Understanding today's housing market

Many people worry about a potential housing market crash, but when we examine the facts, it becomes clear that today's market is fundamentally different from the conditions that led to the 2008 housing crisis. Let's break it down:

1. Stricter Lending Standards: Getting a home loan is now more challenging than before. Banks have implemented stricter rules, requiring thorough documentation, higher credit scores, and larger down payments. This reduces the number of risky loans and ensures borrowers are financially stable.
2. Tighter Financial Regulations: After the housing crisis, financial regulations were enhanced to promote stability and protect consumers from predatory lending practices. These measures have made the lending environment safer.
3. Strong Market Fundamentals: Today's housing market is driven by genuine demand, limited supply, and low-interest rates. Factors like population growth contribute to the seller's market, unlike the speculative practices seen pre-2008.
4. Quick Job Recovery: Unlike the prolonged job crisis of the Great Recession, the job market has rebounded rapidly. This reduces the risk of homeowners facing financial hardships and defaulting on their mortgages.
5. Limited Housing Inventory: Currently, there is a shortage of available homes due to insufficient construction in recent years. This scarcity helps maintain home prices and lowers the risk of a significant price crash.
6. Record-High Equity Levels: Rising home prices during the pandemic boosted homeowners' equity. This acts as a safety net, protecting against foreclosure if homeowners face financial difficulties.

By understanding these factors, we can see that today's housing market is fundamentally different. Stricter lending, tighter regulations, stronger fundamentals, quick job recovery, limited inventory, and high equity levels contribute to a more stable market. While no market is immune to fluctuations, the current conditions do not suggest an imminent crash.

As the graph illustrates, it is now considerably more challenging to obtain a mortgage compared to the pre-2008 period. Banks now require thorough documentation, higher credit scores, and more substantial down payments from borrowers. These changes have significantly reduced the number of risky loans and ensured that borrowers are financially stable with a stronger ability to repay their mortgages.

The graph below, sourced from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Federal Reserve, illustrates the months' supply of homes for sale in comparison to the Great Recession. Today, the unsold inventory sits at  historically low of 3 months of supply. That is still a seller's markeThis limited inventory helps maintain home prices and mitigates the risk of a substantial price crash.

Real estate is local and we are here to help you understand what is happening in your area.