During the fourth quarter of last year, some housing experts projected home prices would crash in 2023. The media ran with those forecasts and posted headlines calling for doom and gloom in the housing market. All of this negative news coverage made many people doubt the strength of the residential real estate market.
If it made you question if you should delay your plans to move, here’s what you need to know.
Home Prices Never Crashed
Disregard what you saw in the headlines. The actual data shows home prices were remarkably resilient and performed far better than the media would have you believe (see graph below):
This graph uses reports from three trusted sources to clearly illustrate that prices have already rebounded after experiencing only slight national declines. That’s a far cry from the crash so many articles called for.
The declines that did happen (shown in red) weren’t drastic but were short-lived. As Nicole Friedman, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), says:
“Home prices aren’t falling anymore. . . The surprisingly quick recovery suggests that the residential real-estate downturn is turning out to be shorter and shallower than many housing economists expected . . .”
Even though some media coverage made a big deal about home prices pulling back, the slight correction is already in the rearview mirror. This data shows you that home prices aren’t falling anymore – they’re going back up.
What’s Next for Home Prices?
The consensus from experts is that home price growth will continue in the years ahead and is returning to normal levels for the market. That means we’ll still see home prices appreciating at a slower pace than the last few years – and that’s a good thing.
Some news sources will see price growth slowing and tell stories that make you think prices are falling again. The return of misleading headlines like those already impacts how homebuyers feel again. You can see how this affects general opinion in the Consumer Confidence Survey from Fannie Mae (see graph below):
While the percentage of Americans who think prices will fall has been slowly declining this year, the latest Consumer Confidence data indicates that it’s ticked back up recently (shown in red). This change is surprising, especially since the home price data shows prices are going up, not down. It tells you the impact the media still has on public opinion.
Don’t fall for the negative headlines and become part of this statistic. Remember, data from several sources shows home prices aren’t falling anymore.
Key Takeaway
Even though the media may make things sound doom and gloom, the data shows home prices aren’t falling. So, don’t let the headlines scare you or delay your plans. Let’s connect so you have a trusted resource to cut through the noise and tell you what’s happening in our area.
Other educational articles about the market and your home search are under Karen’s Blog. Additionally, explore the search bar for other topics of interest.
