The housing market has been hot for a while now. Homes have been flying off the shelves as fast as they have been listed. Buyers have been competing in bidding wars just to find a home to buy, let alone find their dream home.
This ‘seller’s market’ has driven home prices to new heights. Home price appreciation averaged over 6% across the country.
However, home price growth has recently started to cool down. The latest report from CoreLogic shows that home prices have only risen by 4.7% over the last 12 months.
Many buyers and sellers planning to enter the housing market this year have started to wonder if we are headed towards another housing crash. Ralph McLaughlin, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, recently stated in an interview,
“There’s no reason to panic right now, even if we may be headed for a recession. We’re seeing a cooling of the housing market, but nothing that indicates a crash.
The real elephant in the room here is housing supply.”
The simple answer is we are returning to a ‘normal’ market. The inventory of homes for sale more closely matches the demand in the market. The added supply means fewer buyers are outbidding each other. Therefore, prices are experiencing less upward pressure. McLaughlin went on to explain,
“If there are a lot of homes on the market and suddenly no one wants to buy them, you’ll get into a downward spiral of price competition. Right now, however, we’re in the opposite situation, there isn’t an over-abundance of homes on the market.”
As more renters looking for their piece of the American Dream enter the housing market, demand for housing will continue to grow. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University estimates over 30 million new households will enter the market from now through 2040.
“There’s the natural life cycle of young people getting older and starting to do adult life things which include … buying a house and that’s a lot of potential inertia that could last indefinitely.”
Bottom Line
Home prices will start to appreciate by historical norms as we continue to head towards a more ‘normal’ market, rather than the over 6% seen over the course of the last several years. This is great news! Homeowners looking to sell their home will have buyers, as more buyers will be able to afford them!
Start Your Home Search:
Are you ready to start searching for your Denver area home? It’s a great time, we have more inventory than we did the past few years. I encourage you to explore homes currently on the market to get a feel for the types of homes, locations, and price points. My Denver real estate blog has loads of useful information for home buyers trying to figure out what they want to do. And of course, please call me, or send me an email / text, to discuss your next home and the buying process.
Also, if you are considering new construction, remember the builder’s real estate agent represents their best interest, not yours. There is no cost for you to have an agent represent you. In fact, I may be able to help you save money and negotiate for extras which the builder may not let you know about.
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Considering Selling Your Home?
If you are looking to sell your home in the Denver area, I encourage you to work with a real estate agent who has the experience and knowledge to provide an accurate market comparison so you can determine the right asking price. The market is more balanced now and your asking price is an important component of your selling strategy. Contact me today to learn how your home stacks up against the competition and how we can position your property to sell quickly and for a fair price.
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