If you’re planning to move soon, you might be wondering if
there'll be more homes to choose from, where prices and mortgage rates are
headed, and how to navigate today’s market. If so, here's what the
professionals are saying about what’s in store for this season.
Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist, First American:
“. . . it seems our general expectation for the spring is
that we will see a pickup in inventory. In fact, that already seems to be
happening. But it won’t necessarily be enough to satiate demand.”
Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist, Bright MLS:
“There is still strong demand, as the large millennial
population remains in the prime first-time homebuying range.”
Danielle Hale, Chief Economist, Realtor.com:
“Where we are right now is the best of both worlds. Price
increases are slowing, which is good for buyers, and prices are still
relatively high, which is good for sellers.”
Skylar Olsen, Chief Economist, Zillow:
“There are slightly more homes for sale than this time
last year, and there is still plenty of competition for well-priced houses.
Buyers should prep their credit scores and sellers should prep their properties
now, attractive listings are going pending in less than a month, and time on
market will shrink in the weeks ahead.”
Jiayi Xu, Economist, Realtor.com:
“While mortgage rates remain elevated, home shoppers who
are looking to buy this spring could find more affordable homes on the market
than they saw at the same time last year. Specifically, there were 20.6% more
homes available for sale ranging between $200,000 and $350,000 in February 2024
than a year ago, surpassing growth in other price ranges.”
If you’re looking to sell, this spring might be your sweet
spot because there just aren’t many homes on the market. Sure, inventory is
rising, but it’s nowhere near enough to meet today’s buyer demand. That’s why
they’re still selling so quickly.
If you’re looking to buy, the growing number of homes for
sale this spring means you’ll have more choices than this time last year. But
be prepared to move quickly since there’ll be plenty of competition with other
buyers.
Bottom Line
No matter what you're planning, let’s team up to confidently
navigate the busy spring housing market.
Source: Real Estate with Keeping Current Matters
