Walla walla, WA

3.9% AVERAGE RENT GROWTH
/
92.4% average occupancy
/
4.5% unemployment rate
/
$1,290  AVERAGE market rent
/
66k population
/
-0.3% POPULATION GROWTH
/
$67k median hh income
/
2.2%  home price growth
/
3.9% AVERAGE RENT GROWTH
/
-0.3% POPULATION GROWTH
/
31.1k LABOR FORCE
/
92.4%  AVERAGE OCCUPANCY
/
3.9% AVERAGE RENT GROWTH
/
15.2% POPULATION GROWTH
/
144,000 LABOR FORCE
/
95.7%  AVERAGE OCCUPANCY
/

ABOUT Walla walla

walla walla

Walla Walla is in the southeastern region of Washington, approximately 4 hours from Portland and 4.5 hours from Seattle. The largest town in the county, Walla Walla is a local and historic town that provides the necessities for growing families and young professionals. The town, “so great they named it twice”, is known for one of the most fertile agricultural regions in the nation. The Walla Walla Valley produces everything from wheat to asparagus, strawberries, and their famous Walla Walla Sweet Onions.

Plus, their exquisite wine, local restaurateurs, drawing tourism and attraction from all nearby markets and visitors. Walla Walla has experienced an expansion in its wine industry in recent decades, culminating in the area being named “Best Wine Region” in USA Today’s Reader Choice Awards in both 2020 and 2021. Lastly, the market features 3 higher education opportunities, both private and public, and Walla Walla’s largest employers include FirstFruits Farms, Tyson Fresh Meats, Providence St. Mary Medical Center, Washington State Penitentiary, and Walla Walla University.

WHY INVEST HERE?

Historical Charm

Walla Walla's downtown area exudes historical charm with its well-preserved architecture and a vibrant arts and culture scene. This draws individuals seeking a unique living experience and contributes to the city's overall appeal for investors and developers, who have harnessed the potential of downtown in renovations, new construction, and mixed use potential.

01
Higher Education

While still a relatively small town, Walla Walla/College Place is home to Whitman College, a highly regarded liberal arts college founded in 1859 and Walla Walla University, a private Seventh-day Adventist institution. Combined there are ~3,000 students at these institutions and many young students graduate and choose to stay in Walla Walla, finding employment, starting businesses, or raising families.

02
Sophisticated Investor Presence

Groups such as Avenue5 and Prodigy (regional property managers), Weidner Apartment Homes, Evergreen Housing Development, Primrose Real Estate, Wilkinson Corporation, and 11 Capital all have a presence in the market, bringing a level of sophistication not often seen in a town the size of Walla Walla. This lifts the tides of all rental housing and provides potential exit opportunities to buyers who have acquired assets at scale. 

03

What to watch out for

The market has been built on the backs of generational investors and founders who have shaped the market through the years. For example, Whitman College was founded in 1859, just 4 years after the founding of Walla Walla County, and has an endowment fund of $840M. Because of this, Walla Walla can feel more guarded and less welcoming to outside investors, making an entrance into the market more challenging for new investors, especially at scale.

KEY MARKET INDICATORS.

3.9%
average rent growth
92.4%
average occupancy
4.5%
unemployment rate
$1,290
average market rent
66k
population
-0.3%
population growth
$67k
median hh income
2.2%
home price growth

INLAND NORTHWEST LOCAL MARKET UPDATES

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SUCCESS STORIES.

Diligence in the listing process pays dividends at closing

36 Units
$1,400,000

In September 2021, the ownership group of Irving Place wanted to close by the end of the year, so they hired Multifamily Mason to expose the asset to the most qualified Inland Northwest multifamily investors. As the local market expert, Mason invited his exclusive buyers network to tour the property ahead of a public launch. During tours, Mason’s team discovered a major CapEx requirement not previously budgeted for, brought in a local contractor, and identified a solution at ⅓ the cost of the current owner’s solution. As a result, all exclusive buyers submitted offers above pricing guidance, we negotiated non-refundable deposits, and went from listing-to-close in 99 days, setting a market best in-place cap rate.

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One-on-one dedicated outreach finds the buyer

36 Units
$1,400,000

The owner of brand new construction in Pendleton, Oregon had previously listed his property for sale with a commercial broker who could not procure a single offer for six months. Our team met with the owner who needed the capital for a 1031 exchange purchase, and identified the current listing issues, namely, incorrectly priced, lacking broad exposure, and leaving buyer questions unanswered. We completed a thorough property analysis, identifying keep deal story points, sourced debt and property management quotes, and re-launched to our engaged buyers network as well as the public market across the Western US. Mason made 145 direct phone calls to buyers specific to this deal, and ultimately sourced multiple offers, providing a smooth closing process and successful 1031 exchange for the Seller in a changing and challenging market in late 2022.

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Creative sales strategies helped us achieve client’s long-term investing goals

36 Units
$1,400,000

The owner of two development sites across Spokane had owned the land for multiple generations. Their plans were to transition equity from vacant sites into cash flowing assets. The Multifamily Mason team met with the owners and identified an opportunity to maximize the sale value of their sites with broad-based marketing and deal storytelling, the opposite of how most sites are sold in Spokane. We targeted and reached out directly to hundreds of regional and local developers with multifamily-specific development data, renders, and proforma inputs. In addition, during our negotiations with buyers, we devised a creative seller financing strategy that both maximized the sale price and immediately converted the owners equity into cash flow - meeting all the Sellers goals. Ultimately, the Spokane Valley site closed at $22,727 per buildable unit, far above market value.

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