What Are the Experts Saying About Future Home Prices?

By Keeping Current Articles June 23, 2020
Arrows pointing up and down

A worldwide pandemic and an economic recession have had a tremendous effect on the nation. The uncertainty brought about by both has made predicting consumer behavior nearly impossible. For that reason, forecasting home prices has become extremely difficult.

Normally, there’s a simple formula to determine the future price of any item: calculate the supply of that item in ratio to the demand for that item. In housing right now, demand far exceeds supply. Mortgage applications to buy a home just rose to the highest level in 11 years while inventory of homes for sale is at (or near) an all-time low. That would usually indicate strong appreciation for home values as we move throughout the year.

Some experts, however, are not convinced the current rush of purchasers is sustainable. Ralph McLaughlin, Chief Economist at Haus, explained in their June 2020 Hausing Market Forecast why there is concern:

“The upswing that we’ll see this summer is a result of pent-up demand from homebuyers and supply-in-progress from homebuilders that has simply been pushed off a few months. However, after this pent-up demand goes away, the true economic scarring due to the pandemic will begin to affect the housing market as the tide of pent-up demand goes out.”

The virus and other challenges currently impacting the industry have created a wide range of thoughts regarding the future of home prices. Here’s a list of analysts and their projections, from the lowest depreciation to the highest appreciation:

We can garner two important points from this list:

  1. There is no real consensus among the experts.
  2. No one projects prices to crash like they did in 2008.

Bottom Line

Whether you’re thinking of buying a home or selling your house, know that home prices will not change dramatically this year, even with all of the uncertainty we’ve faced in 2020.

Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters

[elementor-template id=”2814″]
[elementor-template id=”3205″]

Check out this article next

Homebuyers Are in the Mood to Buy Today

Homebuyers Are in the Mood to Buy Today

According to the latest FreddieMac Quarterly Forecast, mortgage interest rates have fallen to historically low levels this spring and they’re projected to remain low. This…

Read Article
About the Author
Richard Wamsat
Richard Wamsat
Richard Wamsat is a Broker Associate and REALTOR with Coldwell Banker Realty in Irvine, California (CalDRE #01345167). Since 2002, Richard has represented clients throughout California in all price ranges, from first time homebuyers purchasing their first condo to seasoned investors buying and selling higher end properties. His current focus is on helping buyers and sellers in Orange County.

Richard bought his first home at nineteen and has worked in both Northern and Southern California markets, including the difficult years of the Great Recession when he negotiated with banks to help homeowners avoid foreclosure or get relief from underwater mortgages. That experience, combined with hundreds of successful closings since, gives his clients a practical understanding of how deals really get done in changing markets.

Committed to professional negotiation, Richard earned the Master Certified Negotiation Expert (MCNE) designation from the Real Estate Negotiation Institute, a member of the Harvard Program on Negotiation, along with additional credentials such as CNE, AHWD, CDPE, and SFR. Fewer than one percent of agents nationwide have achieved the MCNE designation, and Richard uses that training to structure offers, counteroffers, and terms that protect his clients’ interests without overpromising or relying on gimmicks.

Richard lives in Irvine with his wife, Brandy, and their fluffy white dog, Murphy. When you hire him, you get a calm, data driven advisor who takes the time to explain your options, walk you through the numbers, and help you make confident decisions about buying or selling a home in Orange County.