Hello Everyone: Thought this article would be of interest to you. Over and over again I keep hearing there are not enough homes for sale for buyers wanting to buy. This article seems to confirm this.
Housing Starts, March 16, 2023
March
16, 2023
By: Lawrence
Yun
Apartment and multifamily housing
construction continued its near 40-year high trends with 620,000 units started
in February. The market is responding to solid rent growth and low vacancy rates
of both apartments and single-family rental units. But with such active
construction, plenty of empty units will be hitting the market throughout this
year and the next. Rents will calm down – a preferred way to rent control – and
will even drive the overall consumer price inflation to be manageable.
Single-family home construction is
much more restrained. Only 830,000 units were started, well below the pre-COVID
year of 2019, and lower than the one million units historical average and
required given the normal population growth. It is understandable given high
mortgage rates for homebuilders to be cautious. However, once rents and
consumer price inflation calm down, mortgage rates will be lower. Will there be
enough inventory to satisfy rising home purchase demand?
Chief Economist
Lawrence Yun is Chief Economist for
the National Association of REALTORS®.