David Lereah Quotes on Time (6 Quotes)

We've had favorable housing affordability conditions for some time, but what's new is the effect of a gradual increase in consumer confidence, combined with a turnaround in the economy, ... As a result, some people who've held back from major commitments over the last few months have entered the housing market.

So, 2005, when we look back, was the best year in housing in recent memory, probably of all time.

In examining the hottest markets for home-price appreciation, we see a rolling boom moving from one metro area to another over time, as well as a spillover effect into nearby areas with lower home prices, ... That is spreading the wealth of housing returns, with a natural ease of appreciation in areas following a period of extraordinary price growth.

Changes in the overall direction of the housing market are akin to a large ship making course corrections - it takes some time for the driving factors to materialize as a change in the sales level. In many recent transactions we're looking at a delayed effect of mortgage interest rates that peaked in November but are now lower than expected. Mortgage applications have trended up in recent weeks, so we shouldn't be surprised to see pending home sales rise in the next couple months.

Mortgage interest rates were at the highest level since the third quarter of 2003. At the same time, we've seen strong double-digit appreciation in home prices, so a modest slowing from record sales was to be expected. The good news is that home sales are being sustained at historically high levels.

Is this going to send the housing market into contraction No. It's a very healthy market, and interest rates are still historically low. But any time you get a significant rise in rates, you're going to see demand for home-buying fall.