If you are looking for a home in the US, you may have noticed that the prices are skyrocketing. The nationwide median sale price of existing-home (for all housing types ) is now $404,500 (Sept 2024). Meanwhile, the supply of homes for sale is shrinking, making the competition among buyers fierce. Some buyers are offering cash or tens of thousands of dollars over the asking price to secure a deal.

Inventory in September stood at a 4.3-month supply, a level considered still a seller’s market. What is driving this housing boom? And is there any relief in sight for aspiring homeowners? In this blog post, we will explore some of the factors that explain why housing prices are so high in the US and what can be done to address the affordability crisis.

Reasons Why Housing Prices Are So High

The high cost of housing is a major hurdle for many people, especially first-time homebuyers. It's a complex issue with several contributing factors that create an imbalance between supply and demand. Here's a deeper dive into why housing prices are on the rise:

Demand Outpaces Supply:

• Shifting Preferences: The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped housing preferences. People sought more space and comfort, driving demand towards suburban and rural areas. This migration put a strain on housing stock in those areas, while urban markets saw a temporary stall in sales.
• Low Interest Rates: In response to the pandemic, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates significantly. This made borrowing for mortgages cheaper, enticing more people into the market. However, it also incentivized existing homeowners to refinance, taking their properties off the market.
• Millennial Boom: Millennials, the largest generation in the US, are reaching peak homebuying age. They're forming households faster than previous generations, often with higher incomes and savings due to higher education levels and delayed marriage/childbearing. This surge in demand puts pressure on a limited housing stock.

Limited Supply:

• Post-Crash Rebuilding Gap: The housing bubble burst of 2008 led to a significant slowdown in new home construction. The industry hasn't fully recovered, leaving the US with a shortage of millions of units according to Freddie Mac.
• Construction Cost Hurdles: Building costs have risen due to factors like labor shortages, rising material prices, and stricter building codes. This discourages developers from undertaking new projects, further limiting supply.
• Zoning Regulations: Zoning laws in many areas restrict the development of high-density housing options, like apartments or townhomes. This can limit the number of units built on available land and push single-family home prices even higher.
• Land Price Squeeze: The cost of land itself has also increased, especially in desirable locations. This adds a significant upfront cost for developers and contributes to higher final sale prices.
• Subsidy Disparity: Some government programs unintentionally favor renting over owning. This can discourage investment in new housing construction and limit overall supply.

The Domino Effect:

High housing prices have a ripple effect throughout the economy. It can make it difficult for young adults to establish themselves financially, discourages geographic mobility for work opportunities, and puts a strain on renters who face rising lease costs.

Finding solutions to this complex issue requires a multi-pronged approach. Addressing zoning regulations, streamlining permitting processes, and incentivizing new construction are crucial steps. Additionally, policies that encourage homeownership alongside a healthy rental market can help create a more balanced housing ecosystem.

The Impact of High Housing Prices

The high housing prices have significant implications for the economy and society. Some of the impacts are:

• Reduced affordability: High housing prices make it harder for many Americans to afford a home or rent a decent place. According to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, nearly half of all renters and one-third of all homeowners were cost-burdened in 2020, meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on housing. This leaves less money for other essential needs, such as food, health care and education.
• Increased inequality: High housing prices widen the wealth gap between homeowners and renters, as well as between different regions and races. Homeowners benefit from rising home equity and tax advantages, while renters face rising rents and insecurity. Moreover, some areas, especially coastal cities, have seen much faster appreciation than others, creating disparities in opportunities and access to services. Additionally, racial minorities face more barriers to homeownership, such as discrimination, lower incomes and less access to credit.
• Decreased mobility: High housing prices reduce the ability of people to move to areas with better jobs, schools and amenities. This limits their economic prospects and social networks. It also reduces the efficiency of the labor market, as employers have difficulty attracting and retaining workers in high-cost areas.

What Can Be Done to Lower Housing Prices?

There is no easy or quick solution to lower housing prices in the US. However, some possible steps that could help are:

• Increase supply: The most obvious way to lower housing prices is to build more homes, especially affordable ones. This would require easing zoning restrictions, streamlining permitting processes, providing incentives and subsidies for developers, expanding infrastructure and public services, and encouraging innovation and sustainability in construction methods and materials.
• Reduce demand: Another way to lower housing prices is to reduce the demand for homes, especially from speculative investors or foreign buyers who drive up prices and crowd out local residents. This could involve imposing taxes or fees on vacant or second homes, tightening lending standards or increasing interest rates.
• Expand assistance: A third way to lower housing prices is to expand assistance for low-income and moderate-income households who struggle to afford housing. This could include increasing rental vouchers, expanding tax credits, providing down payment assistance or creating shared equity programs.

To summarize, housing prices are so high in the US because of a combination of factors that have created a mismatch between demand and supply. This has resulted in reduced affordability, increased inequality and decreased mobility for many Americans. To address this challenge, policymakers, developers, lenders and consumers need to work together to increase supply, reduce demand and expand assistance for those who need it most.