Crash or Boom? Real Estate Investing Forecast 2022

Written in 2021. Kept here as it was published, with dated claims marked.

Is the Housing Market going to Crash or Boom in 2022? Low mortgage rates and a lack of inventory have created a Seller’s Market which began to gain strength in the winter of 2020. However, concerns about housing prices increasing and unsustainable growth in unexpected markets leave many wondering if the housing market will crash soon.

So, what is on the horizon for 2022?

2021: A Year in Review

Let’s go back a year and do a quick recap of 2020.

The pandemic forced a shutdown: people stayed and worked from home, and unemployment increased. Homeowners held onto their houses, uncertain of what would happen next. Mortgage rates then dropped to historical levels, and buyers started going after new and existing houses. So we saw a brief, but significant increase in homeownership, with an end-of-the-year rate of 65.8 percent (2020 figure).

What happened with real estate in 2021?

During a social and economical state of disarray, often there is an increase in desire to sell. However, due to multiple government initiatives, the opposite happened to many homeowner segments, with one big exception:

• Forbearances extended to a record period of 18 months;
• Federal foreclosure moratorium until July 30 and relief to December 31 (2021); and
• Eviction moratorium, extended to September 30, 2021, caused distress to mom-and-pop landlords, many of whom sold one rental or their entire portfolio

The real estate market was a boon for sellers. Low supply and high demand (amidst low interest rates and strong savings) kept pushing the pricing higher while also increasing equity. Real Estate Investors had to use creative financing to be more competitive, and many found the “tired landlord” segment with non-paying tenants to be the most approachable.

It’s no secret that many real estate investors and wholesalers struggled in 2021.

As of October 2021, the Housing Market is Rebalancing

In the last month or so, there’s been a steady pace of transactions and more moderate price growth. The nationwide median listing price (for active listings) in October 2021 was around $380,000, and homes spent a median of 45 days on the market (October 2021 figures).

Popular markets see fewer bidding wars, and though price growth is slowing down, it does not suggest a housing market crash. We also know that the housing market is a cycle, and it’s normal for it to slow down after school starts and during the wintertime.

Boom or Crash?

There is only one answer: BOTH!

You may ask, how can it be both? Simple, we are speaking of real estate investing and have a holistic view of what will happen in 2022. Our analysis foresees a boom in some aspects and a crash in others. The key to success is to be prepared.

In our 2022 Real Estate Investing Forecast, we gave the top 10 predictions from our experts as to what investors and wholesalers need to know in order to succeed in 2022. We discussed the following hot button issues:

• Will the Seller’s Market continue?
• Will there be a Tsunami of Foreclosures?
• With prices going up and the eviction moratorium lifted, will rentals increase?
• Potentially Irreversible Housing Market Changes
• Marketing and Motivated Seller Lead generation
• The one small thing that can kill your Real Estate Investing business
• And more!

The best way to gain success is to plan for it ahead of time.

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