For years, there have not been enough homes on the market, and the start to 2020 is especially pronounced.
Low Supply: The active inventory is extremely low to start the year, down 34% compared to the start to 2019.
Life is a time crunch. Inevitably, important errands are left to the last minute. It’s happened to everybody at one time or another. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, it will happen again. Many will head to the grocery store on February 13th and make a bee line to the greeting card aisle, only to find twenty other procrastinators hurriedly looking for the best card. Squeezing between the crowd reveals a half empty shelf with the best cards undoubtedly already taken. The whole ordeal is frustrating. Similarly, buyers this year are just as frustrated. The Orange County housing shelves are half empty. It is tough being a buyer looking for a home in today’s market. The year started with 3,692 homes, the third lowest start in decades behind 2013 and 2018. There were 5,565 homes to start 2019, 51% more than January 1, 2020. There were a lot more choices a year ago, but not today. The trend of the supply problem dates to the beginning of the Great Recession, 2008. Ever since then, fewer and fewer homeowners have placed FOR SALE signs in their front yard. This trend is hardly a blip on the radar screen; instead, it has continued for twelve consecutive years. Last year may have seemed like a better year with more homes to choose from, but that was caused by diminished demand due to higher interest rates. Homes that typically would have sold in prior years lingered on the market until interest rates dropped to historical lows, dropping from 4.5% at the start of 2018 to below 3 by the end of May.
