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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-27-09Memorandum City of Lakeville Community and Economic Development To: Economic Development Commission From: David L. Olson, Community and Economic Development Director Copy: Steve Mielke, City Administrator Adam Kienberger, Economic Development Specialist Date: July 27, 2009 Subject: July Director's Report Reminder: There is no EDC meeting in July. The next meeting will be August 25th. The following is the Director's Report for July of 2009. Sale of the former Hearth and Home (Heat- n -Glo) Building I was informed today that Malt -O -Meal has signed an agreement to purchase the former Hearth and Home building on Kensington Blvd. in the Fairfield Business Campus. Malt-0- Meal announced several months ago that it planned to relocate approximately 200 corporate management and administrative employees out of the company's manufacturing facility in Northfield. The move is being done primarily for food production safety reasons (e.g. moving employees not directly involved with the food production process out of this facility) as well as the fact that many of the management employees live in the south metro area. Since then we have had several meetings with corporate staff about Lakeville and particularly this location. Malt -O -Meal is in their due diligence period and if everything works out, they plan to close on the property in September and be operational at this facility by the end of 2009. Obviously the prospect of bringing this number of quality jobs to Lakeville is good news. Building Permit Report The City issued building permits through June with a total valuation of $34,280,481. This compares to a total of $36,064,156 for the same period in 2008. Included in this valuation were commercial and industrial permits with a total valuation through June of $3,045,500. This compares to a total commercial industrial valuation of $8,793,900 for the same period in 2008. The City issued permits for 14 single family homes in June with a total valuation of $3,789,000. This compares to 16 single family home permits in June of 2008 with a total valuation of $4,013,000. The City has issued a total of 54 new single family home permits through June compared to 72 during the same period in 2008. The City issued permits for 2 townhome and condo units in June which compares to 0 townhome and condo permits issued in May of 2008. Development Update The City was informed this week by the contractor of the Highview Hills Senior Housing project on 202 Street adjacent to St. John's Lutheran Church that the building will be turned over the Walker Methodist on Sept. 1st and occupancy of the units in this development will begin on Oct. 1S This is approximately one month ahead of schedule. The Dakota County CDA is also making significant progress on their Crossroads Commons Senior Housing project located behind Cub Foods. This project is scheduled to be completed in November. Both of these projects will offer quality housing choices for seniors in the Lakeville area. Transit Update Construction continues on the 750 car parking ramp for the Kenrick Avenue Park and Ride located north of Fleet Farm. Express transit service is scheduled to commence on September 28 with six a.m. trips to Downtown Minneapolis and six p.m. trips back to Lakeville. The Metropolitan Council is currently reviewing proposals from several service providers and will make a determination by the end of August 26 as to who the service provider will be. The Metropolitan Council is also currently advertising for bids for a round- about to be constructed at Kenrick Avenue and 175 Street. This project was determined to be needed to improve traffic flow to and from this new park and ride facility. The City Council gave final approvals for the development of up to a 390 car park and ride facility on Cedar at 181S Street which is approximately 1 /4 mile south of the Cub Foods. The Metropolitan Council will likely only construct half of the total spaces at this time but are acquiring enough land to have a total of 390 spaces at this facility in the future. The 181s Street Park and Ride facility will have five a.m. express trips which will be stopping at the new Apple Valley Transit Station and then with express service to Downtown Minneapolis. There will also be five return trips in the PM. This service will also begin by the end of September and will be provided by the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority. Pioneer Plaza Planning Study The City has received approval of $30,000 in grant funds from the CDA to do a planning study of the Pioneer Plaza area in Downtown and the adjacent private and public parking lots west of Pioneer Plaza in the Ben Franklin block. The first open house for adjacent property and business owners to provide input regarding this area was held on Monday, June 29 at City Hall. Approximately six downtown property owners or business representatives attended the open house. Input from the open house is being used by the consultant to develop several concepts for possible future improvements to both Pioneer Plaza and adjacent parking lots. The goal is to complete the study by this fall so that grant funds for possible improvements in this area can be applied for prior to the end of the year. Foreclosure Update Attached is the monthly update on foreclosures in Dakota County provided by the Dakota County CDA. There have been 26 Sheriff Sales as a result of foreclosures in Lakeville in June. This is the highest monthly total so far this year and results in a total of 106 Sheriff's Sales for six months of this year. This compares to a total of 286 Sheriff's sales in 2008. Review of possible changes to the monthly Director's Report Staff is continuing to look at options for both the content and method of distribution of the monthly Director's report. The primary objective is to determine whether it is feasible and beneficial to provide the type of information included in the Director's report to a larger segment of the business community. 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By BOB VON STERNBERG, Star Tribune Last update: July 21, 2009 9:51 PM The Twin Cities metro area's population continues to grow, though not at the blistering pace that marked the last years of the 20th century and the early part of this decade. The Metropolitan Council's annual population estimate, released Monday, set the population of the seven county region at 2.87 million, up 228,000 residents since 2000. That represents a 9 percent increase, according to the council's statistics. (The metro area is considerably bigger, measured as the 13- county metropolitan statistical area: Its population topped 3.2 million last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau) The rate of growth has cooled somewhat during the decade: While the population increased, on average, by 32,000 people a year between 2000 and 2004, the average annual increase was only 25,000 during the next four years, council researchers estimated. Met Council Chairman Peter Bell said the population numbers indicated "the region seems to be holding its own in terms of growth" despite the current deep recession. And if the council's estimates are on track with what will be measured by the 2010 Census, it could help Minnesota hold onto its eight- member congressional delegation. Because of overall population trends, Minnesota has been on the list of states that could lose members of the U.S. House after 2010. And it isn't clear what the trend is for the population in the rest of Minnesota because the state demographer's office hasn't released its most recent population estimates. According to the council's statistics, migration to and from the metro area has been largely stable, averaging about 100,000 people leaving or coming to the Twin Cities a year. As a result, the growth can been attributed to rising birthrates and longer life expectancies of current residents, the council's researchers concluded. During the first eight years of the decade, developing suburbs had the most explosive growth. Shakopee had the biggest burst of growth, increasing by more than 13,000 residents. It was followed, in order, by Woodbury, Blaine, Lakeville and Maple Grove. The council found that the central cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are growing, which is somewhat at odds with Census Bureau estimates released this month. Minneapolis added more than 7,700 residents, according to the Met Council; census estimates showed a drop of 142 residents. In St. Paul, the council estimated an increase of 1,200 residents, compared to the census estimate of a decrease of more than 7,100 people. Such discrepancies aren't unusual in these annual estimates because the methodologies used by the Met Council, the Census Bureau and the demographer's office differ widely, based on different statistical measures. Bob von Sternberg 612 673 -7184 Minneapolis and suburbs population is showing growth The Twin Cities metro area's population grew to 2.87 million in 2008, according to Metropolitan Council annual population estimates. Fourteen of the 15 cities experiencing the most growth between 2000 and 2008 are developing suburbs. Shakopee added 13,400 residents since 2000. Woodbury, Blaine, Lakeville, and Maple Grove are also among the communities to experience higher levels of growth front 2000 Population growth Declines Low Moderate Greatest No data Maple Grove: 9,567 Eden Prairie: 7,709 Chaska: 6,445 Blaine: 11,874 Brooklyn Park: 7,768 Shakopee: 13,401 Prior Lake: 7,000 Lakeville: 11,200 Source: The Metropolitan Council RAY GRUMNEY Star Tribune Minneapolis: 7,384 Woodbury: 11,967 Olson, David From: NorthMarq Real Estate Services [info @northmarq.com] Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 1:02 PM To: Olson, David Subject: NorthMarq Compass Report July 2009 edition now available 07/24/2009 MiMMWRii)MANINIViii:M11111111111MM The July 2009 edition of NorthMarq's Compass report is now available online Visit the web site: www.northmarqcompass.com Highlights from the report The commercial real estate market in the Twin Cities continues to feel the effects of the economic downturn. In the first half of 2009, not a single category of commercial real estate escaped negative absorption and /or declining prices. Vacancy is approaching record levels and will likely continue to rise in the second half of the year. Nearly 4 million square feet of negative absorption was recorded across all property types. Short-term renewals have become common across all sectors as tenants and landlords alike wait for an apparent improvement in the economy before making any long -term real estate decisions. Land prices have declined significantly and may be approaching the bottom. Investment activity remains at a near standstill as limited financing options challenge even willing investors. Office: Vacancy approaches 18 more than 20% with sublease Medical Office: Some softness, but long -term prognosis is healthy Industrial: Demand plummets, negative absorption reaches level not seen in 15 years Land: Speculative and prices continue to soften; industrial activity picks up Retail: Recession takes its toll: highest vacancy rate in 14 years, absorption plummets Multi- Family: Demand softens, resulting in increasing vacancy, downward pressure on rents Investment and Capital Markets: Credit market North Marq Compass This report provides exclusive market research and insight on commercial real estate in the Twin Cities. The web site provides complete submarket information, including charts and graphs not available in the printed report. The site requires all users to create an account to access our market research. If you've already created an account, use the login fields on the home page to access the report. If you've forgotten your login or password, use the link on the home page to receive a reminder. Page 1 of 2 Forward email SafeUnsubscribe This email was sent to dolson @ci.lakeville.mn.us by info @northmarq.com. Update Profile /Email Address 1 Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribeTM 1 Privacy Policy. NorthMarq Real Estate Services 1 3500 W. American Boulevard 1 Suite 200 1 Minneapolis 1 MN 1 55306 07/24/2009 uncertainty, higher capital costs gridlock investment sale market On the Horizon The next 12 -18 months will continue to be challenging. Indications are that vacancy will continue to rise and more negative absorption is likely in the second half of the year. Landlords will need to be creative and flexible in negotiating leases, and tenants with any confidence whatsoever in their business are getting the red carpet treatment. As reported in January, there is still plenty of capital on the sidelines waiting for further pricing adjustments and the opportunity to invest in commercial real estate. Tell us what you think In continually changing market conditions, access to insightful research helps you chart strategy, solve problems and seize market opportunities. We are continually working to improve the report for the benefit of our readers. If you have any questions or feedback about this publication or how we can make it more valuable for you, please let us know. You can email us at info @northmarq.com or call us at 952 831 -1000. NOR TH Brokerage Services Email Marketing by Page 2 of 2 CD Dakota County Community Development Agency To: Dakota County Cities From: Dan Rogness, Director of Community Revitalization Date: July 15, 2009 Re: Foreclosure Update Now that we're halfway through 2009, a comparison was made to show the difference between the first six months of 2008 and 2009 for Sheriff Sales and Notices of Pendency. As was mentioned in last month's e-news, Sheriff Sale numbers have decreased so far in 2009, whereas Notices of Pendency have increased. A homeowner receives a Notice of Pendency after about the third missed mortgage payment, and the Sheriff Sale typically occurs after the sixth or seventh missed payment (however, this timeline is approximate). The following is a detailed comparison for the first six months of 2009 from the same time frame in 2008: Sheriff Sales Sales decreased by 256 in 2009, a change of -23% (2008 1,106 and 2009 850). Largest decreases: (1.) Mendota Heights, -73 (2.) West St. Paul, -55 (3.) South St. Paul, -37 (4.) Inver Grove Heights, -33 Smallest decreases: (1.) Rosemount, -4 (2.) Eagan, -10 (3.) Farmington, -14 (4.) Burnsville, -15 Notices of Pendency 110L ER HI1' Notices increased by 581 in 2009, a change of +41% (2008 1,404 and 2009 1,985) Largest increases: (1.) Small Cities, +436 (2.) Lakeville, +76 (3.) Mendota Heights, +72 (4.) South St. Paul, +57 Smallest increases: (I.) Rosemount, 11%; (2.) Farmington, 12 (3.) Apple Valley, +23 West St. Paul was the only city that had a decrease in Notices of Pendency, which was a 10% decrease. In the first six months of 2009, for every ten Notices of Pendency, four resulted in Sheriff Sales within Dakota County. In comparison, nearly eight of every ten Notices resulted in a Sheriff Sale during the first six months of 2008. As was mentioned in last month's e-news, this is due in large part to those mortgage companies who placed moratoriums on Sheriff Sales during the first part of 2009. C Dakota County 1 Community Development Agency Dakota County Stats June 2009 of Sheriff Sales in June 158 (compared to 176 in June 2008) Total Sheriff Sales for 2009 850 (compared to 1,106 Jan. -June, 2008) of Notices of Pendency Filed in June 348 Total Notices of Pendency Filed for 2009 1,985 A Notice of Pendency is filed by a mortgage company's attorney as official notification that the foreclosure process has begun. Not all of these result in sheriff sales. Pages 3 and 4 of this PDF file have Sheriff Sale and Notice of Pendency statistics for each city. Mapping Using Dakota County GIS http://gis.co.dakota.mn.us/website/dakota.netgis/ The Dakota County Office of GIS is updating the 2009 Foreclosures and Notice of Pendency layers on a monthly basis. If you need assistance using this Web page, please call Randy Knippel or Mary Hagerman with the Office of GIS at (952) 891 -7081. In The News Provided in this PDF file are a few notable foreclosure articles that were published in the last month. Among the points of interest: An event was held in St. Paul at the beginning of June where Minnesota homeowners were able to speak with housing counselors and /or mortgage company representatives. Two of the CDA's housing counselors attended the event. A feature story on how the foreclosure crisis has contributed to expanding households. People who have lost jobs or their home to foreclosure are moving -in with family and friends to save money and keep a roof over their heads. An article detailing the second wave of foreclosures that is expected to hit the Twin Cities housing market. Sheriff sales are anticipated to increase at record levels as more homeowners will be pushed toward foreclosure by the loss of jobs and income. Consequently, lenders are implementing more effective ways of helping homeowners. If you have any other concerns, please call me at (651) 675 -4464 or send me an e- mail at drogness( dakotacda .state.mn.us. >l U C Q 4.J C E O N 4.J o V E E Y G'• ou;. col y aw 41 s of M N 0O 0 E cV CO Cr. N Cr V1 N O M N O M N m (.1 CO M -O N ta pa W n N CO N. N Cn 0 LL t!1 CO b to 2 CO N Os. CO L/1 CO N O N C•' a) Y co J O N O O O N CO N C• N M -O M N CO O O' N O' rJ' LA M O trf 0 0 N 0. Lf1` CO J 4 a a) u N c 0 44 U 0) C 5, N. U CL LA t N d C Lf1 0 N C O O N O o ti U$ a) 0 O O cd 0 a� O C a) O E O u C a a... C E E. O p u C E C o C u. 0 0 N 0) CO O. 0' O (.4 0 10) J.. r amok Lr) N d' N M O er 0 O To w W a 4 N. O M O'- L1) I/1 1` m d' O M .0 N If) M O d CO c W VD O' N. 0 N N O' N N 0' N V3 Ltl N 0% N d- c%1 0% 00 Ln M L17 O. N 0 Lry O7 co CO M M M O' N. 'O M N M N O' N M 0% 0% 0' N N O M I1) N O M 00 N N 00 N N O M L!) O\ 00 a 0 er tV' M 0 M'J N 0 M 4 VI VI u vi L N a) m t O td frj a. 0 O z C C 124 G) C .A 0 cd u u O c a CL G1 G) i D E N o u c G) o U s v i a.+ O u a+ d C O t cd G) U a O i. L o a Ttl C 0 o O u V r d L c CI) c c (d `4= o G) 0) Uq bb 0) Cl- o E O (d Z G) cC O d CZ y u c O C 0 c, o E z 0 Z o 0 o Homeowners find hope now StarTribu ne,com Page 1 of 1 Homeowners find hope now Last update: June 4, 2009 7:48 PM Scores of lenders and foreclosure- prevention counselors from around the country met with struggling homeowners Thursday during the Hope Now event at St. Paul's RiverCentre. Counselors spent nearly 30 minutes with homeowners in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. Counselors paired homeowners with lenders at the event and suggested new loan workout programs that have been pushed hard by the Obama administration. Under various new programs, participating lenders will assess client eligibility and re -work loan terms. Some will reduce interest rates, lengthen mortgage terms, forgive some principal, or suspend monthly mortgage payments until homeowners find new jobs or find other ways to recoup income. Left, Michael Grover of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis steered homeowners facing foreclosure or in need of services to their lenders or to a housing counselor.Photos by GLEN STUBBE gstubbe @startribune.com Print Powered By http: /www.startribune.com/ business /46990667.html ?elr= KArksUUUU Dyna 6/5/2009 Full house StarTribu ne,com Page 1 of 4 Full house Irene Ruiz- Brisefio and Jesus Ruiz Flores watched their household expand unexpectedly in February after Jesus was laid off from his warehouse job at Best Buy and asked his brother's family of four to move into their small St. Paul home. "We now have seven people living in one house. It's cheap rent for them and it's helping us with our bills. I think it's extremely smart," Irene said as the two families squeezed into the tiny kitchen to prepare dinner recently. Two of Jesus' sisters and their families also dropped by for dinner, and the 13 family members quietly spilled from the kitchen table into the living room and up the stairs as they feasted on fragrant sauted beef and onions, tacos, jalapefio-laden pizzas, beans, cilantro and guacamole. One of the visiting sisters had recently lost her home after the adjustable -rate mortgage ballooned and she and her husband couldn't keep up with the payments. They now live with a different brother in Minneapolis. In St. Paul, Jesus, Irene and their baby live upstairs. Brother Rafael, his wife and two kids live in the basement that Jesus finished. Such complicated and cramped housing situations are being repeated across Minnesota as the state's unemployment rate hovers around 8 percent and foreclosures continue to rise. Former renters crash with friends. Parents welcome adult children back into the nest or vice versa. Siblings join forces to fend off foreclosure and work out loans. The result is more people under fewer roofs, creating nerve wracking chaos for many struggling to make ends meet. Megan Ryan, spokeswoman for the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, said there were 26,000 foreclosures last year and no one is certain where those families are going. Ryan said there's been an increase in shelter use. Anecdotally, she knows of people leaning on friends and family, but it's hard to say how many. The Humphrey Institute will help the housing agency research the question this summer. Meantime, housing advocates and families in the throes of such upheaval offer a glimpse at the phenomenon. And it's not all bad. Aside from being a homeowner, Ruiz- Briseno is also a credit counselor at Lutheran Social Service Financial Counseling. She said she's seeing plenty of clients combine households because of the lousy economy. "I had one woman who moved her daughter in because of a job loss," she said. "And then there was a couple with no children who found another couple with no children to move in with them. They had some debt, and one of their goals was to get out of debt and pay down their mortgage. It's http://www.startribune.com/loca1/46966432.html?page=5&c=y Print Powered By F r ni t°D i 6/10/2009 Full house StarTribu ne,com a good idea." Ruiz- Brisefio said some find it "very stressful" to suddenly live with extended family or friends. It requires a big adjustment. "Still, I think it's really underrated. I don't know if people are scared or ashamed, but I think, out of necessity, we will start going back to that model." Making it look easy Extended families and close friends once routinely lived together for economic reasons. And many first- or second generation immigrants have teamed up two or more families to buy homes and establish credit. Three of Jesus' 14 siblings recently moved into the homes of three other siblings. One lost a job, and two lost their homes to foreclosure. Ruiz Briseno said, "It was just assumed that the family would help." The in -laws who recently moved into her home will soon be paying $300 to $400 a month. That will help pay their mortgage until Jesus fords a steady new warehouse or construction job, she said. Cheryl Peterson. the mortgage foreclosure prevention manager for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, said perhaps 15 to 20 percent of the agency's 325 homeowner clients this year have family members who have moved in with them recently because of a decrease in income or the loss of a job. The Ruiz family made it look easy when two journalists dropped by. Jesus and Irene made dinner and did chores with his brother Rafael, sisters Ana and Luz Maria and two in -laws. Meanwhile, four children joked and played with soccer balls, dolls and a baby cousin. "It's not as easy as it looks," Ruiz Briseno admitted. "Everybody pitches in to clean up, but it doesn't stay like that for long. It's a constant thing. It takes a lot of hard work to keep that many people under one roof" After several weeks, everyone has learned not to hog the bathroom and to promptly retrieve their clothes from the washer and dryer so the next person can do laundry, she said. "You just have to be really conscious about how your actions affect everybody else." Bathroom traffic jams It works for them. But not for everyone. "It's hard for a nuclear family to lose privacy and lose their space," said Elizabeth Hinz, Minneapolis public schools' district liaison for the homeless and highly mobile students division. "They lose literally their alone time, and their alone -time together, their little private interactions," she said. Bathroom traffic jams, mounting laundry and http://www.startribune.com/loca1/46966432.html?page=5&c=y Print Po ed By Page 2 of 4 Formtl:t 6/10/2009 Full house StarTribu necom Page 3 of 4 garbage, tight sleeping quarters and flaring tempers are common side effects of doubling up housing. Occupancy laws for single- family homes can be complex and vary by city. In Minneapolis, it's three unrelated adults; in St. Paul, it's four. Other rules apply for related persons. Laws aside, forced cooperation in housing is growing, according to Hinz and other school officials who monitor its impact on students. "Yes, of course, there are kids and multiple families staying together," Hinz said. "Yes, there is an increase, and, yes, it is very much concerning. This is serious." Hinz estimates that about 80 percent of the students her office serves are in shelters, while 20 percent are sharing space in homes, living out of cars or on the street or squatting in vacant buildings. Of that 20 percent, probably three fourths land in a relative's home, she said. Mimieapolis and St. Paul schools jump through hoops to make sure the hundreds, or maybe thousands, of Minnesota children aren't displaced from their schools because they're forced to move in with aunts, grandparents, cousins or other family or friends. "No matter if they are sleeping on someone's couch, in a shelter or if they had to move because of a landlord who kicked them out they can have at least one stable area in their life where they can go back to their usual school, their same teachers and same friends," said Susan Eilertsen, a spokeswoman for Minneapolis schools. But the stress doesn't stop at graduation. Two months ago, state troopers suddenly showed up at the condo Nicole Stahlmann was renting in Minneapolis on Franklin Avenue and demanded to talk with her landlord. She had only dealt with his leasing company when moving in. What was all the fuss? Stahlmann found out days later when foreclosure papers showed up in the mail. Despite getting a $1,000 rent check each month, the landlord had lost his condo, and Stahlmann and her roommate suddenly had days to vacate the premises. "I was angry. I was so stressed out. I don't have time for this right now," Stahlmann recalled. She was in the middle of nursing exams at the University of Minnesota, while also working 40 hours a week in Regions Hospital emergency room. "I was overly frustrated. It was the worst of all times." In late February, her mom. Julie Dean, and four friends packed up the two- bedroom, two -bath condo and hauled her goods to Dean's house in Maplewood. Stahlmann acknowledged that it took some adjustment. The two sometimes squabble over who gets the bathroom on mornings their schedules collide, she said. But she's grateful for the help. http:// www. startribune .com/local /46966432.html ?page =5 &c=y Print Powered By Format i' 6/10/2009 Full house StarTribu ne,com http:// www. startribune .com/1oca1/46966432.html ?page =5 &c =y Print Powered By Page 4 of 4 "I am at my mom's house and it's great," Stahlmann said. "I am saving money." Adjustments required In March, Heidi Vardeman, senior minister of Macalester Plymouth United Church, opened her St. Paul home to a family of three. The family had moved in with a cousin after being evicted. But shock rendered the wife practically immobile in bed. "It was like my body would not do anything," said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous. "So Heidi started telling me all the reasons it would be a great help if we all came to stay with her," she said. "Her offer helped me and my family start to have a life again." Vardeman moved to a downstairs bedroom. The couple, their daughter and two dogs moved upstairs. They celebrated Passover and Easter together, share groceries and eat on the couple's dishes. The husband and wife installed cable TV and had a relative make repairs around the home. Though the arrangement has worked out, it's required some adjustments. The wife recalled an incident when she had just washed the floors and admonished Vardeman to take off her shoes. She said Vardeman, who has foot problems, responded that it was her house, and she'd keep them on. "It was a true lesson for me," the wife said. "I have lived in my house for 11 years under my rules. Now I am living in her house under her rules." Dee DePass 612 -673 -7725 6/10/2009 One -two punch hits housing market TwinCities.com TwinCities com Print Pavverecl By Page 1 of 3 One -two punch hits housing market Lenders brace for second round of foreclosures By Christopher Snowbeck and Nicole Garrison Sprenger Pioneer Press Updated: 06/27/2009 07:58:30 PM CDT A second wave of foreclosures is washing over a Twin Cities housing market that's still dealing with the first surge a round of foreclosures that swamped thousands of troubled borrowers while sinking values for homeowners across the region. The first foreclosure wave led to a relative pause this winter and spring in sheriffs sales, which are a key step in the foreclosure process. But housing experts warn that lenders are likely to resume foreclosing on homes at near record levels this year as more homeowners are pushed to the brink by the loss of jobs and income. The great unknown is the extent to which lenders will work with struggling borrowers to modify mortgages and keep people in their homes. A flood of foreclosed properties has been the key factor in a dramatic 37 percent decline in the median sale price for a home in the Twin Cities between June 2006 and February of this year, according to local trade association statistics. The second foreclosure wave could further delay a housing recovery. "The people who said the foreclosure boom was over they were whistling in the dark," said Paul Weingarden of Usset, Weingarden Liebo, a St. Louis Park -based law firm that represents lenders in foreclosure proceedings. "It's not over. It's just a lull." Experts say that many foreclosures in the first wave were concentrated among subprime borrowers who took out mortgages they couldn't afford to purchase homes in weak housing markets. While some of those defaults continue, the next wave also is hitting borrowers who had higher incomes, and is more evenly spread across the metro area a distinction that gives hope to some. This time around, improvements in loan modification efforts or a rebound in the economy could keep a significant number of struggling borrowers in their homes, said Prentiss Cox, a law professor at the University of Minnesota who studies the housing market. That's different from the first foreclosure wave in which many borrowers were destined to lose their homes, he said, because their loans were so poorly structured. "The key to the next wave is that it depends on economic conditions including jobs, income and interest rates," Cox said. "And it is probably manageable with good public policy, which was not as true for the first wave." There's a chance the recent trend of declining sheriff's sale totals will continue, Cox said, especially if the federal government aggressively implements a program outlined this spring to encourage banks to modify the terms of troubled loans. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, one of the largest mortgage service companies in Minnesota, says it is working cooperatively with the government to prevent foreclosures where possible. Thanks to the federal program and a related I Fos .roat D narni http: /www.twincities.com/ci 12701649 ?IADID= Search www.twincities.com www.twinc... 6/30/2009 One -two punch hits housing market TwinCities.com TwinCities com Page 2 of 3 outreach effort called Hope Now Wells Fargo has had considerably more success contacting troubled borrowers to discuss options short of foreclosure, said Joe Ohayon, a vice president with the company. At a Hope Now event in St. Paul this month, for example, Wells Fargo officials sat down with about 90 homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments. Dennis Breisler, of Cottage Grove, was one of more than 700 troubled borrowers who attended the Hope Now event. He was able to meet with his lender, Ocwen Financial, and went away feeling encouraged after he was told to fax more information for review. "This was helpful and good," said Breisler, who has fallen behind on mortgage payments because of reduced income from his wife's child care business. "Sometimes people just need a hand." In the past year, lenders have changed how they work with troubled borrowers, said Ohayon of Wells Fargo. That's because many homeowners were going back into default after lenders offered repayment plans that simply spread missed payments across several months. Now, banks are more likely to consider outright modifications that offer significant relief in the size of payments, Ohayon said. Even so, it's unclear whether the efforts will be enough to stem the foreclosure tide. "The level of foreclosures, I can't predict," Ohayon said. "The biggest unknown is unemployment." During the first quarter of 2009, Minnesota lost about 45,000 jobs, as the state's jobless rate in March reached a 26 -year high. In May, the jobless rate in Minnesota pushed up to 8.2 percent, and some economists think it will peak at just under 9 percent at the end of 2009 or in the first part of 2010. Much of the recent decline in sheriff's sales across Minnesota, experts say, came from lenders who this winter decided to suspend foreclosure proceedings. But those moratoria ended in February and March, which is part of the reason Ed Nelson, a spokesman for the St. Paul -based Minnesota Home Ownership Center, said sheriffs sales in Minnesota are expected to make a comeback and return to a level similar to last year's record levels. In an ominous sign of what could be coming, counselors who work with troubled homeowners in Ramsey County saw a dramatic spike in the number of pre foreclosure notices they received from lenders in May. Those counselors received an average of about 475 pre foreclosure notices per month in January through April. May notices were triple that at 1,502, according to numbers from the Home Ownership Center, which coordinates foreclosure prevention counseling services across the state. It can take a long time for banks to complete a foreclosure in Minnesota, where the process often includes a redemption period that stretches six months after a sheriff sale. So the recent surge in pre foreclosure notices in Ramsey County, for example, could translate into bank -owned homes that don't even hit the housing market until the first few months of 2010, said Michelle Vojacek, coordinator of the foreclosure prevention program for the city of St. Paul. A lot of those homes will be selling in neighborhoods that haven't been identified as the city's foreclosure hot spots, she said. Bankers say they've noticed a similar shift in foreclosures from the inner city and first -ring Print Power Formc. Dynarni http: /www.twincities.com/ci 12701649 ?IADID Search www.twincities.com www.twinc... 6/30/2009 One -two punch hits housing market TwinCities.com TwinCities com Page 3 of 3 suburbs to the outer suburbs in recent months. And where once subprime and adjustable -rate mortgages made up the bulk of problem residential real estate loans, bankers are seeing more prime borrowers with 30- year -fixed mortgages who are in or on the brink of foreclosure today. "As we've seen the unemployment rates rising throughout the state, we are seeing a second wave of foreclosures that are affecting all walks of life, and those in particular who have encountered a job or wage reduction or loss," said Joe Witt of the Minnesota Bankers Association. Indeed, the demographics of folks seeking foreclosure prevention counseling have become more middle- class. In 2007, the average income of a person who received housing counseling was $24,195, according to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Last year, that average income nearly doubled to $44,973. That's bad news for the banking business. On average, a foreclosure costs a bank $60,000, according to the Minnesota Bankers Association. That figure is likely to rise as more prime borrowers living in the suburbs, who generally own bigger and more expensive homes, find they can't pay their bills. The migration of foreclosures to prime borrowers reflects the ongoing problem related to the economy," said Keith Leggett, senior economist with the American Bankers Association. "This will keep the inventory of homes on the market at elevated levels, adversely impacting housing prices." The prospect of a big supply of low- priced foreclosed homes entering the market is part of the reason Scott Anderson, an economist with Wells Fargo in Minneapolis, said he expects soft pricing in the housing market for another year or so. There had been hopes among some local real estate agents that trends might be going in the other direction, as the median sale price during May came in at $165,000 a modest increase from the February median of $150,000 for the 13- county metro area. What's more, agents have been swapping stories about bidding wars that have emerged for some foreclosed properties. But Terry Records, a real estate agent who specializes in selling bank owned properties with Keller Williams Premier Realty in Woodbury, said the sales figures for May primarily reflected a resurgence in the number of traditional home -sale transactions, not a lasting decline in the foreclosure market. Competition for foreclosure properties has been fed in part by a federal tax credit program for first -time homebuyers at a time when the foreclosure moratoria curtailed the supply of homes. The problem going forward, Records said, is that the first -time homebuyer tax credit is set to expire in November, meaning the buyer activity could be concentrated in the short term. "The tax credit needs to be extended," she said. Christopher Snowbeck can be reached at 651-228 5479. Nicole Garrison Sprenger can be reached at 651 228 -5580. Print Powered By ma D D n i t http: /www.twincities.com/ci_ 12701649 ?IADID= Search www.twincities.com- www.twinc... 6/30/2009