What’s Next for Real Estate? Watch This Indicator
Most real estate observers don’t even mention this housing market indicator
by Bob Stokes
Updated: December 21, 2022
It wasn't so long ago that home buyers were so eager to buy a house that they were foregoing home inspections and paying even more than what was already a lofty asking price.
Many of those home buyers who paid top dollar during the past couple of years are now having second thoughts. Here's a Dec. 8 headline from Fortune magazine:
Recent U.S. homebuyers are being hit with a massive wave of regret
TheStreet.com ran a similar story back on August 26:
Seven of 10 Recent U.S. Homebuyers Have Regrets...
The biggest reason for the remorse is that home buyers felt they spent too much money.
Unfortunately, it appears that this #1 regret will only become more pronounced -- if history is a guide.
What I'm talking about is this: Home prices tend to follow home sales and this headline tells you what's been going on with home sales (CNBC, Nov. 18):
Home sales fell for the ninth straight month in October...
Data has started to come in for some local real estate markets for November and it appears the downward trend is persisting. Here are just three examples:
- Atlanta home prices, sales dip again in November (Dec. 9, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
- Long Island Home Sales Plummet... in November (Dec. 15, Newsday)
- Home sales saw double-digit drop in Humboldt County [CA] in November (Dec. 16, Eureka Times-Standard
Homes sales is just one indicator of the likely future trend in home prices.
Another indicator is the stock market. In other words, home prices tend to trend with the stock market.
Indeed, Robert Prechter's book, Last Chance to Conquer the Crash, showed this chart and said:
Real estate prices have always fallen hard when stock prices have fallen hard. [The chart] displays this reliable relationship.
The overwhelming evidence currently in place for a major stock market decline is enough by itself to portend a tumble in real estate prices.
The stock market, as you know, has been in decline for over a year now. So, the question is, are stocks going to rebound from here and push real estate prices up, too -- or is there more evidence for a further stock market decline?
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