arhome realty blog - Market Updates

2021 Housing Market Outlook

Posted by arhome realty on December 30th, 2020

2021 Housing Market Outlook

2020 was the year of surprises. We saw an instant dip in the market when the virus news came to the US, only to turn around and witness one of the biggest booms in sales volume and prices in the last decade.

So what will 2021 hold? Are we headed for a crash, or will this keep going? Here's what experts are predicting.

Prices

Despite the price bubble being the highest we've seen in over 10 years, most economist are predicting continued increases that head towards stability. Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale says prices will rise another 5.7% above 2020’s already high numbers. CoreLogic deputy chief economist Selma Hepp confirms the continued home price appreciation. There is general agreement that rising…

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Housing Market Remains Resilient: Summer 2020

Posted by arhome realty on August 3rd, 2020

"While the health and economic impact has been significant, the U.S. housing market has remained surprisingly resilient, and consumers continue to view home ownership as the foundation of the American Dream. Home buyers remain steadfast in the main attributes they seek--three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a garage. However, the quarantine has made people rethink where and why they want a new home," says realtor.com® Senior Economist George Ratiu. 

The market is largely buyer-driven - if there is a demand, properties will sell. If no one wants to buy, the market will be slow. So let's see what current buyers are thinking and doing right now.

Here are the findings of the most recent, post-covid survey from realtor.com®.

How do buyers feel about…

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Mortgage Rates Drop Below 3%

Posted by arhome realty on May 22nd, 2020

The average rates on 30-year fixed-rate loans hit record lows this week. Mortgage News Daily reports that the average rate for a 30-year fixed rate loan is just barely above 3%; for FHA loans, its dropped all the way to 2.75%.

That’s lower than we’ve seen in many, many years.

Why are rates dropping so low?

Of course, we know the COVID-19 pandemic is involved. But according to Fed chairman Jerome Powell, this has hit the economy in ways that are worse than any typical recession. Powell stated recently: ”The scope and speed of this downturn are without modern precedent and are significantly worse than any recession since World War II.” That’s powerful.

With predictions that our economy may not recover until the end of next year, the…

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Chicago Spring Market Update

Posted by arhome realty on May 6th, 2020

Ever since COVID-19 news hit the world, the real estate market met a significant crossroads: many people were questioning if it was a good time to sell, for safety, and what would happen to our still-strong prices. Data now backs up that we did, in fact, see a halt in the market. Especially towards the end of March, there was a drastic drop in newly listed properties - less than half of the amount listed that week last year (keep in mind, before the pandemic hit, 2020 numbers were exceeding 2019 numbers). So yes, the response was strong.

There is still good news in all of this: first off, our data shows that as of May 4, 2020, median sales prices are still higher than 2019, and haven't seen any huge shifts aside from a small dip 2 weeks ago (see…

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Real Estate & Reasons to Stay Positive

Posted by arhome realty on March 30th, 2020

As the world is feeling the COVID-19 impact, it seems no industry is immune. Real Estate, above anything, is getting hit with the "worry" impact more than a physical industry disruption. Buyers nervous about job security are nervous about future mortgage payments. Sellers are nervous to let viewers inside their homes. Investors are nervous about future property values. Nervous, nervous, nervous.

But for those in search of the silver lining during these trying times, here's some good news: despite the Illinois mandatory shut down, the real estate industry is keeping up at a steady pace so far — and we have facts to prove it. For all those who need some industry encouragement, we've put together a list of positive local real estate news for our…

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