CEN-SS-20182407_-_Housing_Data_Files.docx

SOURCES SOUGHT

U.S. Census Bureau Acquisition of Housing Data Files - Reference No. CEN-SS-20182407

The following Sources Sought is issued solely for Market Research purposes. The U.S. Census Bureau (USCB) will use the information gathered in determining opportunities for the Census Bureau to supplement existing economic data products, to conduct research to improve survey methodology, and to enhance existing data analysis practices by acquiring commercial data.

This document does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment to issue a RFP by the USCB. The USCB is not accepting offers at this time nor will the information provided be evaluated or considered as an offer. The USCB Bureau is not responsible for any cost incurred by a contractor in responding to this announcement.

The following information and questions are intended to help the USCB learn more about best practices for the acquisition of commercial housing data files. Although answers to these questions are optional, the USCB encourages companies to submit responses based on their knowledge and experience with this product in the commercial marketplace. Based on the information provided, and as part of its ongoing Market Research, the USCB may contact individual respondents for additional information.

All information provided will be kept confidential and will be utilized for market research purposes directly related to the work described above.

Responses to this Sources Sought must be in a Word or PDF compatible format document, not to exceed five (5) pages (8.5” x 11”, 12 pitch font size). Responses must be submitted by 12:00PM (EST), Monday, July 30, 2018 to Tanisha Contee at Tanisha.L.Contee@census.gov, and the subject line should read “Response to CEN-SS-20192407 Housing Data Files”.

The following should be included:

1. Company name, address, and website.

2. Point of contact, position/title, email address and phone number.

3. Business size.

4. Do you have existing datasets for commercial housing data files? (Yes or No) If yes, please provide a brief description or link to describe additional information about the datasets.

5. Brief description of the organization, including the organization’s history providing readily available datasets from public or commercial records.

BACKGROUND

The USCB conducts research and production work using administrative records data to enhance numerous programs and products. The USCB enters into agreements with data providers, including federal, state, and private entities, to acquire data files. These data are used to support planning and conducting future decennial censuses, current surveys such as the American Community Survey (ACS), and other USCB demographic and economic research and production work. The USCB will use the data acquired in the contract to continue to carry out the aforementioned production work that is underway as well as continue our research to find new uses for the data we obtain.

DESCRIPTION

Public records – this requirement includes data available through public records. It includes, at a minimum, information about property tax, deeds, mortgages, assignments & releases, pre-foreclosure and foreclosure variables. It includes, at a minimum, year built, owner occupied status, mortgage amount, mortgage interest rate, and payoff amount. Additional data elements gathered from public records are welcome.

Modeled Housing Value - this requirement includes, at a minimum, the current estimated property value. If you have multiple models, we are interested in each one. Additional related data elements are welcome.

Open Liens - this requirement includes, at a minimum, information from open liens modeling, and characteristics of open liens such as lien position and amount remaining. Additional data elements related to these addresses, such as first lien amount and first lien date, are welcome.

Multiple Listing Service data – this requirement includes, at a minimum, information typically submitted by property sellers to their local MLS affiliate. It includes information like number of bedrooms, description, list price, date of listing, HOA/COA dues (if applicable), number of bathrooms.

Parcel Boundaries data – this requirement includes the actual spatial boundaries of parcels. Additional related data elements are welcome.

Homeowners Association/Condominium Owners Association listing data - this requirement includes, at a minimum, the status of whether an address is a member of a HOA/COA, as well as the dues to that association for that address if that is available. Additional data elements related to homeowners/condominium associations, such as the association name, are welcome.

Master Address list – this requirement includes, at a minimum, a list of valid addresses at that tax parcel, including unit level designations. Additional data elements related to these addresses are welcome.

Vacancy/occupied status - this requirement includes, at a minimum, an indicator of the vacancy status for each address, including details on what sources informed this status. Additional data elements related to the vacancy status of addresses are welcome.

Enhanced Characteristics List - this requirement includes any files which utilize modeling of various data sets to generate characteristics of housing units.

(END OF REQUEST)