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What Do Experts See on the Horizon for the Second Half of the Year? – Christophe Choo at Coldwell Banker Global Luxury is Your Local Real Estate Expert.

What Do Experts See on the Horizon for the Second Half of the Year? – Christophe Choo at Coldwell Banker Global Luxury is Your Local Real Estate Expert.

By Christophe Choo Posted Jun 30, 2021 Beverly Hills, In The Press, Latest Updates, Market Activity, Real Estate Articles, Real Estate News, What I'm Reading

What Do Experts See on the Horizon for the Second Half of the Year? - Christophe Choo at Coldwell Banker Global Luxury is Your Local Real Estate Expert.

What Do Experts See on the Horizon for the Second Half of the Year? | MyKCM

As we move into the latter half of the year, questions about whatā€™s to come are top of mind for buyers and sellers. Near record-low mortgage rates coupled with rising home price appreciation kicked off a robust housing market in the first half of 2021, but what does the forecast tell us about whatā€™s on the horizon?

Mortgage Rates Will Likely Increase, but Remain Low

Many experts are projecting a rise in interest rates. The latest Quarterly Forecast from Freddie Mac states:

ā€œWe forecast thatmortgage rates will continue to rise through the end of next year. We estimate the 30-year fixed mortgage rate will average 3.4% in the fourth quarter of 2021, rising to 3.8% in the fourth quarter of 2022.ā€

However, even as mortgage rates rise, the anticipated increase is expected to be modest at most, and still well below historical averages. Rates remaining low is good news for homebuyers who are looking to maximize their purchasing power. The same report from Freddie Mac goes on to say:

ā€œWhile higher mortgage rates will help slow the pace of home sales and moderate house price growth, we expect overall housing market activity will remain robust. Our forecast has total home sales, the sum of new and existing home sales, at 7.1 million in 2021....ā€

Home Price Appreciation Will Continue, but Price Growth Will Likely Slow

Joe Seydl, Senior Markets Economist at J.P. Morgan, projects home prices to continue rising as well, indicating buyers interested in purchasing a home should do so sooner rather than later. Waiting for rates or home prices to fall may not be wise:

ā€œHomebuyersā€”interest rates are still historically low, though they are inching up. Housing prices have spiked during the last six-to-nine months, but we donā€™t expect them to fall soon, and we believe they are more likely to keep rising. If you are looking to purchase a new home, conditions now may be better than 12 months hence.ā€

Other experts remain optimistic about home prices, too. The graph below highlights 2021 home price forecasts from multiple industry leaders:
What Do Experts See on the Horizon for the Second Half of the Year? | MyKCM

Inventory Remains a Challenge, but Thereā€™s Reason To Be Optimistic

Home prices are rising, but they should moderate as more housing inventory comes to market. George Ratiu, Senior Economist at realtor.com, notes there are signs that we may see the current inventory challenges lessen, slowing the fast-paced home price appreciation and creating more choices for buyers:

ā€œWe have seen more new listings this year compared with 2020 in 11 of the last 13 weeks. The influx of new sellers over the last couple of months has been especially helpful in slowing price gains.ā€

New home starts are also showing signs of improvement, which further bolsters hopes of more options coming to market. Robert Dietz, Chief Economist at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), writes:

ā€œAs an indicator of the economic impact of housing, there are now 652,000 single-family homes under construction. This is 28% higher than a year ago.ā€

Finally, while it may not fundamentally change the market conditions weā€™re currently experiencing, another reason to be optimistic more homes might come to market: our improving economy. Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, notes:

ā€œA growing economy in the summer months has multiple implications for the housing market. Growing consumer confidence, a stronger labor market, and higher wages bode well for housing demand. While a growing economy and improving public health conditions may also spur hesitant existing owners to list their homes for sale, itā€™s unlikely to significantly ease the super sellersā€™ market conditions.ā€

Bottom Line

As we look at the forecast for prices, interest rates, inventory, and home sales, experts remain optimistic about whatā€™s on the horizon for the second half of 2021. Letā€™s connect today to discuss how we can navigate the market together in the coming months.

Call Christophe Choo at 310.777.6342

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