While inflation is starting to ease, the US housing market continues to heat up, making it difficult for many potential buyers to purchase a home.
The problem: Two key issues are driving the housing market crunch
* The country is estimated to be short by about 4 million houses, partially due to fewer homes being built after the Great Recession.
* About a third of recent buyers are paying more than the asking price for their homes due to the low inventory.
* Consequently, homeowners are unwilling to sell their houses for fear of ending up with higher mortgage rates on new homes.
Impact: Increased mortgage rates and fewer available homes have led to a drop in home sales.
* Sales declined by 3% since last month and are down by 18% from this time last year.
* Rental costs have also soared, rising by 26% since before the pandemic started in early 2020.
* Although the rate of increase for rental prices has slowed, they continue to grow.
Future predictions: Some economists and analysts believe inflation has peaked and home prices may begin to stabilize.
* Once the Federal Reserve stops raising rates, mortgage rates could also start to decline, according to Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.
* There has been a surge in the construction of new homes, indicating that potential buyers might start looking at newly built houses instead.
Ownership Vs. Renting: Buying a home currently costs more than renting on average.
* Homeownership also comes with additional costs such as maintenance, which many potential homeowners may not be prepared for.
* Despite these challenges, experts assert that individuals who find the right property should not wait for a lower price or better mortgage rate.
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