Home Price Growth Slowed Down in Q3
The Fannie Mae Home Price Index (FNM-HPI) measures the average quarterly price change for all single-family homes in the United States, excluding condos. It is a national index based on repeat transactions. According to the FNM-HPI, which was announced on Monday, home price growth decreased from 19.1% in Q2 2022 to 13.2% in Q3 2022 as mortgage rates increased and housing inventories rose.
Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae, said in a statement that the third-quarter slowdown in year-over-year home price growth resulted from rising mortgage rates and decreasing housing affordability. “Furthermore, the supply of completed, new single-family homes for sale has begun to rise, suggesting that homebuilders may also need to begin offering greater price concessions to move inventory. We expect these trends to continue in the coming months,” Duncan said.
Millennials versus Homeownership
The fastest-growing demographic in terms of homebuyers, millennials make up about one-fifth of the American population. They account for 43% of all new home purchases. However, compared to older generations, fewer millennials are purchasing homes.
According to a Fannie Mae survey from 2019, more than half of millennials and Gen Zers (55%) believe housing is out of their price range. In addition, when compared to earlier generations, millennials are less likely to purchase homes for the following reasons:
Low mortgage rates, housing shortages, inflation, and growing building material costs put high housing costs at the top of the list. The National Association of REALTORS reports that the typical price of an existing home has increased to over $350,000—an all-time high.
Next is the substantial debt load that many millennials have. Sadly, more than 75 percent of millennials are also dealing with debt, which makes it extremely difficult to have enough money for a down payment on a house.
Finally, stricter loan requirements deter millennials from buying a home. According to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage credit availability decreased in June 2021. The Mortgage Credit Availability Index dropping by 8.5% in June of last year is another sign that lending criteria are tightening.
Millennials stated they are likely to buy a property in the next two years due to an improvement in their financial situation, which is consistent with healthy household balance sheets and rising incomes in the United States, according to the 2022 Millennial Home Improvement Survey.
Next week’s potential market-moving reports are:
- Monday, October 24th – Chicago Fed National Activity Index, S&P U.S. Services PMI
- Tuesday, October 25th – S&P Case-Shiller U.S. Home Price Index, FHFA U.S. Home Price Index
- Wednesday, October 26th – New Home Sales (SAAR)
- Thursday, October 27th – Initial Jobless Claims, Continuing Jobless Claims
- Friday, October 28th – Employment Cost Index (SAAR), Pending Home Sales Index
As your mortgage and real estate professional, I am happy to assist you with any information you may need regarding mortgage or real estate trends. I welcome the opportunity to serve you in any way I possibly can. Please feel free to reach me at 310-905-5587.
