Folks are worried about buying in this market. They fear a bubble or market crash. We do not believe it is coming. However, here are some things to help ease your mind.
According to market experts during the market crash moving the country from the roaring 20s into the great depression, inflation-adjusted home prices fell by only 7%. I know that number seems small. We are talking about the market average here. Of course, some homes at the very top of the market would have lost more and those at the bottom may have lost less. By 1940 those same homes had not only gained back that 7% but had gained an additional 8% of value.
We saw very similar things during the “Housing Bubble” rupture of 2008. Many homes in the hottest markets at that time lost significant value, like up to 75%! Those same homes by 2018 had not only gained back their losses but had put on over 10% increases over their previous high. Keep in mind that a great majority of homes in North Texas actually saw no loss during that time, rather their values seemed to hover steadily for a few years then began to build value once again.
To me, that shows tremendous stability in the housing market and its ability to rebound. The housing market is one of the heaviest regulated in the country because so many people have so much of their life’s earnings involved. If you are thinking about buying a home for your family but are fearful of what home values may do in the future we can look to the past with confidence knowing that if we do see a downturn we can expect to see a light at the end of the tunnel in just 10 years. This really doesn’t seem like that much risk given that Americans tend to stay in their homes for 7 years. It only means if there is a blip in the market some folks may have to stay in their homes an additional 3 years.
We don’t believe we are heading into a great market crash or the bursting of a housing bubble, but with inflation, on the rise, this may be the best time to make your move.
-Tracy Hammons, Associate Broker, AT Home Texas Real Estate