Where Do Experts Say the Housing Market Is Heading?

Where Do Experts Say the Housing Market Is Heading? | Simplifying The Market

As we enter the middle of 2021, many are wondering if we’ll see big changes in the housing market during the second half of this year. Here’s a look at what some experts have to say about key factors that will drive the industry and the economy forward in the months to come.

realtor.com

“. . . homes continue to sell quickly in what’s normally the fastest-moving time of the year. This is in contrast with 2020 when homes sold slower in the spring and fastest in September and October. While we expect fall to be competitive, this year’s seasonal pattern is likely to be more normal, with homes selling fastest from roughly now until mid-summer.”

National Association of Realtors (NAR)

Sellers who have been hesitant to list homes as part of their personal health safety precautions may be more encouraged to list and show their homes with a population mostly vaccinated by the mid-year.”

Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com

“Surveys showed that seller confidence continued to rise in April. Extra confidence plus our recent survey finding that more homeowners than normal are planning to list their homes for sale in the next 12 months suggest that while we may not see an end to the sellers’ market, we might see the intensity of the competition diminish as buyers have more options to choose from.”

Freddie Mac

We forecast that mortgage rates will continue to rise through the end of next year. We estimate the 30-year fixed mortgage rate will average 3.4% in the fourth quarter of 2021, rising to 3.8% in the fourth quarter of 2022.”

Bottom Line

Experts are optimistic about the second half of the year. Let’s connect today to talk more about the conditions in our local market.

Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters

* This article was originally published here

CARVANA 100

Thought y’all might be interested in a very unique experience and a very positive one at that! I am the first to admit, this is a bit of eating crow, but oh well, when necessary – eat crow!.

However many years ago it was when I saw them building the Carvana carousel on 1604 near I-10, I remember thinking who would ever want to buy a car that way? Perhaps jaded by a lifetime of going to a dealership and being sold – I was not ready for a change. Fast forward to 2021 and look at what happened!

To set the stage – my 3 prior vehicles during the last 10 years were brand new Cadillacs. Actually, since starting in real estate in 2005, I had always maintained a car that seemed suitable to take clients house shopping and that was fine - then. 


Experience in recent years, even pre-virus, seems clients prefer to meet at the perspective house. Folks shop differently now.

So, time for fun! Time for a sporty car that I enjoy driving! (Sorry Cadillac - your cars are fun to drive too - this is just "different") The question remained – could I have the casual car and still take care of the real estate business? I was not about to go brand new and take the new car first year depreciation if this was a bad decision. 

I needed a contingency in case it was necessary to return to a more traditional type of vehicle and this silver Camaro fit the need – nicely. It is not my first one – I had a red one 30 years ago – loved that car. Kept it 5 years and sold it with 10,300 miles on it. And now, I love this Camaro! Hopefully clients will understand.

The experience with Carvana was off the charts AMAZING. I got to look at so many cars, and see maintenance records and car history and where the car lived before – sometimes even original sticker cost. And NO PRESSURE – EVER! I browsed, saved, and changed my mind – and repeated those steps again – like the kid in the candy store with so many choices. I found their pricing very competitive. And, no worry about buying without having seen the car in person - knowing that there was a week-long option to work through any regrets and return the car if it was not a match (I did not return the car).


Now this story is NOT about a problem free transaction. The real story is how everything was handled and how everyone navigated the rough waters when things did go wrong. I ordered a different car at first. Weather issues were going to delay delivery from Indiana and Carvana gave me an option to wait or make another choice. Reflecting on that, I am glad it happened. When I made the new selection is when I decided on the Camaro – convertible!!!!

 

The convertible was in Arizona and needed to be shipped here – that does not take long at all. But, on arrival – the top was damaged. YIKES! This could not be happening. Carvana said they would not deliver the car that way and again gave me options – something told me to stay with the Camaro. They had to put an all new top on it and they do that with the professionals at a local Chevrolet dealer. The results – amazing – and it felt that my 2019 was brand new.

Throughout the entire transaction, from selecting the cars, calling for information, changing my order to a different car, dealing with the roof delay – EVERY person I talked with at Carvana had a “smile in their voice” – EVERY PROMISE ever made was kept, even a simple promise like calling me back was kept – no excuses. The delivery driver wore the necessary mask – but you could tell, even he had the Carvana smile and commitment.

And that is why I titled this post Carvana 100. It is not often you deal with a company that has a 100% rating. Carvana and its employees do. And this is a small way to simply say “Thank You”.

I bought the car in January - and all these months later still very happy with the car and Carvana.

* * * * * * * * * * * 

PS:  I don’t think I have ever added a PS to a story in this blog, but this last photo I am sharing is hopefully to give all you readers a smile today. This little pooch I bought in 1970 (NOT a typo) and he has been with me in every car I purchased or leased since then. He was a replacement for a pair of large dice that used to hang from the rearview mirror. Never thought about giving him a name – he is just family I guess.

Meal Prep


Mealtime can be very enjoyable in your own kitchen! Are you ready for your own home - and your own kitchen? Checkout today's video and some of our post on Pinterest for ideas.