What is the Hottest Word In Real Estate Right Now?
We’re hearing one particular word a lot right now: shift. Just like “pivot” “the new normal” and “pre-COVID” were big buzzwords, we’re getting asked about the market shift a lot right now. Here are three shifts we’ve got our eyes on.

Shifting Expectations
For much of 2020 and 2021, it was not uncommon to put your house on the market and have multiple offers in the first few days. Some buyers would line up at the doors of an open house and make an offer in the first few hours, often above the asking price. That kind of toilet paper-esque craze was not normal then, and it’s not nearly as prevalent today. While sellers can expect their home to be on the market a little longer, it’s only a slight so far in 2022, with homes staying on the market an average fo 13 days versus just 9 in the same period in 2021.

Shifting Inventory
In real estate, we talk about a “balanced market,” which basically means there are enough buyers, and enough homes for sale. Many real estate economists will tell you a healthy real estate market is when we have a 4-6 month supply of homes given the amount of buyers. In other words, if not one more house went up for sale starting tomorrow, it would take 4-6 months to sell all the homes already on the market. Today, SunCrest stands at a 1.25 month supply. We’re watching this number very closely to see if the inventory starts to shift.

Shifting Affordability
Earlier this year, we took a deep dive in at what impact the shift in interest rates is having. In our example, we used a sales price of $750,000 and found that buyers would pay more due to higher interest rates – $406 more a month – versus what they would have paid with 2021’s rates. Interest rates were never intended to remain at those historical low levels from last year. The biggest shift we’re seeing as a result is that buyers who are in the market now have shifted their expectations and taken into acount how new interest rates impact which homes are affordable.

Our Take
Rewind to ten years ago when homeowners were facing foreclosures, there were lots of “short sales” (homes selling for less than what was owed on them), and many felt it was a crazy time to sell. Today, it’s a total shift and we hear a lot of people say it’s a crazy time to buy. One thing is constant: the market will always shift. The shifting market currently is welcoming back buyers from last year who were turned off from the intense competition as competition and prices stabilize. For sellers, current inventory levels remain at their lowest levels on record and as affordability tightens with rising interest rates, so they’re shifting their selling tactics from instant money to longer-term appreciation calculations. With all these shifting pieces, we think sitting down, reviewing all the facts, and walking through your goals and timing will help best prepare you for your next move.