Give Me a Call

323-243-1234

Email Me

keely.myres@compass.com
Slide One
Slide One
Slide Two
Slide Two
Slide Three
Slide Three

LA Digs - Northeast LA Real Estate Blog

Welcome to LA Digs, the real estate and Northeast Los Angeles community blog written by Realtors Tracy King and Keely Myres.

Here, we share tips, market updates, and local news bits to keep you informed on what's happening in Northeast Los Angeles and the surrounding neighborhoods. Read on to learn about the latest in your neighborhood!

Why Aren’t Home Prices Crashing?

Los-Robles-5025-front-3sm

There have been a lot of shifts in the housing market recently. Mortgage rates rose dramatically last year, impacting many people’s ability to buy a home. And after several years of rapid price appreciation, home prices finally peaked last summer. These changes led to a rise in headlines saying prices would end up crashing.

Even though we’re no longer seeing the buyer frenzy that drove home values up during the pandemic, prices have been relatively flat at the national level. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), doesn’t expect that to change:

[H]ome prices will be steady in most parts of the country with a minor change in the national median home price.”

You might think sellers would have to lower prices to attract buyers in today’s market, and that’s part of why some may have been waiting for prices to come crashing down. But there’s another factor at play – low inventory. And according to Yun, that’s limiting just how low prices will go:

“We simply don’t have enough inventory. Will some markets see a price decline? Yes. [But] with the supply not being there, the repeat of a 30 percent price decline is highly, highly unlikely.”

As you can see in the graph below, we’ve been at or near record-low inventory levels for a few years now.

That lack of available homes on the market is putting upward pressure on prices. Bankrate puts it like this:

“This ongoing lack of inventory explains why many buyers still have little choice but to bid up prices. And it also indicates that the supply-and-demand equation simply won’t allow a price crash in the near future.”

If more homes don’t come to the market, a lack of supply will keep prices from crashing, and, according to industry expert Rick Sharga, inventory isn’t likely to rise significantly this year:

“I believe that we’re likely to see low inventory continue to vex the housing market throughout 2023.”

Sellers are under no pressure to move since they have plenty of equity right now. That equity acts as a cushion for homeowners, lowering the chances of distressed sales like foreclosures and short sales. And with many homeowners locked into low mortgage rates, that equity cushion isn’t going anywhere soon.

With so few homes available for sale today, it’s important to work with a trusted real estate agent who understands your local area and can navigate the current market volatility.

Bottom Line

A lot of people expected prices would crash this year thanks to low buyer demand, but that isn’t happening. Why? There aren’t enough homes for sale. If you’re thinking about moving this spring, let’s connect.

Continue reading
  315 Hits
Tags:
315 Hits

What is Happening in the Real Estate Market?

From our research department at Teles Properties:

The question is still- “What is Happening in the Market?”  This week, “Inside the Market” is highlighting a few articles that seem to address where we are and where things are going for the real estate market.  Topics include historically low mortgage rates, a housing market ready for a rebound, falling or rising home prices and the difficulty for some home buyers.  Take a look at all the articles below and share your thoughts!

December 12 – 16, 2011


Articles:

“Residential Housing Ready to Awaken?”

After half a decade of withering sales and slumping prices, there are strong and diverse signs that the single-family housing market is poised for a rebound.

CNBC



“Mortgage Rates Hold Near Record Low ”

Fixed mortgage rates in the U.S. again held near record lows over the past week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly survey of mortgage rates.

Wall Street Journal

“Why Home Prices Are (and Aren’t) Stabilizing”

Home prices are falling again, but some analysts see a silver lining because the prices of homes that aren’t selling out of foreclosure have been holding steady.

Wall Street Journal



“Lower Credit Scores Slow Housing Recovery by Thwarting Sales”

Many Americans’ credit scores have fallen because of economic distress in the last few years. It’s probably affecting their ability to get a new mortgage or buy a house

Los Angeles Times

To download the articles from this segment, click on the following links:

Residential Housing Market Ready to Rebound

Mortgage Rates Hold Near Record Low

Why Home Prices Are (and Aren’t) Stabilizing

Lower Credit Scores Slow Housing Recovery by Thwarting Sales

Continue reading
  2454 Hits
2454 Hits

If You're into Infinitesimal Changes...

The annual rate of change in home prices continues to show improvement, according to Standard & Poor’s. Data just released by the agency shows the 20-city composite reading of the S&P/Case-Shiller index for August came in below its year-ago level by 3.8 percent. The previous month, S&P reported a 4.1 percent annual decline. The closely watched gauge posted a 0.2 percent increase in August versus July, marking the fifth consecutive monthly gain.

Posted via email from Tracy's LA Real Estate

Continue reading
  2489 Hits
2489 Hits

Never Say Never

The headlines from the Los Angeles Business Journal read:

Will L.A. home prices ever head up? Yes, but foreclosures, demographics will make it a slow march.

The article continued:

After a wrenching 6-year decline, the good news is that Los Angeles house prices are no longer in a tailspin.

“People always ask me, ‘When will I see my house worth what it was in 1989?’ I tell them, ‘It’s going to be awhile,’” said Fred Sands, president of Fred Sands Realtors.

In L.A. County overall, home prices have fallen around 30% since 1990.

Yes, folks, this was published in 1996, over 15 years ago. Did prices ever go back up to what they were in 1989? They were at a median price of $215,000 then for Los Angeles County. According to the Los Angeles Almanac, the median returned to the $215,000 number in 2000, so it took eleven years to complete that cycle.

What are they now? According to Dataquick, the comprehensive real estate database, the median price in March, 2011 was $320,000, a 43% drop from the highest median price in Los Angeles County history in 2006 when it reached $584,800. When will we complete this cycle? No one knows, but please, never say never.
Continue reading
  2501 Hits
2501 Hits