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A Year in Review: 2018 Mortgage Trends
2018 has been an interesting year for mortgages. Economic experts keep an eye on various signs and trends to help them predict what's to come, even as homebuyers continue to make moves and change the market. Check out these three trends in home mortgages that we noticed in 2018.
Home Demand Continues to Grow. This continues to be a seller's market as fewer people put their homes up for sale. Home demand is growing as young people look to find their first homes and older residents live longer in the homes they are in. This is good news for builders and investors in development companies.
Affordability Is on the Decline.The challenge of living in a seller's market is that home prices will continue to increase while overall affordability declines. Studies show that fewer people are able to find homes in their price range, causing more people to keep renting or move to less expensive areas.
Interest Rates Are on the Rise. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates in September of 2018, signaling the health of the economy. The Fed lowered interest rates during the recession but is starting to increase them as the economy strengthens. This makes buying a house even more expensive, which could push some homebuyers out of the market. Conversely, others might buy their homes soon before the Fed increases interest rates even higher.
While 2018 was an exciting year for mortgages, 2019 is expected to be just as eventful as the markets continue to shift and demand either increases or decreases based on the rest of the economy.
Sources: Nerdwallet, USA Today
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