Wall Street experts differ in their outlooks for America’s housing market. Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel, real estate tycoon Jeff Greene, and others have warned that home prices will drop, while others like “Shark Tank” star Barbara Corcoran are more optimistic. Here’s what 6 top commentators have said about US house prices over the past week. Loading Something is loading.
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Wall Street experts and other market commentators disagree on what the future holds for America’s housing market.
Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel, real-estate tycoon Jeff Greene, and others have warned that US housing prices are at risk of dropping. They’ve pointed to the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates over the past year in an effort to tame the highest inflation in decades.
Higher interest rates tend to weigh on house prices, as they reduce the size of mortgages that people can afford, and increase their monthly payments. They also encourage saving over spending and raise the cost of credit cards, car loans, and other forms of debt, which can erode demand for housing.
Other experts like CoreLogic’s chief economist Selma Hepp are more optimistic, however. “Shark Tank” star Barbara Corcoran recently forecasted that home prices will jump once the Fed lowers it rates.
Here’s what 6 leading commentators said over the last week:
Jeremy SiegelWharton professor Jeremy Siegel said US house prices could slide, as their recent gains and higher borrowing costs will deter prospective homebuyers.
“The higher interest rates and 40% increase in home prices more than doubled the cost of homes for buyers,” he wrote in his weekly commentary for WisdomTree on Monday. “Mortgage rates had ticked down to 6% a few months ago before rising back above 7% now — so perhaps we see some renewed softness in housing prices.”
Jeff GreeneReal estate billionaire Jeff Greene noted that the housing market has shifted from a state of panicky buying and desperate bidding to paralysis as rates have climbed.
“People can’t qualify for mortgages anymore,” he said, adding that sellers will consider price cuts after receiving zero offers, while buyers will resist paying much higher mortgage rates.
Many people will eventually have to sell their homes for less than they’d like. Unless rates fall soon, that’s likely to pull down house prices, he said.
Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs strategists revised their forecast for home prices and now predict a smaller decline this year — 2.2% decline in 2023, down from 6.1%.
“The tug of war between poor affordability and tight inventory will continue,” strategists wrote in a Monday note. “While we are cognizant of the tailwind from tight housing supply, we expect affordability will likely stay poor, ultimately pushing prices lower in 2023.”
Elon Musk “This will accelerate, as high interest rates make homes less affordable,” Elon Musk said in response to a chart showing falling global house prices.
The billionaire continues to make grim warnings about the US housing market and recently said that home values are set to plunge.
Barbara Corcoran’Shark Tank’ investor Barbara Corcoran brushed off Musk’s dramatic warning and said he’s wrong. She argued that there’s a load of pent-up demand and predicted that house prices will surge 20% once interest rates fall by two percentage points.
“The minute those interest rates come down, all hell’s gonna break loose and prices are gonna go through the roof,” Corcoran said. She also dismissed concerns about housing bubbles in the hottest US markets.
Selma Hepp CoreLogic’s chief economist Selma Hepp said that although volatility in mortgage rates is making buyers more hesitant to purchase homes, the lack of homes for sale is putting upward pressure on prices.
She forecasted a rebound in US home prices, but added that the combination of high mortgage rates and inflation means any rise in home price will return to average seasonal gains by the end of the year, according to a report.
The recent trends indicate that home prices will grow 5% by next April – in line with the historical yearly average, she said.