Eye On Housing
Buyers’ expectations for housing affordability continue to sour. In the first quarter of 2022, 81% said they could afford less than half the homes for-sale in their markets – the highest share since before the pandemic. At its lowest point in the 4th quarter of 2020, 63% of buyers expected to afford <50% of the homes available. On the other… Read More ›
Tag Archive for ‘housing economics’
Buyers’ Perceptions of Housing Availability Fall Back to 2018 Levels
Buyers’ expectations of housing availability continue to worsen. At its peak in the 4th quarter of 2020, 36% expected the home search to get easier in the months ahead. After five straight drops, the share is now 17% – a level not seen since 2018. In contrast, 74% expect the search for a home to get harder/stay the same. Buyers’… Read More ›
High Building Materials Prices Erode Preference for New Construction
Preference for newly constructed homes skyrocketed in 2020, as buyers looked for homes with more square footage and amenities in which to work remotely, school children, exercise, etc. By the fourth quarter of 2020, 42% of prospective buyers preferred new construction. Since then, however, rising new home prices (driven by a 31% increase in the cost of building materials) have… Read More ›
Housing Demand Is Softening
The share of adults planning a home purchase within a year fell for a third straight quarter in the first three months of 2022, down to 13%. The last time fewer American adults intended to buy a home was in the second quarter of 2020 (11%). The decline is evidence that the COVID-induced boost to housing demand is past its… Read More ›
Soaring Construction Costs Drop Housing Affordability to Lowest Level in a Decade
Supply-chain bottlenecks that put upward pressure on home prices along with rising interest rates contributed to housing affordability falling to a 10-year low. The likelihood of higher interest rates in the months ahead (as the Federal Reserve moves to tighten interest rates) along with ongoing production challenges threaten to drive housing affordability even lower in 2022. According to the National… Read More ›
Once Again, High Home Prices Are to Blame
An earlier post revealed that 67% of buyers who were actively engaged in the process of finding a home in the final quarter of 2021 have spent 3+ months searching for a home without success. The inability to find a home they could afford once again became the most common reason (41%) these long-time searchers could not buy a home. … Read More ›
Home Prices Discourage a Growing Segment of Prospective Buyers
The share of prospective buyers actively trying to find a home fell in both the third (57%) and fourth quarters (52%) of 2021, after reaching a series high of 61% in the second quarter of the year. The downward trend demonstrates how falling levels of housing affordability have discouraged a growing share of potential home buyers from actively engaging in… Read More ›
Home Buyers’ Perceptions of Affordability Deteriorated Throughout 2021
According to the latest Housing Trends Report, home buyers’ affordability expectations deteriorated throughout 2021. By the fourth quarter, the share of buyers who could afford less than half the homes available in their markets was at 76%. That share had risen all year: from 63% in the final quarter of 2020, to 65% in the first quarter of 2021, 71%… Read More ›
Buyers’ Perceptions of Housing Inventory Worsened Throughout 2021
In early 2018, only 16% of home buyers expected that finding a home would be easier in the months ahead. The share soared during the early phase of the pandemic, reaching 36% by the end of 2020. But in 2021, buyers’ perceptions of housing inventory worsened throughout the year, and by the fourth quarter, only 24% expected easier availability ahead… Read More ›
Impacts of Rising New Home Costs
Only 15% of buyers were looking for a newly-built home at the start of 2018, but that share shot up to 42% by the final quarter of 2020 (after the start of the pandemic). Since then, however, interest for new construction has fallen steadily, as costs for building materials – especially lumber – have experienced double-digit growth. By the final… Read More ›