The California housing trend: Taking a close look at 30 years of housing data. Building a market on low inventory.
ByOne thing to understand about California housing is that boom and busts are central to the market. It is fascinating from a psychological standpoint that today, many think that California housing is a simple and safe bet. Casually, they forget the massive destruction that occurred only a few years ago and the echoes of the impact are still around: low inventory, massive Federal Reserve intervention, and a shift to investors buying homes. Looking to buy? Gear up for a sizable down payment and maximum leverage on a low interest rate. Also, it is easy to forget that 1,000,000+ Californians lost their homes via foreclosure and many today are still underwater even with the recent boom in home prices. Even with the trend to higher prices, people have the choice to buy or rent. Unlike stocks, most households have to make the analysis of buying or renting. In spite of rising prices and the meme that home values will only go up, the homeownership rate in California has plummeted. The state is seeing a wave of households opting to rent. This trend started in 2005, while home prices held a plateau up until 2007. In housing, trends reverse slowly. Take a look at 30 years of housing data for the LA/OC markets…
