A DIVE INTO HOUSING’S STRENGTHS
With a low supply, fierce demand, low mortgage rates, and a strong demographic of first-time buyers, the housing market is on strong footing.
It’s that time of year. There are Halloween costumes at Costco. The kids are back to school, online for now. Mornings are a lot darker with the sun rising later. The official start to autumn is not until Tuesday, September 22, but signs are beginning to emerge that the seasons are about to change.
As for Orange County housing, the Autumn Market typically starts at the end of August when kids head back to school. With the Spring and Summer Markets in the rear-view mirror, many families back off their pursuit in purchasing a home. Similarly, fewer homeowners enter the fray and many unsuccessful sellers pull their homes off the market. With the kids back in school, the timing is just not the best for families. Moving can be disruptive while the kids are focusing on their education.
Yet, 2020 has been nothing close to ordinary or typical. What should have been the Spring Market, March through May, turned into one of the slowest springs in memory. The “Stay at Home” order and initial shock and anxiety of the Coronavirus kept buyers from buying and homeowners from selling. As the real estate industry adapted becoming an essential service, and the shock of the virus that included social distancing, sanitizing, and dawning a mask waned, housing surged. The Summer Market became the Spring Market in 2020. It appears as if the Autumn Market is going to be the Summer Market in 2020, not quite as hot as June, July, and August, but still quite busy with homes flying off the market and generating multiple offers. All signs point to an extraordinary September, October, and first half of November.
This excerpt taken from an article written by Steven Thomas
Quantitative Economics and Decision Sciences, B.A.
