Housing Inventory Shortage Causes

housing inventory shortage
Mover rates (infographic from census.gov)

A common complaint from home buyers is that there is lack of quality homes for sale.  A fact that most overlook is that home sale inventory has been relatively low since 2011.  The shortage has been attributed to many things including, home prices, economy, mortgage interest rates, jobs, etc.  However, a Freddie Mac report issued earlier this year pinpoints a major cause of the ongoing inventory shortage.  And according to the report, the housing shortage may get worse before it gets better.

A post-recession housing inventory shortage was actually predicted in 2010 by Brian Wesbury, chief economist for First Trust Advisers (Housing Shortage Coming In 2011; Forbes.com; February 15, 2010).  Wesbury’s industry startling prediction was based on statistics that require an average of 1.5 million homes to be added to the housing inventory each year just to be on par with population growth.  At that time, housing starts and completions were only a fraction of the 1.5 million target. 

Since then, housing market inventory has been low relative to the housing market prior to the great recession.  A lack of inventory has been attributed for inconsistent home sale stats this year, as well as previous years.  And although there have been a few years of post-recession record home sales, home sales have struggled for ten years to surpass pre-recession numbers. 

A study by Freddie Mac discusses one of the major causes of the recent housing shortage that has been impeding the real estate market, which is the growing trend of “aging in place.”  The study, published by Freddie Mac Insights earlier this year (While Seniors Age in Place, Millennials Wait Longer and May Pay More for their First Homes; freddiemac.com; February 6, 2019), is fueling an ongoing debate of the current housing inventory shortage. 

Aging in place is term given to aging home owners who stay on their homes as long as possible.  Rather than moving to retirement communities or other stereotypical older adult housing, seniors are staying put.  This trend is confirmed by a survey conducted by AARP that indicated “3 out of 4 adults age 50 and older want to stay in their homes and communities as they age” (2018 Home and Community Preferences: A National Survey of Adults Age 18-Plus; aarp.org; August 2018).

To highlight the impact of the current trend of aging in place, the Freddie Mac report pointed out that the home ownership rate for seniors aged 67 to 85 only dropped 3.6 percent, while the previous generation experienced a 11.6 percent drop in homeownership for the same age span.  A major revelation was that the current homeownership rate for seniors aged 81 to 85 is almost 15 times greater than the previous generation (for the same age span).

The Freddie Mac study looked at subdued millennial home buying trends and looked at who lived in the homes that millennials could have purchased.  The results indicated that seniors born after 1931 stayed in their homes longer, which resulted in higher homeownership rates compared to previous generations.  According to the study, “We estimate that this trend accounts for about 1.6 million houses held back from the market through 2018, representing about one year’s typical supply of new construction, or more than half of the current shortfall of 2.5 million housing units…This additional demand for homeownership from seniors will increase the relative price of owning versus renting, making renting more attractive to younger generations…

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2019

Original located at https://dankrell.com/blog/2019/07/21/housing-inventory-shortage-causes/

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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

Is recent housing bubble news cause for alarm

by Dan Krell

DanKrell.com
© 2013

real estate bubbleIf I said that we could experience another housing bubble, you might be concerned for my mental health.  But a couple of years ago I wrote about an impending housing shortage, which could spark another bubble similar to what occurred during 2004-2005.  The market-conditions similarities between 2004 and today are foreboding, if not intriguing. (Dan Krell © 2013)

There hasn’t been talk of a housing shortage since 2004; but looking at Montgomery County MD as an example, you might begin to see similarities between the housing bubble of 2005-2006 and today’s real estate market.

Monthly peek single family inventory in Montgomery County did not exceed 2,000 total active units in 2004; while the absorption rate was reported by the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors® (GCAAR.com) to be about 80% during the winter of 2004.  During the following year, the winter active inventory greatly increased and the absorption rates dropped to about 40%.  The result was a housing market that reached critical mass, and a one year appreciation rate of about 18% for Montgomery County single family homes; which played a key role in the rampant real estate speculation in 2005-2006.

Active housing inventory has been declining since 2010; the greatest decrease occurring during 2012.  According to the monthly home sale statistics posted on the GCAAR website (GCAAR.com), there were 1813 active single family inventory units for sale in Montgomery County during January 2012.  And although active single family units peaked for the year during the spring of 2012, active inventory dwindled to a low of 1198 active units for sale during January 2013 – a year over year decrease of about 40%. Additionally, the absorption rate of listed homes for sale is rapidly approaching 60%

Add the home price facet – on March 5th, CoreLogic (corelogic.com) reported that national home prices increased 9.7% during January 2013, as compared to January 2012.  This was reported to be the greatest year of year home price increase since 2006.

An additional and telling similarity between the pre-bubble years and present is the number of real estate investors jumping in to cash in on distressed properties.  Of course at the height of the real estate bubble of 2004-2006, real estate investing was transformed from the traditional “rehab and flip” to no rehab and flipping properties as quickly as possible.   A great number of homes sold today are to investors, either to rehab or to rent.

In 2004, like today, we were about three years post recession; albeit the recession of 2001 was not as protracted as the “Great Recession.”  At that time, like today, the Federal Reserve funds rate was historically low.

Although an “easy money” monetary policy is another similarity between the periods, a major difference is the availability of mortgage money.  Getting a mortgage is much more difficult today than it was in 2004-2005.  Buying a home without a down payment as well as qualifying for a mortgage without documenting income could have been a factor of the wide spread real estate speculation of 2005-2006.  Today, as a result of the bursting of the 2005-2006 housing bubble, underwriting qualifications are more demanding as are down payment requirements.

The housing bubble phenomenon is not a new or a recent experience; housing bubbles have occurred in the past and most likely will occur in the future.  When they occur, housing bubbles seem to coincide with a recessionary cycle.  And just like recessions, housing bubbles vary in duration and severity.  Sure, another housing bubble may be looming; but the next bubble may be confined to specific regions of the country, and possibly some local neighborhoods.

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This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws. Copyright © 2013 Dan Krell.

Housing shortage concerns; supply and demand

by Dan Krell © 2012
DanKrell.com

New HomesExactly two years ago, I wrote about the possibility of a housing shortage. In February 2010, Montgomery County’s housing inventory of homes for sale hit a two year low and was almost cut in half from the previous year; most likely due to a respite in the foreclosure tsunami. However, home inventories remained relatively low through 2011; as some looked forward to a renewed seller’s market, if not a balanced market.

So here we are in February 2012, and home inventory in the county is just about where it was in 2006- which is the consensus peak of the housing market. You might think that because home inventories are at a five year low, it might be a good time to jump into the market and list your home for sale.

Not so fast. Consider that the average time it took to sell a home during the peak of the market was no more than two months; much sooner in many cases. However, the current average time on the market is almost 30% longer today than what it was at the peak; much longer in many cases. Additionally, even though home inventory is similar to the peak market, the number of units sold compared to that time is about half; and keep in mind the average home sale price continues to fall.

For a home owner thinking of selling their home, it’s still a precarious market regardless of the reduced inventories. Although eager home buyers lament the limited choice of homes for sale, they are still demanding and selective. For home owners preparing their home to sell, the market is still about price and condition; make your home look its best. Keep in mind that about one-third of the home buyers in the market are first-time home buyers looking for their “perfect” home.

As I concluded two years ago, it’s not so much of housing shortage, but rather a market seeking equilibrium. Clearly, a market shift has taken place- but where?

As the number of single family homes listed for sale declines, the number of single family home listed for rent increases- as does the average rent. Supply and demand; another option for home sellers may be renting their home.

Homes for saleThe up side of leasing your home is that you can move on and have cash flow from the rental. To assist in determining an appropriate monthly rent, your Realtor® can provide neighborhood rental data. You should also consult with your accountant to make sure that leasing your home is an option; considerations in calculating rent may include (but is not limited to): tax implications, your mortgage payment, HOA/condo fees, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance.

Of course, solving one issue opens the door for others; there are disadvantages to renting your home as well. Other considerations might include (but not limited to) daily rental management, what to do if the tenant does not pay, and cost of repairs after the tenant vacates. Also, if you plan to rent your home to buy another home, don’t commit mortgage fraud; your lender may require extensive documentation on the rental – including an established rental history.

Although a balanced housing market may include increased rental inventory; do your due diligence before you decide to rent your home, and make sure it’s right for you.

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This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. This article was originally published in the Montgomery County Sentinel the week of February 20, 2012. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws. Copyright © 2012 Dan Krell.

Will an expected housing shortage cause another bubble market?

by Dan Krell © 2010

housing shortageLast week’s statements by Brian Wesbury may have startled the real estate industry. The chief economist for First Trust Advisers stated in an interview with Steve Forbes that the United States is headed for a housing shortage in 2011 (“Housing Shortage Coming In 2011” by Alexandra Zendrian, Forbes.com; 2/15/2010).

Mr. Wesbury’s dire prediction is predicated on housing statistics that indicate that the United States needs to add an annual average of 1.5 million homes to stay on par with population growth. The fact that housing starts and completions in the last two years have only been a fraction of the 1.5 million home target may be an indicator of a housing shortage. Even though the foreclosure crisis has added many homes to the market, the number of homes being built is significantly deficient in maintaining a reasonable pace with the population growth, according to Wesbury.

The last time people spoke of a housing shortage was in 2004, when monthly peek single family inventory for Montgomery County never exceeded 2,000 units and absorption rates of single family homes approached 80% during winter months (as reported in the 2005 Year in Review by the Greater Capital Association of Realtors). The following year, winter inventory soared and housing absorption rates did not exceed 40%. The result was a bubbling real estate market that exhibited an appreciation of 18% of single family home prices in Montgomery County from November 2004 to November 2005, even though inventory increased from 1,692 to 3,100 units for the same time period.

Cole Kendall, of Understanding Markets LLC (understandingthemarket.com), explains that the annual addition of 1.5 million homes is a benchmark that is widely used by economists to predict housing trends. The benchmark is based on a decade of demographic and economic data.

The problem is that since 2008, the Country’s economy and demography may have changed significantly, such that predictions based on historical data may be flawed. In fact, in 2008 Mr. Kendall was emphatic that over building occurred during the housing bubble. He stated that housing starts must remain low just to catch up with diminished demand, “It is impossible to know how many houses there should be in the U.S. at any time, but we can say that the gap between demographic demand and the supply of homes has been getting smaller.”

The national and local economy is vastly different today than it was earlier this dhousing shortageecade; so even if the demand for housing once again equaled the levels that existed in 2004, any resulting market gains may be expressed differently. Currently, unemployment and stricter lending policies are only a couple of changed factors that have significantly impacted the housing market in recent years. Compared to a time when many home buyers did not even need to prove they had a job (much less an income) to qualify for a mortgage, today’s lending environment is such that a home buyer not only needs to provide evidence of employment and income, they need a higher down payment as well as evidence of financial reserves to make their case for a mortgage.

There is no doubt that the housing supply is being reduced because of decreased demand. The result may not be a housing shortage, but more likely it is the manifestation of economic forces seeking equilibrium.

This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. This article was originally published in the Montgomery County Sentinel the week of February 22, 2010. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws. Copyright © 2010 Dan Krell