Commentary

The Federal Open Market Committee moved to raise the nominal interest rate by 25 points to a range of 4.50-4.75% at the end of its February meeting.

“This recent low point in home sales activity is likely over,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s Chief Economist. “Mortgage rates are the dominant factor driving home sales, and recent declines in rates are clearly helping to stabilize the market.”

Housing market potential increased in November-December 2022 but remains lower than it was in December 2021.

"In our view, the balance still suggests a modest recession, particularly if the Federal Reserve maintains its focus on labor market tightness,” said Doug Duncan, SVP and Chief Economist for Fannie Mae.

“This proposed rule is a major step towards fulfilling the law's full promise and advancing our legal, ethical, and moral charge to provide equitable access to opportunity for all,” said Marcia L. Fudge, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Though the housing industry may not be able to pinpoint the next widescale impactful event, developing a well-grounded plan can help navigate it, mitigate risk, and get homeowners back on track.

A new blog post by David Luberoff and Chris Herbert, from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, discusses digitalization in a changing real estate market.

“It turns out that the core of the GSE business model—which protects the availability of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for the typical American homeowner—was really quite effective within the complex system of U.S. housing finance and unexpectedly hard to replace,” said Don Layton, former CEO of Freddie Mac, in a new op-ed.

“The higher the mortgage rate, the more sellers will go on strike and the more potential buyers will feel the impact of reduced house-buying power, but price appreciation will further slow and potential buyers can use adjustable-rate mortgages to regain some of that lost house-buying power,” said Mark Fleming, First American’s Chief Economist.

Despite the negativity surrounding the housing space, mortgage lenders can lead the way. Abby Waltz of Homes for Heroes explains how to show clients ways to uncover opportunities in today’s marketplace.