“Housing has experienced a strong V-shaped recovery and is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels.”
Many industries have been devastated by the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 virus. Real estate is not one of them.
Mark Fleming, Chief Economist for First American, just reported:
“Since hitting a low point during the initial stages of the pandemic, the only major industry to display immunity to the economic impacts of the coronavirus is the housing market. Housing has experienced a strong V-shaped recovery and is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels.”
Buyer demand is still strong heading into the fall. ShowingTime, which tracks the average number of buyer showings on residential properties, just announced that buyer showings are up 61.9% compared to the same time last year. They went on to say:
“Normally, real estate activity begins to slow down in the late summer, but this year it peaked in July, August and into September.”
There Is One Big Challenge
Purchaser demand is so high, the market is running out of available homes for sale. Just last week, realtor.com reported:
“Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in March, nearly 400,000 fewer homes have been listed compared to last year, leaving a gaping hole in the U.S. housing inventory.”
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed that, while home sales are skyrocketing, the inventory of existing homes for sale is dropping dramatically. Below is a graph of existing inventory (September numbers are not yet available):
Homebuilders are increasing construction, but they cannot keep up with the high demand. Bill McBride, founder of the Calculated Risk blog, in discussing inventory of newly constructed houses, notes:
“The months of supply decreased to 3.3 months…This is the all-time record low months of supply.”
What does this mean for sellers?
Anyone thinking of putting their home on the market should not wait. A seller will always negotiate the best deal when demand is high and supply is limited. That’s exactly the situation in the real estate market today.
Next year, when the pandemic is hopefully behind us, there will be many more properties coming to the market. Don’t wait for that increase in competition in your neighborhood. Now is the time to sell.
Bottom Line
Let’s connect today to get your house on the market at this optimal time to sell.
To view original article, visit Keeping Current Matters.
Don’t Let Your Student Loans Delay Your Homeownership Plans
You don’t have to figure this out on your own. The best way to make a decision about your goals and next steps is to talk to the professionals.
Boomers Moving Will Be More Like a Gentle Tide Than a Tsunami
While not all baby boomers are looking to sell their homes and move – the ones who do won’t all do it at the same time.
The Best Week To List Your House Is Almost Here
The third week of April brings the best combination of housing market factors for sellers.
Is It Easier to Find a Home to Buy Now?
To help you explore the growing list of choices you have now, team up with a local real estate agent you trust.
What Every Homebuyer Should Know About Closing Costs
Your closing costs are the additional fees and payments you have to make at closing.
What Are Experts Saying About the Spring Housing Market?
If you’re planning to move soon, you might be wondering where prices and mortgage rates are headed, and how to navigate today’s market.