Spring Market Update
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Get the latest real estate news with this quick and easy-to-understand spring 2024 market update!
Real Estate Market:
- The average rate of a 30-year fixed home loan as of April 11, 2024, is 7.01%, which is an 11.3% increase from the same time last year. Mortgage rates remain higher than we'd like, but with the Fed's last five decisions to hold rates steady, we are seeing a minor rate decrease.
- As of February 2024, the median sales price of existing homes in the U.S. increased to $384,500 from $378,600 in January. However, that's a 6.24% decrease from June 2023.
- As of February 2024, housing inventory is up 8% from December 2023 and up 10% from the same time last year. Housing inventory has been one of the biggest hurdles, but this steady increase is giving some relief to buyers.
- U.S. homeowners hold $31.7 trillion in equity, up 49% from 2020, and the average homeowner has $299k in equity due to home price increases.
- The average home buyer credit score has reached 737, the highest number since Optimal Blue began tracking this data in 2018.
Financial Market:
- The U.S. annual inflation rate increased from 3.2% in February 2024 to 3.5% in March 2024, which matched economists' predictions.
- 303,000 new jobs were added in March 2024, up from the previous months, marking a steady pace in hiring. Unemployment declined slightly to 3.8%, which is historically low, especially after the unemployment spike in 2020 at 14.8%. The sectors with the largest growth were hospitals, restaurants, local governments, warehouse retailers, and specialty trade contractors.
- Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The economy remains strong despite grim forecasts from economists last year.
What This Means for You
Current home buyers can navigate rates by leveraging our Rate Relief program. Future home buyers or those looking to refinance can sign up for our Rate Watch program and get alerted if rates drop later this year.
Want to get in touch with a mortgage expert to find out if one of these options is right for you? Click here to get started!