The Strange Game of Chicken Happening Between Homebuyers and Sellers: Who Will Blink First?
The real estate game is at a stalemate that shows no signs of budging anytime soon, with neither buyers nor sellers willing to make the first move.
Buyers have little incentive to lead the way. According to Freddie Mac, they’re battling high home prices and climbing mortgage rates, which rose to 6.32% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the week ending Feb. 16.
Meanwhile, home sellers—who, a mere year earlier, enjoyed packed open houses and bidding wars—are now battling to stand out from hordes of other sellers, as the pool of available homes soared 70% higher for the week ending Feb. 11 compared with the same period last year.
“The market’s abrupt adjustments over the last year have made it harder for all participants to determine their own boundaries, let alone figure out how to meet in the middle so that a transaction can take place,” says Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale in her analysis of housing data for the week ending Feb.11.
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Watch: Mortgage Rates Are Rebounding: What Happens Next?
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But amid the backdrop of soaring inventory and still-high home prices, another data point suggests some sellers might be finally willing to change up their strategy.
“January data shows that the share of home sellers making a price reduction was more than twice as large as one year ago,” notes Hale. Indeed, 15.3% of sellers in January slashed their prices compared with 6% a year earlier.