Four Expert Views on the 2021 Housing Market
The housing market was a shining star in 2020, fueling the economic turnaround throughout the country. As we look forward to 2021, can we expect real estate to continue showing such promise? Here’s what four experts have to say about the year ahead.
Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, National Association of Realtors (NAR)
“In 2021, I think rates will be similar or modestly higher, maybe 3%…So, mortgage rates will continue to be historically favorable.”
Danielle Hale, Chief Economist, realtor.com
“We expect sales to grow 7 percent and prices to rise another 5.7 percent on top of 2020’s already high levels.”
Robert Dietz, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
“With home builder confidence near record highs, we expect continued gains for single-family construction, albeit at a lower growth rate than in 2019. Some slowing of new home sales growth will occur due to the fact that a growing share of sales has come from homes that have not started construction. Nonetheless, buyer traffic will remain strong given favorable demographics, a shifting geography of housing demand to lower-density markets and historically low interest rates.”
Mark Fleming, Chief Economist, First American
“Mortgage rates are expected to remain low for the foreseeable future and millennials will continue forming households, keeping demand robust, even if income growth moderates. Despite the best intentions of home builders to provide more housing supply, the big short in housing supply will continue into 2021 and likely keep house price appreciation flying high.”
Bottom Line
A few other housing economists are predicting interest rates between 2.8 and 3.3 with housing prices rising a modest 4% after the 2020 increase of 7.4%….. and housing sales should increase about 6% depending on whether there will be an increase in the inventory this year!
Whether you’re ready to buy or sell a home in 2021, if you’re planning to take advantage of the market this winter, let’s connect to talk about the opportunities available in our coastal real estate market from Navarre Beach, Florida to Gulf Shores, Alabama.
