcestoprojectnumbersofresidentsandnumbersofhouseholdsintheshorttermandinthemediumtolongterm.BecauseBEBRistheofficialproviderofpopulationestimatestoFloridaLegislature,andthoseestimatesareusedtocalculatetaxrevenuesharingbetweenstateandlocalgovernment,theyareausefulsource.TheprimarysourcesofdataBEBRusestoestimategrowtharethenumberofresidentialelectricitycustomers,thenumberofresidentialbuildingpermits,andthenumberofhomesteadexemptionsasreportedbytheFloridaDepartmentofRevenue.SantaRosahasconsistentlyrankedinthetop10percentofthe67Floridacountiesintermsofpercentagegrowthinpopulation,wellexceedingnational,state,andregionalgrowthrates.Thefollowingchartshowspopulationchangefrom2000to2015.SantaRosapopulationhasdoubledsince1990,risingbyacumulative102percent.Aswasshownearlier,thisfaroutstrippedgrowthinthenationoverall,whichroseby29percentoverthesameperiod,andinFlorida,whichroseby55percent.NeighboringEscambiaandOkaloosaCountygrowthratesmorecloselytrackedthatofthenation,at19and37percent,respectively.WhileSantaRosa’sgrowthrateisprojectedtoslowsomewhatincomingyears,asistrueforothergeographies,itwillstillmaintainabovethestateandthenation.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
Percento
fpersonalincom
ebysource
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics, CEDDS2016
SourcesofPersonalIncomeforSRResidents,1970- 2015
IncomeEarnedinSR Dividends, Interest,RentGovernmentTransferPayments IncomeEarnedOutside SR
35
Figure:PopulationGrowthforSelectedNorthwestFloridaCounties,1990-2015
Populationgrowthof29,981isforecastedforSantaRosabyBEBRforthe2015–2025period,makingSantaRosa17thfastestinthestateintermsofgrowthrate,at18.4percent,and25thintermsofabsolutenumberofresidentsadded,amongthe67Floridacounties.StartingwiththeU.S.Censusestimatesfor2015of167,040residentsofSantaRosa,theprojectedincreasewilltaketheCountytoapopulationof196,934by2025.Atthatpoint,itwillhaveedgedoutBayCountytobecomethefourthmostpopulouscountyfromTallahasseewestward,trailingonlyEscambia,Leon,andOkaloosaCounties.TheBEBRforecastprojectsthatSantaRosawillovertakeOkaloosainpopulationby2035.TherecentlyreleasedMarch2017U.S.CensusestimatesofJuly1,2016populationshowSantaRosagaining3,457residentsduringtheyear,foragrowthrateof2.07percent,ratherthanthe1.67percentannualgrowthprojectedbyBEBR.IfthehigherCensusrateweretoholduntil2025,thepopulationandhousinggrowthforecastsinthisdocumentwouldneedtobeadjustedupwardbyabout31percent.TheWoods&PooleEconomicsforecastisabout15percenthigherthanBEBR.However,itisworthnotingthatothercredibleforecastsarelowerthanBEBR’s.ForinstancetheEMSIconsultancyisalmost42percentlower
100%
150%
200%
250%
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015Percento
f1990populatio
n
Source:HaasCenter,Woods&PooleEconomics,2016
Population 1990- 2015:SantaRosa,Escambia,Okaloosa, 1990=100%
SantaRosa Escambia Okaloosa
36
Figure:PopulationChangeperYear,1971-2016
Forecastsofthenumberofunitsneededtohousethisnewpopulationdependonboththenumberofnewresidentsandontheaveragesizeofhouseholdsthatneedtooccupynewresidences.Becausesomehomesmayberemovedfromthehousingstock,whetherstorm-damagedortear-downs,weneedtoexaminethehistoricalrateofsalesofnewhomeswithrespecttothehistoricalchangeinpopulation.Thisrelationshipisshownbelow.Atightercalculationcanbemadebylookingattheannualchangeinpopulationandcomparingittotheannualchangeinthenumberofnewhomessold.Thisrelationshipcanthenbeusedtoprovideaforecastofhowmanynewhomeswilllikelybebuiltandsoldtomeettheneedsoftheprojectedincreasedpopulation.Figure:NewResidentPopulationperNewSingleFamilyHomeSold,1991-2015
Thismethodimplicitlyassumesthatratesofchangeofutilizationofmultifamily,rental,owner-occupiedalsostayonthetrendof1991–2015.Ifnewresidentsweretoskewawayfromsinglefamilyhomesandintomulti-family,thisratiocouldchange.Whilethisbehaviorhascertainly
0
2
4
6
8
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
Source:U.S.Census
SantaRosaResidentPopulationChange,1971- 2016thousandsofresidentsperyear
0.01.02.03.04.05.06.0
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014Source:U.S.Census,FLDeptofRevenue,author's calculations
NewCountyResidentsperNewHomeBuilt,1994- 2015
37
occurredinresponsetotheGreatRecession,particularlyinhighlyurbanizedareas,ithasnothappenedinmeaningfulwaysinSantaRosaandappearsunlikelytooccur.AgeCharacteristicsThenationisaging,Floridaisold,andNWFLwasyoungerthaneither50yearsago,butisnowolderthanthenationandgainingonFlorida.SantaRosa’spopulationsegmentgrowthoverthemostrecenttwodecadeshasreflectedthis.Thelargeincreasesinmedianhouseholdincomeobservedduring2002-2006wereassociatedwiththeinfluxofyoungerfamilies,mostwithbothparentsworking.Figure:PopulationGrowthbyAgeSegment,1970-2015
Forecastsofpopulationgrowthbyagesegmentshowthatthe“graying”trendwillcontinueandinfactraisethemedianageofthepopulation.ButitcanalsobeseeninthechartbelowthattheattractivenessofSantaRosatoyoungfamilies,bothlocalandotherwise,isexpectedtocontinueunabated.
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Thousandsofnew
residents
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics, CEDDS2016
AnnualPopulationGrowthbyAgeSegment,1970- 2015
Ages0- 24Years Ages25- 54Years Ages55andOver
38
Figure:PopulationbyAgeSegment,2016and2025
Thepronouncedfocusonretired/soon-to-be-retiredandonyoungfamiliesisevenmoreapparentwhenonereducestheabovecharttoshowgrowthbyfivemajoragecategories.ThesearechosentomatchtheU.S.Censusprofileoflikelyhomebuyers.BelowitcanbeseenthattherealgrowthdemographicsforSantaRosaoverthenext10yearswillbeinolderhouseholds,whetheraginginplaceBabyBoomers,ornew-to-SantaRosaretirees,andinyoungerhouseholdswithheadsofhouseholdat35–45yearsofage,andtheirnot-yet-off-to-collegechildren.Eachsegmenthasparticularneedsinthehousingmarket.Figure:HistoricalandProjectedPopulationGrowthbyAgeSegment
Thetotalgrowthinpopulationfrom2005to2015iscalculatedbytheU.S.Censustobe25,601.Inthis10-yearperiodatotalofabout6,908newhomesweredeliveredbybuilderstopurchasers.Thisrangedfromanaverageofabout1,200peryearastheboomendedin2005and2006,toalowofabout523peryearduringthe2008to2012trough.Thepopulation
0
5
10
15
20
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics, CEDDS,2016
Population byAgeSegment,inthousands, 2016and2025
2016 2025
-5 0 5 10 15 20
65yrs+
55- 64yrs
45- 54yrs
35- 44yrs
0- 35yrs
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics, CEDDS,2016
PopulationGrowth,inthousands, byAgeSegment
2005- 2015
2015- 2025
39
growthprojectedforthe2015to2025periodis37,764,whichis12,163,or68percentgreater,thanthegrowththatactuallyoccurredduringtheprior10-yearperiod.Whilesalespernewresidentcanbeexpectedtotickupwardslightlyduetothesmalleraveragenumberofpersonsinolderhouseholds,thiseffectwillbelesspronouncedinSantaRosarelativetothenationduetothepredominanceofsinglefamilyhomesintheCounty.IncomeTrendsBecauseearningsaresohighlycorrelatedwitheducationalattainment,welookatACSdataforsmallareaswithintheCountytoassesshouseholdincomeandalsoeducationalattainment.TrendgrowthinpersonalincomeinSantaRosahasaveraged3.6percentperyearfrom1993until2015.Thisisonlyslightlylessthanthe3.7percentaverageforthenationasawholeoverthesameperiod.However,thatsimilarityintheaverageannualgrowthratemasksimportantdifferences.Percapitapersonalincomegrewatarobust6.4percentperyearduringthe2000–2006period,whichincludesthebeginningsoftherealestateboomandthestronginboundmigrationofyoungerfamilies.Duringthatsameperiod,thenationaveraged4.2percentpersonalincomegrowth.However,the2007–2015periodsawadecreasetoanaverageof1.3percentinSantaRosa,versus2.7percentforthenation.TheGreatRecession-drivenslowdownininboundmigrationofhigher-earningfamilies,andtheshiftoftheregionaleconomyintoleisureandhospitalityoccupations,hascontributedtoadecreaseinpercapitapersonalincomegrowthrateinrecentyears,asisshownbelow.Figure:PersonalIncomeperCapita,1991-2015
TheAffordableHousing/WorkforceHousingSituationPriceappreciationhasbeendifferentfordifferenttypesofhomesduetotheeconomicprospectsofhouseholdersacrossincomeclasses.Belowwecanseetherun-upinpricesfor
$15,000$20,000$25,000$30,000$35,000$40,000$45,000
Source:AmericanCommunity Survey,U.S.Census,author's calculations
PersonalIncomeperCapita,1991- 2015
40
highvaluehomeswhenmortgageloanswerebothplentifulandcheap.Whilebottom-tierhomesparticipatedintheboom,theirpricegrowthlaggedbehind.Butinthewakeoftherecession,withlendingcurtailed,andcreditscoresdamaged,demandforentrylevelorbottom-tierhomesgrewmorestrongly.Figure:GrowthinValueforTopTier,BottomTier,andAllHomes,1996-2016
SantaRosacomparesfavorablytoFloridaandthenationintermsoftheshareofhouseholdsearningamoneyincomeoflessthan$30,000peryear,evenafterthatsharespikedupwardduringthehousingbust.Thatsharethenfellmorerapidlythanforthestateornationandisprojectedtofallatroughlythesamerateasthestateandthenationincomingyears.Figure:LowerIncomeHouseholdsasaShareofTotalHouseholds,County,State,Nation
100%120%140%160%180%200%220%
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Source:ZillowHomeValueIndex,2017
ValueasPercentof1996/97Value, byPriceTier,AllHomes,Apr96-Dec16
BottomTierSantaRosaTopTierSantaRosaAllHomesSantaRosa
19%21%23%25%27%29%31%33%35%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics,CEDDS,2016
PercentofHouseholds EarningLessThan$30,000perYear,2000- 2025
SantaRosa Florida Nation
41
Figure:MiddleClassHouseholdsasaShareofTotalHouseholds,County,State,Nation
ThestatusofSantaRosaasanupper-middleclassworkingcountycanbeseenintheFigurebelow,witharelativelylargeshareofhouseholds,about27percent,inanincomerangethatfacilitateshomeownership.ThisishigherthanforFloridaorforthenation.Figure:UpperMiddleClassHouseholdsasaShareofTotalHouseholds,County,State,Nation
PartlybecauseSantaRosaattractsfamilieswithchildren,personalincomeperpersonhaslaggedthenationaleconomy.ThegoodnewsisthatthenumberofSantaRosahouseholdswithhigherthan$100,000peryearincomesisprojectedtogrowatthenationalrate.Thiswillbereflectedinhomeownershiprates,asdiscussedbelow.
24%
26%
28%
30%
32%2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics,CEDDS,2016
PercentofHouseholds Earning$30,000to$75,000perYear,2000- 2025
SantaRosa Florida Nation
19%21%23%25%27%29%31%33%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics,CEDDS,2016
PercentofHouseholds Earning$75,000to$100,000perYear,2000- 2025
SantaRosa Florida Nation
42
Figure:HighIncomeHouseholdsasaShareofTotalHouseholds
Atonelevel,thereismeasurementbiaswhenlookingatpersonalandhouseholdincomefigures,astheydonotcountaccumulatedwealthofretirees.Thus,adropinincomeswouldbeexpectedastheshareofretireesinthepopulationincreases.However,thisisonlyapartialexplanation,asincomefiguresdoincludeearningsfromdividends,interest,andrents,whichrepresenttheflowofincomeattributabletoaccumulatedwealth.InalowyieldenvironmentsuchashasbeenfacilitatedbytheFedinterestratepolicysince2008,anabundanceofsavingsglobally,andalackofstrongdemandforloanablefunds,incometosavershasbeendepressed.However,muchofthedropinpersonalandhouseholdincomeisattributabletothegrowingconcentrationofthelocaleconomyinservices,particularlyleisureandhospitality,healthcare,andeducation,attheexpenseofthemilitaryandmanufacturingjobsofagenerationago.SantaRosaHomeownershipRatesAswasseeninthediscussionofthenationalhousingmarket,homeownershiprateshavedeclinedforallagecohortsinthewakeoftheGreatRecession.69.3percentofallparcelsclassifiedasimprovedresidentialcarrysomelevelofhomesteadexemption.Homesteadedratesarehigherforsinglefamilyresidenceparcels,with73.1percentofthoseparcelshomesteaded.52.1percentofmobilehomeparcelsarehomesteaded,whileonly15.3percentofcondominiumsarehomesteaded.ThetaxationimplicationsofchangesinhomeownershipratesareparticularlyimportantforlocalgovernmentsinFlorida,giventheirrelianceonpropertytaxasthemajorrevenuesourceforfundingneededinfrastructuredevelopmentandmaintenance.ThisisespeciallytrueforSantaRosa,wheretheratiooftheallowed$25,000homesteadexemptionasapercentoftotalassessedvalueis1.7timestheaverageforFlorida.SantaRosahasrelativelymanyresidents,andthusacorrespondinglyhighresidentialvaluationasashareoftotalvaluation,comparedtothedensityofcommercialactivityinotherpartsoftheregionandstate.GiventhatSantaRosaismoreresidentiallyoriented,onewouldexpectotherratiosrelatedtoresidentialdensitytoalsocomeinatabout1.7timesthestateaverage.However,thedemographicsoftheCounty
15%
17%
19%
21%
23%
25%2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Source:Woods&PooleEconomics,CEDDS,2016
PercentofHouseholds EarningMoreThan$100,000perYear,2000- 2025
SantaRosa Florida Nation
43
andstructureofourfamilieshaveledtoaratio5.8timesthatofthestateforthehomesteadassessmentreductionforparentsorgrandparentslivinginthehome,andaratio2.2timesthatofthestateforadditionalhomesteadexemptionforage65andover.SantaRosaisalreadyasenior-intensivecounty.Notunexpectedly,giventheoutsizeroleofthemilitaryemploymentintheregion,theratiofordisabledveteranshomesteaddiscountis3timesthatofthestate.Aswasmentionedpreviously,useofthedeployedservicemember’shomesteadexemptionisfarandawaythehighestofanycountyinthestate,at25.6timesthestate’sratio.Itisalsotruethat,giventhelowerhomeprices,taxburden,andgreateraffordabilitytraditionallyassociatedwithSantaRosa,thehomesteadpropertytaxexemptionsprovideagreatproportionatereductionintaxherethaninmoreexpensivepartsofthestate.ThismeansthatSantaRosafacesabuilt-inconstraintonCountyincomegrowththatismoreseverethaninotherpartsofthestate.Homesteaded,non-homesteaded,andvacantresidentialparcelsareshownbelowforGulfBreeze.Thismapcanbeexpandedtobetterseedetail,andfurthergeographicdetail,andlargermaps,fortheCountyanditscitiescanbefoundintheMapAppendix(onHBAwebsite).Figure:MapofHomesteadStatusforGulfBreeze
44
Source:FLDOR,NAL67F201602VAB
PerformanceoftheSantaRosaHousingMarketAfterthecripplingblowoftheGreatRecession,salesofnewandexistinghomeshaverecoveredstrongly,althoughmedianpricesandquantitiesarestillnotbacktotheboomlevelsof2005.Today,theSantaRosamarketismoremature,andisfacedwithsomeofthesamecapacitychallengesofitsneighbors.Morebuildershaveturnedtoinfilldevelopment,buildinghomesindifferentlocationsacrossthecommunity,ratherthanclustersofhomesinsubdivisions.Thisispartlyduetothefactthatmanyoftheeasiestneighborhoods,intermsoflargenumbersofbuildablelots,witheasyaccesstogoodschoolsandtowork,andthatarewithoutwetlandsorotherissues,arelargelybuiltout.Inparticular,thestronginboundmigrationof1996–2005,andespecially2002–2005,isassociatedwithhighgrowthinpopulation,householdincome,andmedianvaluepersquarefootofhomesinSantaRosaCounty.TheGreatRecessionthendroppedinboundmigrationtohalfitsnormallevel,andmedianhouseholdincomeandhomevaluesstagnated.Whileyears2010and2015sawpopulationgrowthatmorenormallevels,ongoingmodestpopulationandhouseholdincomegrowthhasthreatenedtoholdbackhomevalueappreciationinSantaRosamorethaninotherlocations.Thisinturnhasaffectedtheperformanceforecastsforthehousingmarket.TherealestatefirmZillowprovidescredibledataforlocalmarkets.ThebaselineZillowforecastcallsforgrowthintheaveragehomevaluesinSantaRosaofabout3percentover2017.RelativetootherlocationsinFlorida,ZillowexpectsSantaRosa2017homevaluegrowthtobeslightlylowerthantheforecastedrateof3.4percentstatewideand3.2percentnationally.However,themostrecentdataregardingeconomicdriversintheregionsuggestthatSantaRosamaywelloutperformthathousingforecast.Table:ActualYearBuilt,SingleFamilyResidentialParcels,byCity
Source:FLDept.ofRevenueNALfile,author’scalculations
NoCity Bagdad GulfBrz Holt Jay Milton Navarre NavBch Pace Totalperiod pre-1955 1 208 156 3 314 901 56 1 185 1,825
1956-1970 3 204 1,239 1 361 2,136 179 6 721 4,850 1971-1985 6 505 3,225 4 381 3,525 1,057 514 2,636 11,8531986-2000 9 677 3,889 5 382 5,241 6,083 776 4,266 21,3282001-2015 416 833 3,372 4 379 4,539 6,287 529 3,941 20,300
Total Total 435 2,427 11,881 17 1,817 16,342 13,662 1,826 11,749 60,156
NoCity Bagdad GulfBrz Holt Jay Milton Navarre NavBch Pace Totalpre-1955 0% 9% 1% 18% 17% 6% 0% 0% 2% 3%
1956-1970 1% 8% 10% 6% 20% 13% 1% 0% 6% 8%1971-1985 1% 21% 27% 24% 21% 22% 8% 28% 22% 20%1986-2000 2% 28% 33% 29% 21% 32% 45% 42% 36% 35%2001-2015 96% 34% 28% 24% 21% 28% 46% 29% 34% 34%
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
45
Overall,SantaRosaistodayenjoyingaGoldilocksresidentialhousingmarket–nottoohot,andnottoocold.Whilethenumberofnewandexistingsinglefamilyresidencessoldhasincreasedmarkedly,particularlysincemid-2013,pricegrowthhasbeenmoderateinthenewhomemarket.Pricegrowthhasbeenstrongerintheexistinghomemarketsinceits2013pricebottom,withthemediansalepricein2016only14.6percentbelowthemedianpriceatthe2005peakofthemarket.Thegoodnewsforhomebuyersisthatevenwithstrongincreasesinhomesbuiltandsold,priceincreasesfornewhomeshavebeenmodestinthelastseveralyears.Datacoveringallindividualtransactionsshowthatmediannewsinglefamilyhomesaleprices(excludingcondominiumsandmobilehomes),in2016inSantaRosarosebyonly1.8percentrelativeto2015.NewhomepricesarerisingabitmorethanthatinNavarre,andlessinPaceandMilton,eventhoughPaceandMiltonareseeinggreaterincreasesinquantitiessold.Thesamedatasourcesshowthatthenumberofexistingsinglefamilyhomessoldrose15percentin2016from2015,to4,037homes,whilemedianpricerose8.4percent,to$162,000.However,thatpricevariedwidelyacrosstheCounty,withthemedian2016salepricebeing$200,000inGulfBreeze,$69,050inJay,$106,200inMilton,$190,000inNavarre,$373,500inNavarreBeach,and$158,400inPace.Table:NumberofResidencesbyType,RatioofSingleFamilyResidencestoVacantResidential,allSantaRosaParcels,byCity
Source:FLDept.ofRevenueNALfile,author’scalculationsBuildableLotsOneofthemajorthreatstoSantaRosagrowthistheloomingshortageoflotsavailabletobuildersataffordableprices.Areabankersanddevelopersindicatethatthelotshortfallcanbeattributedtoseveralfactors,allrevolvingaroundavailabilityofinvestmentcapitalforsubdivisiondevelopment.Oneisthenationalfactormentionedearlier,thatHVCREassetshavedeclinedinattractivenessforbankersduetoincreasedreserverequirements.Anotheristhe
NoCity Bagdad GulfBrz Holt Jay Milton Navarre NavBch Pace TotalVacantResidential 12081 913 1487 4 365 3051 2443 119 1993 22456
SingleFamily 422 2023 10948 11 1482 13733 12276 685 10752 52332MobileHomes 22 408 466 6 342 2604 1299 0 969 6116
Multifamily10+units 0 1 7 0 1 23 5 0 7 44Condominiums 0 0 470 0 0 15 102 1143 33 1763
Multifamily<10units 1 9 216 0 1 244 138 0 62 671ResCommonAreas 131 1 8 0 0 1 16 0 5 162Othernonresuses 15521 149 1013 8 1163 2708 752 27 808 22149
Totalparcels 28178 3504 14615 29 3354 22379 17031 1974 14629 105693
RatioofSingleFamilyResidencestoVacantResidencesforAbove-listedCitiesSingleFamily/Vacant 0.0 2.2 7.4 2.8 4.1 4.5 5.0 5.8 5.4 2.3
46
growingpresenceofnationalbuildersabletopurchase,orsecuretheoptiontopurchase,largequantitiesofbuildablelots,uptoandincludingentiresubdivisions,duetoahealthybalancesheetandaccesstonationalcapitalmarkets.Thus,strongsalesoveraperiodofyearshavedepletedlocalinventories,andotherfactorshavemeantitisincreasinglydifficultforsmallerbuilderstoacquirelots.LargerbanksmaybereluctanttolendondirtbecauseFederalregulatorsrequire15percentcashupfrontonassetsclassifiedas“high-volatilitycommercialrealestate.”Lendingatahigherloan-to-valueratiorequiresadditionalcapitalupfront.Whilethecommunitybanksthatsurvivedthefinancialcrisisarenowwell-capitalized,theymaynotbeaggressivelypursuingrawlandlendingduetohighrisksandtheamountofcapitaltiedup.Someprojectsarecomingoutofmothballs,butwithlotpricesat$50,000.WhiletherearesomeparcelsalongHighway98,thereisnotmuchinthedesirablePaceandNavarreschooldistricts.Anticipatedhigherinterestratesmayhaveanegativeimpactonlotdevelopment,assomebankstellpotentialdeveloperstoplanontheirprojectbeingprofitableat6percentinterestrates.Figure:RatioofVacantLotSalestoNewHomeSales,1992-2016
Itisworthnotingthatobtaininganoptiontopurchasewouldtieupthelotsinquestionwithoutgeneratingavacantlotsaletransaction.Sosomeofthedownwardslopeofthetrendshownabovemaybeduetochangingmethodsoffinanceaswellasdecreasedlotsinthepipeline.However,withnewhomesalespickingup,therewillneedtobeanincreaseinavailablelots,ataffordableprices,tomeettheincreaseddemand.Geospatialcalculationsoflotsize(providedbyMetroMarketTrends)forexistinghomessoldinSantaRosaallowscalculationofchangesovertimeinaveragelotsize.Medianlotsizehititslowestlevelinearly2017,at.33acres.Itwasatitshighestinthe1990’s,at.37acres.Thus,thechangesmentionedbybuildersseetohavesomevalidity.
0.60.81
1.21.41.61.82
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016Va
cantlotssoldpern
ewhom
ebuilt
Source:MetroMarketTrends,FLDept.ofRevenueNALfile,author's calculations
RatioofVacantLotsSoldtoNewHomesBuilt,1991- 2016
47
Builtandvacantresidentialparcels,alongwithnon-residentialparcels,areshownbelowforNavarre.Thismapcanbeexpandedtobetterseedetail,andfurthergeographicdetail,andlargermaps,fortheCountyanditscitiescanbefoundintheMapAppendix(onHBAwebsite).Figure:MapofPotentialResidentialAvailabilityforNavarre
Source:FLDOR,NAL67F201602VABIntheFigurebelow,lotsalescanbeseentohoverthroughoutthe1990sinthe2,000–2,500lotssoldperyear,withpricesinthe$15,000to$20,000range,untiltheadventofthebuildingboomin2003.Atwo-yearjumpinquantity,followedbyatwo-yearjumpinprice,ensued,followedbytheburstingofthehousingbubble.Thedropinquantityoflotssoldwasappropriateatthattime,giventhelackofbuyingactivityinthenewandexistinghomemarket.However,priceshavenotfallen,andcontinuetobeinthe$25,000to$30,000range,evenwithlowlevelsoflotsales.Thefactthatcompetitionamongsellershasnotdrivenpriceslowerisindicativeofarelativescarcityoflotsavailabletothemarket.Withbuildablelotpricestypicallyabout18to20percentofthecostofadeliverednewhomeinmostmarkets,thishasgraveimplicationsforaffordabilityintheCounty.WhileithasperhapsnotyetbeenanoticeableproblemasthemarketworkedthroughexcessinventoryfromtheGreatRecession,itwillsooncauseaffordabilityissues,particularlyforworkforcehousing.
48
Figure:VacantResidentialLotSalesandMedianPrice,1991-2016
Overthelast60months,theaverageannualincreaseinlotpricewas2.6percent,whichisfarbelowtheaverageannualpricegrowthof20.5percentregisteredoverthe60monthspriortothepricecrashthatbeganin2005.Whilethemedianlotpriceistoday14percentbelowitsprevioushigh,whentakentogether,thetrendsinbuildablelotsalesandinnewhomesalesareindicativeofanoveralldecreaseinavailability.Muchofthisisduetobuildoutinneighborhoodsnearthebestschools,andsomeofitisduetofactorsbeyondlocalcontrol.However,theCountymustworktoensurethatsubdivisiondevelopersarenotdrivenoutofthemarketbyrequirementsforimprovementsthatrenderSantaRosalessviablefordevelopmentprojectsthanneighboringcounties.Itislikelythattheincreasingtrendtowardslotacquisitionbeingbiasedtowardsthosewithsufficientfinancialcapabilitytoenterthebuildablelotmarketandpurchasequantitieswellinadvancewillskewthemarkettowardslargebuilders.SomeofthiscanbeseenalreadyinchangesinthenumberandsizeofbuildersactiveintheSantaRosamarket.TheFigurebelowshowsthatthenumberofbuildersisdownfromits2004peak,andthatbuildersarebuildingandsellingalmostthreetimesmorehomesperbuilderthantheydidin1991.Withanaveragenumberbuiltperyearofroughly11homes,andonlyadozenbuilderssellingmorethan20peryearin2016,SantaRosaisnolongerjustasmallbuildermarket.Itislikelythatlargerbuilderscanbenefitfromtheeconomiesofscaleinmaterialspurchases,lotpurchases,andaccesstofinanceinordertobuildalessexpensivehome.However,somebuildersanddevelopershaveexpressedconcernthatexcessiveconcentrationmayresultinmarketpowerforlargebuilders,andtheabilitytoraisepricesduetoalackofcompetitivebidsifsmallerbuildersaredrivenoutofthemarket.
$0
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015Source:MetroMarketTrends,author's calculations
VacantResidentialLotSalesandMedianPrice,byYear,1991- 2016
NumberoflotssoldMedianpriceperlot
49
Figure:NumberofBuildersandAverageNumberofHomesSoldperBuilder,1991-2016
NewHomeSalesandPricesThispendingbuildablelotshortfallisnotyetshowingupinnewhomeprices,withtheaverageannualrateofmedianpriceincreasefrom2012to2016being2.6percent.Lookingatthecountofnewhomesdeededtothehomeowner,thenumberofhomesdeliveredhasrisenby88percentfrom2012to2016,butthemedianpricehasonlyrisenby8percentoverthattime,to$220,900in2016.Homebuilderssaythatseveralfactorsaredrivingthistrend.Oneisthatitisaverycompetitivemarketplacefornewhomes,withrelativelymanybuildersactiveinthemarket.Anotheristhatthepresenceofnationalbuilders,haskeptpriceslowbecauseofverycompetitivelypricedandsomewhatsmallerstarterhomes,andbecausenationalcompanies,byvirtueofsize,haveaccesstoalargevolumeoflowercostfinancialcapitalthatallowsthemtobuybuildablelotsinvolume,andothercomponents,whetherbricks,flooring,paint,orsubcontractorservices,oftenatalowerprice.Table:MostRecentYear(2015):NewResidencesbyArea(City),Type,andPrice(JustValue)
Source:FLDept.ofRevenueNALfile,author’scalculationsTounderstandjustwhataspecializedroleSantaRosaplaysintheregion,considerthatonly4.2%oftotalresidentialbuildingpermitsfromJanuary2001throughDecember2016(741of17,692,asreportedbytheU.S.Census)werefordwellingunitsotherthansinglefamilyresidences,versus6,300of23,482(26.8%)inEscambia,versus5,134of17,860(28.7%)in
0%50%100%150%200%250%300%350%
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Source:MetroMarketTrends,author's calculations
NumberofBuilders,AverageHomesSold perActiveBuilder,1991=100%
NumberofBuildersAverageNumberofHomesSoldperActiveBuilderperYear
NoCity Bagdad GulfBrz Jay Milton Navarre NavBch Pace TotalSingleFamily 97 28 128 6 182 334 2 265 1042JustValue$ 157326 136597 192395 146375 151114 175257 489514 160776 162829
MobileHomes 1 1 0 2 14 4 0 2 24JustValue$ 89899 53337 na 122967 62183 103944 na 75234 70183Multifamily 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3JustValue$ na na na na na 165190 na a 165190
Total 98 29 128 8 196 341 2 267 1069
50
Okaloosa.This,whencombinedwiththedemographicsofpopulationgrowthshownearlier,pointstoastrongneedformulti-familystructuresandneighborhoodsforolderadultswhomightprefertospendretirementyearsinSantaRosa.Thefollowingfigureshowsthenumberofnewsinglefamilyhomes,excludingmobilehomesandcondominiums,builtinSantaRosaandappearingonthepropertyroll.Hereitshouldbenotedthatparcelswithsinglefamilyresidencesreportedbuiltbefore1950aresummedandreportedhereas“pre-1950.”Allotheryearsrepresentannualadditionstothesinglefamilyresidentialhousingstock.Figure:NewHomes,Pre-1950to2025
Lookingonanannualbasisatthechangeinthepricesshowsthatpriceincreaseshavebeenmoderate.However,thefirstseveralmonthsof2017haveshowedstrongerpricegrowth.Figure:NewHomes(SpecandPresold),PriceandNumberofUnits,1991–2016
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
pre-1950
1952
1955
1958
1961
1964
1967
1970
1973
1976
1979
1982
1985
1988
1991
1994
1997
2000
2003
2006
2009
2012
2015
2018
2021
2024
Source:NAL67F201602VAB,FloridaDeptofRevenue,author's calculations
NewHomesBuiltAnnually, Pre-1950- 2015,andProjected,2016- 2025
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
Source:MetroMarketTrends,author's calculations
NewHomes:NumberofUnitsSold andMedianPrice,1991- 2016
NumberofNewHomesMedianNewHomePrice
51
Growthinnewhomeconstructionandsalesiscontinuinginto2017,ascanbeseenbelow.Buildingpermits,whichexhibitatightcorrelationwithhomesalessixmonthslater,havebeenonanupwardtrajectorysince2011,althoughFebruary2017registeredaslowdownrelativetopreviousmonths.Figure:SingleFamilyBuildingPermitsbyMonth,January2000–February2017
Themedianpricefornewhomessoldhasbeenrisingatabout$478permonthsinceJanuary2009.However,thispriceincreaseisnotevenlydistributed.Post-recessionpricespeakedinmid-2014ataseasonally-adjustedpriceof$242,000(3-monthmovingaveragebasis)beforesettlinginatthecurrentmedianpriceof$229,000Figure:RateofAnnualIncreaseinMedianSalePriceforNewHomes,1992-2016
0
50
100
150
200
Mar-01
Nov-01
Jul-02
Mar-03
Nov-03
Jul-04
Mar-05
Nov-05
Jul-06
Mar-07
Nov-07
Jul-08
Mar-09
Nov-09
Jul-10
Mar-11
Nov-11
Jul-12
Mar-13
Nov-13
Jul-14
Mar-15
Nov-15
Jul-16
Source:U.S.Census,author's calculations
SingleFamilyResidenceBuildingPermits,Jan00- Feb17unitspermonth,seasonallyadjusted,3-monthmovingaverage
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Percent
Source:MetroMarketTrends,author's calculations
AnnualPriceGrowthforNewHomes, 1993- 2016
52
TheMarketforResalesofExistingSingleFamilyHomesSantaRosasawstrongpricegrowthin2015and2016.Canitcontinue?Afterbottomingoutin2012,existinghomesaleshavegrownmorestronglythanatanytimeexceptthepeakyearsofthehousingboom.Totalsalesofexistinghomesin2016werenotfarbelowtheir2005peak.Figure:SalesperMonth,ExistingSingleFamilyHomes,September1990–February2017
Priceshavealsorecoveredsothattheyarebackonthepre-boom,pre-busttrend.Givenadecreaseintheinventoryofexistinghomesonthemarket,itappearsthatstronggrowthinthepriceofexistinghomeswillcontinueatleastintheshortterm.
01002003004005006007008009001000
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Source:MetroMarketTrends
NewHomes(SpecandPresold)Annually byParcelCity,1991- 2016
GULFBREEZEMILTONNAVARREPACE
60110160210260310
1990/11
1991/10
1992/09
1993/08
1994/07
1995/06
1996/05
1997/04
1998/03
1999/02
2000/01
2000/12
2001/11
2002/10
2003/09
2004/08
2005/07
2006/06
2007/05
2008/04
2009/03
2010/02
2011/01
2011/12
2012/11
2013/10
2014/09
2015/08
2016/07
Source:MetroMarketTrends,author's calculations
MonthlySalesofExistingSingleFamilyHomes, Sep90- Feb17warrantydeedsalesonly,seasonallyadjusted,3-monthmovingaverage
53
Figure:MedianSalePrice,ExistingHomeSales,1990-2017
Medianpricepersquarefootforexistinghomesroseat4.5percentperyearfromlate2012untilFebruary2017,afterrisingat5.2percentperyearfrom1992untilthebeginningofthehousingboomin2003Figure:MedianPriceperSquareFoot,ExistingHomeSales,1990-2017
Thesesalesreflectthelowmortgageinterestrates,theimprovingemploymentpicture,andthedesireofregionalresidentstoenjoyaffordabilityandgoodschools.Thewithin-countymarketisnothomogeneous,andamenitiesmaydiffersubstantiallybyneighborhood.Asanexample,thequalityofimprovementsforexistingresidentialparcelsisshownbelowforMilton.Thismapcanbeexpandedtobetterseedetail,andfurthergeographicdetail,andlargermaps,fortheCountyanditscitiescanbefoundintheMapAppendix(availableontheHBAwebsite).
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,0001990/11
1991/11
1992/11
1993/11
1994/11
1995/11
1996/11
1997/11
1998/11
1999/11
2000/11
2001/11
2002/11
2003/11
2004/11
2005/11
2006/11
2007/11
2008/11
2009/11
2010/11
2011/11
2012/11
2013/11
2014/11
2015/11
2016/11
Source:MetroMarketTrends,author's calculations
MedianSalePriceforExistingSingleFamilyHomes, Sep90- Feb17warrantydeedsalesonly,seasonallyadjusted,3-monthmovingaverage
$30
$50
$70
$90
$110
1990/11
1991/11
1992/11
1993/11
1994/11
1995/11
1996/11
1997/11
1998/11
1999/11
2000/11
2001/11
2002/11
2003/11
2004/11
2005/11
2006/11
2007/11
2008/11
2009/11
2010/11
2011/11
2012/11
2013/11
2014/11
2015/11
2016/11
Source:HaasCenter, MetroMarketTrends,author's calculations
ExistingSingleFamilyHomeSales,MedianPriceperSqFt,Sep90-Feb17warrantydeedsalesonly,3-monthmovingaverage,s.a.,currentdollars
54
Figure:MapofQualityofImprovementsforMilton
Source:FLDOR,NAL67F201602VABGivenlowratesandanimprovedjobmarket,inventoriesofhomesforsalehavebeenfalling.Thispointstocontinuedpriceincreasesandhighlightstheneedtobringnewbuildablelots,andthusnewcapacityforbuildingandsellingaffordablehomes,tothemarket.
55
Figure:For-SaleResidentialInventory,January2010–February2017,s.a.
TrendsinLoantoValueRatioEventhoughoneofthefactorsthatledtothefinancialcrisiswastheuptickinmortgageindebtednessfacilitatedbygovernmentmortgageguarantees,loantovalueratioshavenotdiminishedappreciablyinthewakeofthemortgagecrisis.Instead,ifanything,leveragehasincreased.About91percentofnewhomepurchasesfrom1990to2017inSantaRosawerefundedusingproceedsfrommortgageloans.Interestingly,thatnumberroseto94percentduringthetroughofthenewhomesalemarket,whensalesofnewhomesfellbymorethan50percentfromtheaverageduringtheboomandstayedbelow600peryearforfiveyears.Lendinglargelyshiftedawayfromconventionalloanswiththeonsetofthefinancialcrisisin2007.OnereasonthatSantaRosa,andNorthwestFloridamoregenerally,weresomewhatshieldedfromthemagnitudeofeffectsseenelsewhereisFloridaisthehighshareofthebuyerpopulationeligibletoreceiveaVAloan.VAoriginationsdidfallduringtheGreatRecession,butnottothesamedegreethatconventionalloansdid.By2012,VAoriginationshadregainedtheaveragelevelseenduringtheboomyears,andfarexceededthatlevelinthelastseveralyears.Conventionalloanoriginationsrosesharplyin2016,butareonlynowreachingthelevelof20yearsago.Bankerssuggestthatwhileloantovalueratiosforconventionalmortgagescanstillbeashighaftertherecessionasbefore,toughappraisalsandstricterregulationofwhatcanandcan’tbecountedasincomeanddebt,arethemajorfactorsholdingbackresidentialmortgagelending.
50%60%70%80%90%100%110%
2010-01
2010-04
2010-07
2010-10
2011-01
2011-04
2011-07
2011-10
2012-01
2012-04
2012-07
2012-10
2013-01
2013-04
2013-07
2013-10
2014-01
2014-04
2014-07
2014-10
2015-01
2015-04
2015-07
2015-10
2016-01
2016-04
2016-07
2016-10
2017-01
Source:Zillow, author's calculations
ForSaleResidentialInventoryasPercentof2010Average,Jan10- Feb17
SantaRosa Florida
56
Figure:AnnualMortgageOriginationbyTypeofMortgageLoan,1991-2016
BecauseoftheimportanceofVAlending,themedianamountofmortgagedebtincurredinthosenewhomesforwhichamortgageloanwastakenouthasactuallystayedat100percentfrom2007onward,whichishigherleveragethanexistedbeforethecrash.ThisisduetotheshiftawayfromconventionalloansastheprevalentloaninthemarketplacetoVAloans,wherethemedianloantovalueratio,countingbothfirstandsecondmortgages,hasstayedconsistentlyat102percent.Whiletheloansareoriginatedbyprivatelenders,theycarryaVAguarantee,andloanqualificationcriteria,includingcreditscore,arenotasstringentasforconventionalloans.TheVAloanscanbeseentobeconcentratedintheHwy98commutecorridorandareafunctionofthedensityofmilitaryresidencyinSouthSantaRosaCounty.However,inNavarre,VAloansaccountfor73percentofallmortgagesmade,whichistwicetheutilizationrateofanyotherareaoftheCounty.Asconventionalloanshavebeguntogrowagaininvolume,thishascausedthemedianloan-to-priceratiototickdownwardslightly,ascanbeseenbelow.TheadventofAppendixQ(StandardsforDeterminingMonthlyDebtandIncome)regulationshasmeantthatbanksfaceuniformlimitingcriteriawhenqualifyingborrowersforconventionalmortgageloansintendedforsaleintothesecondarymarket.VAloanshavethebuilt-inadvantageofbeingeasiertoqualifyfor,aslongasthemilitaryservicememberhasmetservicerequirementsandnotyetuseduptheirVAeligibility.Duringtherealestatepriceboomof2003–2006,somepurchaserswhowereVAeligiblemighthavechosentopreservethateligibilityforalaterdatebypurchasinginsteadwithaconventionalloan.
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,4001990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
AnnualMortgageOriginationsbyTypeofLoan,1991- 2016Newhomesonly
ConventionalFHAVA
Source:MetroMarket Trends,author's calculations
57
Figure:MedianLoantoSalePriceRatioforNewHomeswithMortgages,1990-2017
InterestRateIncreasesHaveImpactsonAffordabilityThesetrendshaveimpactsonhousingaffordability.Affordabilityimproveswhenfamilyincomesrisefasterthanhouseprices,andwheninterestratesfall.Overthenextseveralyears,goodjobcreationinthetwo-countymetroareawillkeepinboundmigrationfromothercountiesandstatesathealthyrates.AhealthynationaleconomymeansthatthetraditionalretireedynamicthatletsnewhouseholdsmovesouthtoadopttheFloridalifestyleandNorthwestFloridaaffordability,isinplace.However,thestrongincreaseinthesalespriceforexistinghomeserodesaffordability,whilethemoremodestincreaseinnewhomepriceskeepsthemaffordable.Thereareseveralstandardcalculationsthataredonetoassessaffordability.TheNAHBandWellsFargoproduceanOpportunityIndexforlocalareastoenablecomparisonofthealmost450areasforwhichtheOpportunityIndexiscalculated,totherestofthenation.Onthismeasure,thetwo-countyPensacolametrohasimprovedinaffordabilitysince2012,movingfromarankingofbetween100thto150thinaffordabilitybetween2008and2012,toarankingbetween50thto100thfrom2013onward.Thisisbecausehomepriceincreasesinourareahavelaggedperformancenationally.Inthemostrecent6monthsforwhichdataareavailable,andrestrictingtheanalysistowarrantydeedsalesonly,themediansaleprice(seasonallyadjusted)foranexistingsinglefamilyresidenceinSantaRosawas$192,150.Iftheloan-to-valueratioforthattransactionwereat100percent,ashasbeentrueonaverageforSantaRosaforthelastdecade,thenanincreasefrom3.5to4.5percentwouldraisethemonthlyinterestexpenseforthatmortgagepaymentby$160andlowerthecontributiontopayingoffprincipalinyear1by$49permonth.Ifwemaketheusualassumptionthathouseholdsareconstrainedbytheirmortgagelendersfromhavingamortgagepaymentburdenofmorethan28percentofmonthlygrossincome,thenahouseholdwouldneedanincomethatishigherby$4,749peryeartoaffordthatsamehouse.
90%
95%
100%
105%1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Source:MetroMarketTrends,author's calculations
MedianLoantoPurchasePriceRatio,Jan90- Feb17fornewhomeswithmortgages,includesboth1stand2ndmortgages
TotalMortgageDebtIncurredasPercentofPrice
58
Takingitastepfarther,wecanassumenormalratesforpropertytax(forahomesteadedproperty),windstormandhomeowners’insurance,privatemortgageinsurance,andpayoffofprincipalbalance.ThiswouldyieldamonthlyPITIofabout$1,320ata3.5percentmortgageinterestrate,requiringanannualincomeof$56,612toqualify.Theincreasefrom3.5to4.5percentinthemortgageinterestratewouldtakethatmonthlypaymenttoabout$1,432,requiringannualincomeof$61,361toqualify.Anincreaseto5.5percentwouldrequireanincomeof$66,393toqualify.Attheseincomelevels,takingthemortgageinterestrateupto4.5percentwouldeliminateabout4.1percent,ormorethan2,600,householdsfromqualifyingforthatloan.Anincreaseto5.5percentwouldkeepanadditional3,000householdsfromqualifyingtopurchasethelate-2016medianpricedhome.Additionally,asinterestratesrise,thepoolofavailablebuyersshrinksforanotherreasonaboveandbeyondfailuretoqualify.“Mortgagelock-in”referstothephenomenonofhouseholdswhoalreadyhaveamortgageonanexistingpropertyatalowrate.Theymayfindthatanymovetoadifferenthomewouldraisetheirmonthlypayments,unlessthatdifferenthomeweretobemuchcheaperthantheirexistinghome,duetohighermortgageinterestrates.Thealternativeofstayingintheirexistinghome,presumablypurchasedorrefinancedwheninterestrateswereatrockbottom,mightbepreferredtomoving.Takentogether,thedecreasednumberofhouseholdswhoqualify,alongwithhouseholdswhodonotwantahigherpaymenteveniftheydoqualify,pointtowardsaslowdownasinterestratesrise.
TheJobCreationimpactofHomebuildinginSantaRosaCountyInboundmigrationisparticularlyimportantindeterminingpopulationgrowthratesinSantaRosa,asitisforotherfast-growthcountiesthroughoutFlorida.Ifthesenewresidentshadnotarrived,theneedfornewschoolswouldnotbeasgreat,andtheneedtoexpandroads,water,sewerandotherinfrastructurewouldbeless.However,therewouldalsobefewerresidentsoverwhichtospreadthefundingburden.Thequestionofwhethernewhousingdevelopmentpaysforitselfishotlydebated.Thereareclearlybothcostsandbenefitstothelargercommunityofconstructingnewhomesandneighborhoods.WhileacompletetreatmentoftheeconomicandfiscalimpactofgrowthtotheCounty,itsestablishedresidents,anditsnewcomersisbeyondthescopeofthisreport,weoutlineheretheeconomicimpactofnewhomeconstruction.Homebuildinghasasomewhatuniquecapabilitytodrivelocaleconomicimpact.Itcallsforskilledworkerswhocommandalivingwagethatwillmostlybespentlocally.Muchofthespendingdonetobuilda$230,000houseisdoneonlocallyproducedgoodsandservices.Thismeansthatunlikeothertypesofgoodsproduction(i.e.,manufacturing),thesupplychainfordevelopersandbuildersoftenhasanextensivelocalcomponent.Thischaracteristicgiveshomebuildingarelativelylargemultiplier,orspin-offspending,effectinthelocaleconomyperdollarspent.Thisreportforecaststhattherewillbesufficientregionalpopulationgrowthtoenableabsorptionofabout1,500newhomesperyearintheCountyuntilatleast2025.Itisimportanttobreaktheeconomiceffectoutintoone-timeandcontinuingeffect.TheNationalAssociation
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ofHomeBuildershasproducedstudiesthatestimatethejobcreationandspendingimpactofhomebuildinginSantaRosaCounty,andhavealsoestimatedthenetcostsandrevenuesassociatedwiththepresenceofnewresidents.TheNationalAssociationofHomeBuildersrecentlyusedstandardeconomicimpactmeasurementtoolstoassessthevalueofnewresidentialconstructioninourlocalarea.Thatstudyappliedtothetwo-countymetroareaandusednewhomesalesfiguresandpricesfromseveralyearsago.Here,weupdatethatanalysistoincorporateadjustmentstothequantitiesofhomesbuiltandsold,aswellastoprices,toshowtheeconomicimpactofthehousinggrowthprojectedbythisstudy.Theestimatedannualeconomicimpactofproductionof1,500newhomesperyearprojectedbythisstudy,usingthecurrentmedianpricepernewhome,is$288millioninnetnewlocalincome,alongwith$25.8millionintaxesandotherrevenuestolocalgovernments,and5,327netnewjobsinthelocaleconomy.Thisisseparateandapartfromthecontinuingimpactofhavinghomeownersinnewer,highervalue,andthushigherpropertytax-paying,propertiestosupportCountyrevenuerequirements.Toputthisinperspective,totalearningsfromjobslocatedinSantaRosain2016wereabout$2.16billion.
ConcludingRemarksSantaRosa’suniquepositionasthecommunityofchoiceforhigh-earningfamilieshasledittoapositionoffourthhighestmedianhouseholdincomeamongthe67countiesofFlorida.Becauseincomeissohighlycorrelatedwitheducation,health,longevity,andothersocio-demographicmetrics,SantaRosaconsistentlyperformswellrelativetoitspeers.GiventhelowcostoflivinginNorthwestFloridagenerally,andinSantaRosaspecifically,thishighrankinginmedianhouseholdincomeisallthemoreimpressive.Adollargoesfartherhere,andcombinedwithhighincomes,yieldsoneoftheverybestprice-level-adjustedaveragestandardsoflivinginthestateandtheregion.Preservingandgrowingthisstatuswillrequirerenewedattentiontotheavailabilityofthehigh-qualityandlow-costcombinationthathasledsomanypeopletocallSantaRosatheirhome.Littlecanbedonelocallyaboutsoutheasternandnationalfactorsthatwillinfluenceaffordability,suchasmortgagerates,banklendingstandards,andthecostofbuildingmaterials.However,localgovernmenthasalargeroletoplayinstrikingtherightbalancebetweeninfrastructureandaffordability,andinthedistributionoffinancialburdenbetweennewandexistingresidents.Asonepoliticalpunditputitaswebegantherecoveryfromthehousingbust:“Floridausedtobebigongrowthmanagement,butnowwejustwishwehadsomegrowthtomanage!”TheregionalpopulationgrowththatwouldsupporthealthygrowthforSantaRosaisavailable,aslongastherearegoodschoolsandgoodandsafestreetsforall.Ifnot,thosepotentialnewresidents,andtheirspending,haveotheroptions.Thisisnottosaythatgrowthcomeswithno
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cost.However,itistheviewofmanythattheproblemsthatcomewithgrowtharepreferabletotheproblemsthatcomewithstagnation.SantaRosahaschoicestomake.