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National Mortgage and Real Estate News For Monday December 24th 2024
Here’s your weekly snapshot of mortgage and real estate headlines for December 24 December 24, 2024:
Mortgage Rate Changes
30-Year Fixed Rates:
- The national average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage hit 6.75%.
- As a result, predicting competitive rates shortly has become easier.
15-Year Fixed Rates:
- The market continues offering 15-year fixed mortgage rates at around 6.15%.
- Much lower than before.
ARM Rates:
- The popularity of adjustable-rate mortgages has prompted lenders to cut back on their offerings.
- 5/1 ARMs, conversely, have an average interest of 6.50%.
- A flash in the arm is observed and foreseen for early 2025, as inflation is also predicted to remain strong.
Housing Market Analysis
Home Prices:
- Key markets such as Florida, Texas, and California show continued appreciation in median home prices. At the same time, states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania still appear to have leveled out at more sustainable rates.
Inventory Shortages:
- Urban areas, in particular, are experiencing volatile market conditions.
- While demand and, thus, prices continue to stay high, supply remains at historic lows.
Best Buyers’ Markets:
- Buffalo, New York, and Detroit, Michigan, are approaching reasonable prices for new homebuyers.
Here Are The Updates About FHA Loans For 2024
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) raised the loan limit thresholds effective January 1, 2024.
- In low-cost areas, it is set to $500,000.
- The limit is set at $1.2 million in high-cost areas that can afford it, enabling homebuyers to have more choices.
Non-QM Loans Are Getting Popular Among Self-Employed Borrowers
Non-qualified mortgage loans are becoming more popular as more self-employed individuals enter the market. Various lending institutions have a wide variety of condotel and short-term investing options.
Shift in How Commercial Real Estates Are Sought After
The demand for multifamily building loans is increasing as more builders develop a strategy for constructing more projects in urban and suburban locations. Improvement in market conditions has enabled better entry price points for spec building of 1-4 unit real estate.
Private Equity Market with a Focus on Strategic Sourcing: The Midwest
Wisconsin:
- House prices continue to increase near Madison and Racine counties as more people from the area look for cheap housing and a better lifestyle.
Illinois:
- Chicago has a consistent level of interest for FHA loans, thanks to first-time home buyers who require financing and downpayment assistance programs.
Realstock Investor Programs
Realty investors are moving away from all capital cities and looking towards second-hand rental properties, as there is a good demand for rentals. There is still much interest in short-term furnished rental properties for places that are big tourist spots, but policymakers are increasingly holding back investment.
Top Updates to Regulation: There Is
The National Association of REALTORS(r) has settled on paying a realtor and buyer commission adjustments and structure to be in place come 2025. This has been proposed due to a discussion of concern that the agents will become purely marketing specialists, hence, out of the market.
Watch out for more analysis of these trends as the new year progresses.
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2 Replies
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Mortgage rates continue to climb. Home prices have skyrocketed, and with the combination of inflation, historic high mortgage rates, and home prices at historic highs, many would-be homebuyers are priced out of the housing market. Many renters who have dreams of becoming homeowners are priced out of the housing market. Many home builders are sitting on inventory, especially in Florida, Texas, and dozens of states. How is the housing and mortgage market forecast for 2025? Are we nearing a 2008 financial and real estate market collapse? Foreclosure rates and bankruptcy numbers are peaking at an all-time high. Many car dealerships are going bankrupt. Many people voluntarily turn in their cars because they can no longer afford it. Can you please tell me what the Trump Administration has in mind to fix this major disaster that is about to happen?
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US housing market predictions remain abysmal. Excessively high mortgage rates coupled with lavish home prices result in elevated rates of bankruptcy and foreclosures. As we delve deeper into this forecast, we will also try to understand the policies that the Trump Administration plans to implement to help navigate us through these problems.
2025 Housing Market Forecast
Mortgage Rates:
- According to NAR, mortgage rates are expected to fall to six percent and with falling rates.
- Pre-owned homes and new constructions will likely be in great demand.
Inventory Levels:
- There are strong indications that the housing inventory will likely increase by approximately eleven percent.
- This would allow buyers with greater options.
- However, it is also expected that the levels will likely remain below what they were before the pandemic.
Foreclosures and Bankruptcies
The picture painted by the current state of the economy goes on to suggest that housing markets in 2025 will likely see a spike in foreclosures due to high construction costs, which will result in further bankruptcies.
Comparison to the 2008 Financial Crisis
There is no denying that increasing economic instability in the US coupled with a spike in foreclosure rates is worrisome. However, the present housing market seems to contrast starkly with the one during the financial crisis 2008. Owing to strict lending standards and high homeowner equity in the market, we are shielded from a downturn, but prudent behavior is required to mitigate potential risks.
Proposed Housing Policies in the Kingdom of Trump
Now, onto the Trump administration’s proposals to conciliate the problems related to the housing market:
Cut back on Regulations
Plans include deregulating home-building companies, which could reduce the cost of construction and increase the supply of homes.
Federal Lands Use
Proposals to freely use federal land to build homes would increase the supply of homes, especially in areas with deficits.
Dealing with High Prices
The crisis in high prices will be resolved because the administration will ensure that the social and other costs of new construction are lowered, federal spending aimed at procuring cheap homes for the population is raised, and speculation that raises prices is suppressed.
Infrastructure and Spatial Development
It is proposed that new transport systems be located and that living costs, including housing expenditures, be reduced by constructing “Freedom Cities” on unused federal land.
In 2025, the housing market is expected to benefit from a mild increase in house prices and a decline in the mortgage interest rate, but the increase will be close to negligible. The investments hypothesized during Trump’s presidency focused mostly on making housing more affordable and providing a larger supply, which inevitably solved at least some of the complications faced by home buyers and renters alike. As such, the value of such actions remains tied to implementation and an overloaded economy.
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