2024 Is Going To Be A Strange One

Dated: February 16 2024

Views: 1441

We began the year with a marginal increase in values across all properties. Active listings dipped 2.2% and we were down 8.8% year over year in sold units. This inventory strangulation continues to keep prices elevated. Mortgage rates softened a bit in January, but then started to work themselves back up as we hit the end of the month and began February. You can feel the shift when rates begin up. It has an almost immediate effect on showings. 

 “I often wonder if we have mis-defined a housing recession to only be about pricing, not units sold. We continually talk about how prices are staying up across the region, but we typically don’t talk about how much business has been removed from the region. With real estate being 20% of GDP, when does that number start to reflect in the national numbers? And at some point, when/if rates fall will we see sellers come back to the market? What seems like a strong economy can be overshadowed quickly when we begin to see owners underwater, short selling or selling to investors leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table. Is a good economy one in which a middle-class American must work three jobs to get by? Or one where credit card debt is at all-time highs? Are people just scraping by to make it each month? 

 “One area of relief is the rental market. We are seeing more rentals staying on the market for longer amounts of time and tenants having a chance at softening rents. Locally, property managers are all talking about the softening of the rental market. Can home prices stay elevated in a market where rents are dropping and more inventory is coming online each day? I don’t believe so, and I think we will see home prices start to follow rents. I’m one of the few that believe that. 

 “From a 30,000-foot view, it looks as if everything is fine. At this time, you are able to sell a home in the Pikes Peak region if it is priced right, and well-kept. But, when you dig into some of the numbers and you see builders offering 8% concessions, and you chat with appraisers who admit they are having issues hitting values in some areas, it raises questions. We’re also seeing home prices stay elevated and, in some price points and with some homes, a buyers may even find themselves competing. For now, we will sit back and wait for the spring rush and see how we do moving forward,” said Colorado Springs-area REALTOR® Patrick Muldoon.

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Patrick Muldoon

I have many interests and hobbies to supplement my busy career in real estate. Although I enjoy my work I also enjoy finding free time to enjoy the most important things in life. This includes being w....

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