Many are wondering how the real estate market will be impacted with all this uncertainty. In March, the unemployment rate in California rose to 5.3, which was a 1.4 jump from the previous month — this means a lot of people are either completely unemployed or their hours were reduced. So, it’s understandable that the real estate market will be impacted somehow. The question is how much and for how long.
The California Association of Realtors has been following the trends and recently released the following sales and price report:
This chart means the home sales decreased in March and, as of the date of this report, they were expected to be even lower in April. However, according to their research, median home prices increased. This could be as a result of less inventory. If less homeowners put their homes on the market, the demand becomes higher. Since interest rates are still at their lowest, serious homebuyers are searching for homes. Therefore, there is demand and prices increase.
So what does this mean for you? If you are a seller who has been on the fence about selling, this is the perfect time to sell because you have less competition and there is still demand. If you are a buyer, it is also a great time to buy because interest rates are at their lowest –the lower the interest rate, the lower your mortgage payment and the higher your buying power.
I believe the length of time these trends will continue will depend on how much longer the pandemic affects unemployment. This is a public health crisis, but unfortunately, it is impacting the economic stability of our nation. As of right right now, if you are in a position where you can sell or buy, I would recommend you do it. This pandemic is changing everything every day if not every hour, so waiting too long to see what happens, could be a costly decision in the future.
Lupe Ruiz 