War and Interest Rates

Our clients are curious to know what the conflict in the Ukraine will mean for mortgage rates.

The short answer is down in the near term and up in the long term.

Generally speaking, economic and political uncertainty drive people to invest in bonds rather than stocks, which puts downward pressure on interest rates.

So, in the near term, the conflict in the Ukraine will push rates down slightly.  We have already seen this happen as 30-year rates have dipped in the last few days.

The conflict is likely to push oil prices up which means higher gasoline prices.  This will cause upward pressure on inflation, which ultimately causes upward pressure on interest rates.

So, the longer the war lasts in Europe, the more likely it is to push interest rates even higher.

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War and Interest Rates

Our clients are curious to know what the conflict in the Ukraine will mean for mortgage rates.

The short answer is down in the near term and up in the long term.

Generally speaking, economic and political uncertainty drive people to invest in bonds rather than stocks, which puts downward pressure on interest rates.

So, in the near term, the conflict in the Ukraine will push rates down slightly.  We have already seen this happen as 30-year rates have dipped in the last few days.

The conflict is likely to push oil prices up which means higher gasoline prices.  This will cause upward pressure on inflation, which ultimately causes upward pressure on interest rates.

So, the longer the war lasts in Europe, the more likely it is to push interest rates even higher.

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2022 Forecast

Yesterday we held the annual Real Estate Market Forecast with our Chief Economist, Matthew Gardner.

To get the recording of the full presentation, please reach out to your Windermere real estate broker.

Here are some of the big takeaways from Matthew:

  • The national economy is very strong and the rate of inflation is expected to slow during 2022
  • There are many millions more open jobs available versus the number of unemployed people looking for work
  • Mortgage interest rates are expected to reach 3.85% by the end of the year
  • Home price appreciation along the Front Range will again be in the double-digits this year due to high demand, low supply and low interest rates
  • Home price appreciation is not expected to sustain the current pace over the next few years, but no price declines are expected

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2022 Forecast

Yesterday we held the annual Real Estate Market Forecast with our Chief Economist, Matthew Gardner.

To get the recording of the full presentation, please reach out to your Windermere real estate broker.

Here are some of the big takeaways from Matthew:

  • The national economy is very strong and the rate of inflation is expected to slow during 2022
  • There are many millions more open jobs available versus the number of unemployed people looking for work
  • Mortgage interest rates are expected to reach 3.85% by the end of the year
  • Home price appreciation along the Front Range will again be in the double-digits this year due to high demand, low supply and low interest rates
  • Home price appreciation is not expected to sustain the current pace over the next few years, but no price declines are expected

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Standing Low

The standing inventory of residential properties currently for sale is staggeringly low.

The number of active properties for sale is almost 90% below the average for this time of year.

In Metro Denver, there are 1,144 residential properties for sale today.

In Larimer County, there are 136 and in Weld County there are 174. 

Current inventory along the Front Range is essentially half of what it was one year ago.

The low standing inventory bolsters our belief that nothing resembling a decline in housing prices is on the horizon.  The low supply will continue to put upward pressure on prices.

It is time to register for our annual Market Forecast with Chief Economist Matthew Gardner.  This year the event will be hosted online on Thursday February 3rd from 11:00 to 12:00.

You can register at www.ColoradoForecast.com

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Housing Inventory

Many of our clients wonder if the current pace of price growth can continue.  Some even ask if prices will decline this year. 

Based on researching the Case-Shiller Home Price index and the National Association of Realtors home inventory data, there must be at least 6 months of inventory in a market for prices to have any chance of declining. We wrapped up 2021 with about 2 weeks of inventory across Larimer County, Weld County and Metro Denver. This marks a 43%-46% decrease in inventory as compared to December 2020.

The dwindling supply and the rising prices have led to a lot of questions about the future of the housing market. Is there a market crash on the horizon? Is there a housing bubble that’s about the burst? The answer is no. Although it is unlikely that the market can continue at this pace indefinitely, all signs point to a healthy housing market in 2022.

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Lumber Back Up

The price of lumber has jumped back up again and is adding to the cost of new home construction.

Over the past four months, lumber prices have nearly tripled, causing the price of an average new single-family home to increase by more than $18,600.

According to Random Lengths, as of the end of December, the price of framing lumber topped $1,000 per thousand board feet — a 167% increase since late August.

This most recent lumber price upsurge is due to a number of factors, including:

  • Ongoing supply chain disruptions
  • A doubling of tariffs on Canadian lumber imports into the U.S. market that increased price volatility
  • An unusually strong summer wildfire season in the western United States and British Columbia

Predictions on what lumber prices will do during 2022 are mostly pointing to even higher costs for home builders and ultimately, new home buyers.

The post Lumber Back Up appeared first on Fort Collins Real Estate | Fort Collins Homes for Sale & Property Search.

Lumber Back Up

The price of lumber has jumped back up again and is adding to the cost of new home construction.

Over the past four months, lumber prices have nearly tripled, causing the price of an average new single-family home to increase by more than $18,600.

According to Random Lengths, as of the end of December, the price of framing lumber topped $1,000 per thousand board feet — a 167% increase since late August.

This most recent lumber price upsurge is due to a number of factors, including:

  • Ongoing supply chain disruptions
  • A doubling of tariffs on Canadian lumber imports into the U.S. market that increased price volatility
  • An unusually strong summer wildfire season in the western United States and British Columbia

Predictions on what lumber prices will do during 2022 are mostly pointing to even higher costs for home builders and ultimately, new home buyers.

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Population Math

The brand new Census data has just been released and it is fascinating!

Colorado’s population now sits just below 6 million people at 5.773 million.  Just 20 years ago it was 4.301 million.

Northern Colorado is booming and now has 688,047 in Larimer and Weld Counties.  It grew by 135,592 people in just ten years.  If Northern Colorado grows at just 2% per year, it will have 838,725 people by 2030 and 1,022,402 by 2040.  

For several years we have been predicting that Northern Colorado would exceed by 1 million people by 2040 and it looks like that will come true.

Metro Denver is also booming.  For reference, we define ‘Metro Denver’ as Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties.

Population in Metro Denver is now 2.831 million and was 2.109 million in the year 2000.  It has grown by 722,000 people in 20 years.

If Metro Denver grows at 2% per year, it will hit 3.451 million in 10 years and 4.206 million in 20 years.

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Q2 2021 Colorado Real Estate Market Update

The following analysis of the Metro Denver & Northern Colorado real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact your Windermere Real Estate agent.

REGIONAL ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

Although the post COVID-19 job recovery took a step backward last winter, it has since picked up again, which is very pleasing to see. At the end of the second quarter, the state had recovered more than 276,000 of the 376,000+ jobs that were shed due to COVID-19. Even though employment levels are still almost 100,000 lower than the pre-pandemic peak, they are heading in the right direction. Looking at the markets contained in this report, current employment levels in Colorado Springs are only 2.2% below the pre-pandemic peak, followed by Denver and Fort Collins, which are both down 3.6% from the 2020 peak. I would add that all markets showed jobs continuing to return. With total employment levels rising, the unemployment rate stands at 6.2%, down from the pandemic peak of 12.1%. Regionally, unemployment levels range from a low of 4.8% in Boulder to a high of 6.3% in Grand Junction. COVID-19 infection rates dropped during the quarter, which is certain to lead to employment levels continuing to rise unless we see another significant increase in infection rates due to the rise of new variants across the country.

 

COLORADO HOME SALES

❱ The late spring/early summer market was a good one for home sales, which were up 33.9% from a year ago. Comparing the current quarter to a period when COVID-19 was widespread is not that informative, but, with sales up more than 55% from the first quarter of this year, the market appears to be very buoyant.

❱ Sales were higher in all counties other than the very small Clear Creek County. Where sales rose, they did so at double-digit rates in all markets other than Weld.

❱ During the second quarter, 13,428 homes sold. This is very impressive but not overly surprising, given that the average number of homes for sale was up 45% from the first quarter.

❱ Another positive was that pending sales, which are an indicator of future closings, were 42.8% higher than in the first quarter. This suggests that closings next quarter should be positive as well.

 

A bar graph showing the annual change in home sales for various counties in Colorado.

 

COLORADO HOME PRICES

A map showing the real estate market percentage changes in various counties in Colorado.

❱ Prices continue to appreciate at an impressive pace, recording an increase of 28.1% year over year to an average of $615,409. Home prices were also 10.7% higher than the first quarter of this year.

❱ Buyer demand remains very strong, likely exacerbated by the drop in mortgage rates in the second quarter and improving levels of inventory.

❱ Year-over-year, prices rose across all markets covered by this report, with the exception of Clear Creek County. Of the markets that saw prices rise, all did so by double digits, with very notable gains in Boulder, Gilpin, and Park counties.

❱ Affordability levels continue to trouble me, and the pace of price appreciation has to slow at some point. The market is clearly still out of balance, but as long as the credit quality of buyers remains high, I do not see any cause for concern.

 

A bar graph showing the annual change in home sale prices for various counties is Colorado.

 

DAYS ON MARKET

❱ The average number of days it took to sell a home in the markets contained in this report dropped 14 days compared to the second quarter of 2020.

❱ The amount of time it took to sell a home dropped in every county contained in this report compared to the second quarter of 2020. The exception was Gilpin County, where it rose by only two days.

❱ It took an average of only 14 days to sell a home in the region, which is down 11 days compared to the first quarter of this year.

❱ The Colorado housing market remains very tight, as demonstrated by the fact that it took less than a month for homes to sell in every county other than one.

 

A bar graph showing the average days on market for homes in various counties in Colorado.

CONCLUSIONS

A speedometer graph indicating a seller's market in Colorado.

 

This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s real estate market using housing inventory, price gains, home sales, interest rates, and larger economic factors.

Sales rose on the back of lower mortgage rates and higher levels of homes available to buy. Although this should signify a move back to a more balanced market, we are not there yet as price growth remains well above the long-term average.

With solid demand and favorable financing rates, the market is expected to remain active as we move through the balance of the year. That said, housing affordability is becoming an increasingly large concern. According to the Colorado Association of REALTORS®, statewide affordability for single-family homes has dropped almost 20% year-over-year and is down 17.8% for multi-family homes.

At some point, an affordability ceiling will be reached, which will slow home-price appreciation—but not yet. As such, I am moving the needle a little more in favor of home sellers, as they remain in the driver’s seat, for now.

 

ABOUT MATTHEW GARDNER

Matthew Gardner - Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate

As Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, Matthew Gardner is responsible for analyzing and interpreting economic data and its impact on the real estate market on both a local and national level. Matthew has over 30 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities, Matthew sits on the Washington State Governors Council of Economic Advisors; chairs the Board of Trustees at the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington; and is an Advisory Board Member at the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington where he also lectures in real estate economics.

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