How The Housing Market Is Affected By Inflation

By ERIN FLYNN JAY Inflation has affected the housing market as higher costs of living puts more stress on the average person’s finances. The average American household spent $709 more in July than they did two years ago to buy the same goods and services, according to Moody’s Analytics. “High inflation of the past 2+ years has done lots of economic damage,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Rick Sharga, President & CEO of CJ Patrick Company, said among other things, inflation makes it harder for renters to save money for a down payment, and as home prices tend to go up over time, the amount of…

Experts Weigh In: When Mortgage Rates Drop, Will Home Prices Surge?

By ERIN FLYNN JAY It is being speculated that once interest rates drop, a number of buyers will jump into the housing market, causing another surge in prices. We spoke to some industry leaders to get their take. Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research at the National Association of Realtors, said this is true. “Buyers who were priced out of the housing market with rates at nearly 7% will be able to purchase. Due to limited housing inventory, the housing market may see a rebound in multiple offers, which will put upward demand on housing prices,” said Lautz. She said a significant portion of homes are already selling at above the asking price. “Currently, there are…

Reduced Profits Sting Sellers

By CHUCK GREEN To home sellers who agonizingly watched the prices of their abodes recede recently, leaving a nasty gash in profits, there’s little to say but “ouch.” Want a touch of solace? Apparently, the waters are rippling with plenty of others in the same predicament. A first quarter 2023 U.S. Home Sales Report released by ATTOM showed that on median-priced single-family home and condo sales across the country, profit margins dipped to 44.2%, sagging from 48.7% in the fourth quarter of last year. A silver lining is that the typical investment return stayed relatively high. In fact, it was nearly double where it was four years ago. From the peak of 56.1% in the second quarter last year, the…

Spring Is Here: What To Expect This Season

By CHUCK GREEN As the traditional spring homebuying season begins, a lack of inventory, high interest rates, and economic uncertainty due to banking troubles have dominated the news. So what can people expect? Rick Sharga, president and CEO of CJ Patrick Company in California, told The Mortgage Note that it’s “unlikely to be a banner period for home sales. Extremely low inventory of homes for sale coupled with poor affordability are likely to keep sales activity fairly weak, even though seasonal trends usually see sales and prices increase during the spring and summer months.” Although the second quarter is typically the peak season for home sales, that has been disrupted in recent years, noted Sharga. “This seasonal trend didn’t happen…

Research Provides Mixed Projections For Mortgage Market

By SCOTT KIMBLER It’s a mixed bag when it comes to predictions for the mortgage market as the economy continues to balance out after the pandemic. ATTOM recently held a conference where research performed by their company, Altos Research, and others were compiled to provide a more complete picture of what the remainder of 2023 may look like in terms of new home construction, home sales, and mortgage rates. Inflation, the job market, supply and demand, as well as the steady rising of rates by the Federal Reserve, along with other factors, were taken into account. Unlike some predictions of 2023 that paint a picture of a distraught housing market, this research shows the year as having mortgage challenges, but…

Sellers Feel The Pain Of Price Drops

By CHUCK GREEN Next time you run into someone in the local Starbucks who happens to have their home on the market, be a sport and plop an extra scone into their bag, huh? A little butter and jam, too? After all, sellers probably aren’t riding the wave of a sugar high induced by whatever they will pocket in their real estate transactions as experts say the price of an average home in the United States is decreasing. The cities expected to be the most heavily hit include: San Francisco: -10.36% Seattle: -9.55% San Diego: -7.24% Los Angeles: -5.61% Denver: -5.60% Dallas: -4.34% Portland: -4.25% Las Vegas: -3.69% What is contributing to the drop in housing prices? B. George Ratiu,…

Sundae Aims To Help As-Is Sellers Connect With Property Investors

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Leaders at an online marketplace that connects property investors to homeowners selling as-is say their platform gives both parties more certainty during the process. People who have houses that are vacant, damaged from natural disasters, or have structural issues can be sold on the Sundae marketplace, but any number of potential sellers may benefit from the company’s services, according to Shaun Greer. Greer is the Senior Vice President of Revenue at Sundae. He recently sat down for an interview with The Mortgage Note. Greer said they have about 22,000 investors who are interested in purchasing “homes that need love.” “What Sundae does is partners with the homeowner and says, ‘Hey, we are going to get you the…