A couple of recent articles coming across my desk might suggest that the long awaited loosening of the dental practice sales market may be starting. There is no doubt that doctors have hung on longer than their original plans and that consequently the number of practice opportunities has not been equal to the number of young doctors seeking those opportunities. Maybe the recovery of the stock market to near historical highs along with an overall increase in consumer confidence is having an effect. Now if we can just avoid the “Fiscal Cliff”.
My friend and mentor, Evan Myers, handed me an article from the business section of the October 31st Kansas City Star entitled; Sales of Businesses Improved in Third Quarter. That article reported that in both the Kansas City and national markets, sales were improving and that the national market was up almost 3% over a year ago. Mike Handelsman of BizBuySell.com reported that “Over the last two years we’ve seen similar small increases in the business-for-sale market as economic conditions and overall business performance improves.” Interestingly, of the 118 Kansas City area businesses listed, the median asking price was $249,500, a number smaller than the average dental practice transaction.
The next article was lifted nearly word for word from the current issue of the McGill & Hill Newsletter. Roger Hill is one of our country’s most respected transition specialists, specializing in partial sales and delayed ownership agreements. In working all over the country, his database is extensive and always a good indicator of coming events.
Number of Practice Sales Rising
Home Equity Increasing
Several positive factors are contributing to a significant increase in the number of dental practice sales so far in 2012. A stronger housing market is lifting property values, helping doctors repair their balance sheets. U.S. real estate values jumped 2.1% in the second quarter this year – pushing them to the highest level since December 30, 2008. Meanwhile, household debt is declining, primarily due to lower mortgage balances, as many doctors have refinanced and/or paid down debt with lower yielding cash, while others have had mortgages erased through short sales and/or foreclosures. Household debt (including mortgage debt) peaked in the fall of 2008 and has fallen $1.3 trillion since then. The combination of rising real estate values and declining home mortgage debt has significantly increased doctors’ home equity.
Stock Market Rising
Meanwhile, the stock market ended September 30th near all-time highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 4.3% in the third quarter, and is up 10% so far in 2012. The broader based S&P 500 Index is having an even better year, up 14.6% year to date after a 5.85 gain in the third quarter.
These economic factors have restored doctors’ net worth positions back above 2008 pre-crash levels. These factors, along with low capital gain tax rates, rising practice values, and a larger pool of aggressive buyers, have led to a significant increase in the number of doctors approaching retirement who are interested in selling out. Roger K. Hill, a practice transition expert with McGill & Hill Group, says that practice sale activity is stronger now than at any time over the last four years, as we predicted in June of 2011. Hill predicts practice values will continue to rise over the next three years or so before stabilizing for a period of time, and then possibly declining.
Hill urges doctors approaching retirement to carefully evaluate their transition plans. If they are financially and emotionally ready to sell, the next three years will offer them the opportunity to maximize their practice sale proceeds.
Steve Wolff, DDS
UMKC Class of “77