Housing Market Outlook
Why is the housing market different today than it was in 2008 before the housing crash?
- Housing inventories ae very low. The nation is about 3 million homes short of meeting buyer demand.
- Buyers still want to purchase homes. Affordability has taken a hit with both home prices and mortgage rates rising, but buyers are still looking for and purchasing homes.
- Mortgages are very different than in 2008. Subprime lending that was blamed for the 2008 crash is much smaller and more regulated than in 2008.
- Far fewer homeowners are behind on their mortgage payments than in 2008.
- Real estate can be a hedge against inflation. Locking in a fixed rate mortgage now protects against future increases. Also, should mortgage rates fall in the future, homeowners can refinance at lower rates.
- Some markets may experience a small decrease in home prices as markets adjust. Keep in mind a decrease of 5% or so in some markets is not the same as a market crash.