Multifamily housing squeeze vexes Yakima area

[Richard Rinehart]

I seen this article in the Yakima Herald yesterday and was wondering what some of our Bigger Pocket members that know the market thought.

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/business/multifam...

[Enrique Jevons]

The article is mostly accurate, but a little misleading.  It is true that the vacancy rate last fall was 2.2 percent.  However, the vacancy rate in Yakima is always very seasonal due to the significant amount of migrant workers that arrive every fall for harvest season and then leave when the harvest is done.  The vacancy rates in the rest of the year is typically much higher.  It is also true that the vacancy rates were in the double digits not long ago.

With that said, I personally own over 100 units in Yakima and manage over 600 units all together for the very reason that it is possible to purchase multi-family properties in Yakima that cash flow well.