The highest mortgage rates in more than two decades are keeping many prospective homebuyers out of the market and discouraging homeowners who locked in ultra-low rates from listing their home for sale.
The dearth of available properties is propping up prices even as sales of previously occupied U.S. homes have slumped 21% through the first eight months of this year.
The combination of elevated rates and low home inventory has worsened the affordability crunch. Where does that leave homebuyers, given that some economists project that the average rate on a 30-year mortgage is unlikely to ease below 7% before next year?
Get what you give what?
And people are currently incentivized to buy houses and rent them because of extreme shortages in supply. This is all very predictable behavior. No one is buying every house. Lots of people are buying several houses to rent as income - increasing supply makes that unprofitable over mortgage costs, disincentivizing the practice.
You’re not gonna beat supply and demand, ever.
There are tons of new houses being built in desirable areas. I’m near one. They’re mostly owned by LLCs. Businesses need to be banned from owning residential property. It’s the ONLY way to ensure reasonable prices.