Source: Redfin News—
The median home sale price surged 16% year over year during the week ending January 9 to an all-time high of $365,000. Prices keep climbing because the supply drought keeps deepening while demand increases. The number of homes for sale fell to a new low as listings hit the market at a slower rate than they did early last year. Yet homebuyer activity–as measured by the Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index–jumped 9%. Mortgage rates rose to 3.45% during the seven days ending January 13, making homebuying more expensive as overall inflation hit a 40-year high.
“The stage is now set for the most competitive January housing market in recorded history,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. “Buyers are pouring into the market to claim a home before mortgage rates rise further as new listings slow to a trickle. The conditions are becoming increasingly challenging for first-time homebuyers, who will have to compete against more experienced buyers who are willing to do whatever it takes to win. But I expect that by the time mortgage rates increase to 3.6%, competition will settle down quickly to levels similar to late-2018.”
;
