Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) announced a 3.2-point uptick in its Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) from May to June to a reading of 72.6. The HPSI is also up 6.6 points compared to the same time last year.
In June, 19% of consumers surveyed for the HPSI data believed now is a good time to buy a home, up from the survey low of 14% in May, while the share believing it’s a good time to sell also increased from 64% to 66%. However, greater shares of consumers predicted home prices and mortgage rates would rise over the next 12 months.
“Affordability concerns remain the primary driver of consumer housing sentiment, even as the topline findings from our monthly survey showed a modest uptick in optimism on both homebuying and home-selling conditions,” said Mark Palim, Fannie Mae vice president and deputy chief economist. “If mortgage rates decline through the end of the year, as we currently forecast, we do think home sales activity will pick up, but progress on that front is likely to be slow due to the ongoing imbalance between supply and demand.”
Palim added, “A significant majority of consumers continue to tell us that it’s a ‘bad time’ to buy a home, and they’re also telling us that they expect both home prices and mortgage rates to move higher over the next 12 months. Taken together, in our view, this leaves little upside to overall sentiment until meaningful progress is made on affordability – most likely in the form of either lower rates or improved supply. Of course, the flip side to a difficult purchase market is an advantageous sales market, and respondents also maintained their position that it’s a generally good time to sell, pointing to high home prices as the primary reason.”
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