front porch September 11, 2023

Get Ready for Smaller, More Affordable Homes

Nav NavigateRE Marketing Team

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NAV: Pioneer Apartments For Sale (1200 × 800 px)

2010 Pioneer Way Santa Rosa, CA

a 178-unit apartment community located at 2010 Pioneer Way in Santa Rosa, California. Pioneer Apartments consists of 100 one-bedroom/one-bath units and 78 two bedroom/one-and-one-half…

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NAV The Palms For Sale (1200 × 800 px)

The Palms Apartments

The Palms Apartments, a 60-unit apartment community located at 128-170 Santa Alicia Drive in Rohnert Park, California. The Palms Apartments at 128-170 Santa Alicia…

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Get Ready for Smaller, More Affordable Homes

Have you been trying to buy a home, but higher mortgage rates and home prices are limiting your options? If so, here’s some good news – based on what Ali Wolf, Chief Economist at Zonda, has to say – smaller, more affordable homes are on the way:

“Buyers should expect that over the next 12 to 24 months there will be a notable increase in the number of entry-level homes available.”

In some ways, smaller homes are already here. When the pandemic hit, the meaning of home changed. People needed the space their home provided not only as a place to live, but as a place to work, go to school, exercise, and more. Those who had that space were more likely to keep it. And those that didn’t were in a position where they were trying to sell their smaller house to move up to a larger one. That meant the homes coming to the market during the pandemic were smaller than those on the market before the pandemic – and that trend continues today (see graph below):20230907-Home-Size-Smaller-than-Pre-PandemicThis graph also shows how the size of homes on the market changes seasonally. Larger homes tend to come on the market during the summer months when households with children who are out of school are looking to move.

That seasonality means, based on historical trends and the fact that fall is now approaching, we can expect smaller, more affordable homes to come to the market throughout the rest of the year.

That’s great news because, as Robert Dietz, Chief Economist at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), states, the need for these types of homes has gone up recently:

“. . . as interest rates increased in 2022, and housing affordability worsened, the demand for home size has trended lower.”

What Does This Mean for You?

The seasonal trend of smaller homes coming to the market in the later months of the year, coupled with builders bringing smaller, more affordable newly built homes to the market right now, is good news – especially if you’re finding it difficult to afford a home. Mikaela Arroyo, Director of the New Home Trends Institute at John Burns Real Estate Consultingsays this about a potential increase in the availability of smaller homes:

“It’s not solving the affordability crisis, but it is creating opportunities for people to be able to afford an entry-level home in an area.”

Bottom Line

If a smaller, more affordable home sounds appealing to you, good news – they’re coming. To keep up with what’s available in our area, let’s connect.



Where Are People Moving Today and Why?

📦 Plenty of people are still moving these days. And if you’re thinking of making a move yourself, you may be considering the inventory and affordability challenges in the housing market…

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