
Looking at the overall Bay Area, buyer demand has continued to rebound from its late 2022 nadir. Though mortgage applications are still well down year over year, many buyers have accepted higher interest rates as the new normal and decided to move forward – and rates have recently been trending downward.
The Market Continues to Recover, But with Many Dynamics at Play. Buyer demand continued to rebound from the depths of the mid-winter slowdown: The number and percentage of listings going into contract, and overbidding percentages continued to climb, and days-on-market to drop as the spring selling season gained traction.
The post San Francisco Home Prices, Market Conditions & Trends April 2023 first appeared on Paragon Specific.
2023 Market Indicators Turn Positive (But Interest Rates Climb Again). After the acute decline in market activity occurring in the 2nd half of 2022, buyer demand rebounded dramatically and most market indicators turned positive in early 2023: Open house traffic, number of offers, and overbidding and absorption rates all saw improvement.
…
Early 2023 Data Suggests Buyers Are Beginning to Jump Back In. December is typically the month that sees the year’s lowest level of deal-making activity – i.e. listings accepting offers (going into contract) – which leads to January usually posting the lowest monthly number of closed sales. (Sales typically close 3 to 6 weeks after going into contract.)
…
In 2022, the market saw a dramatic shift from Q2 (spring), at which time the market peaked after a dramatic 10-year upcycle supercharged at its end by the pandemic boom, through the 2nd half of the year, when the market cooled significantly. Prompted by a number of economic factors – especially inflation and interest rates, and financial markets – this played out in substantial declines in sales volumes, median sales prices, appreciation rates, and virtually all the standard measurements of buyer demand.
…
The changes in market dynamics that began in late spring/early summer 2022 generally
continued in autumn due to the ongoing economic headwinds, including high inflation and
interest rates, reduced consumer confidence, and volatile stock markets, though all have
fluctuated significantly over the period, and some readings have recently improved.
…
After a brief rebound in market activity in August, pursuant to what turned out to be a very temporary decline in interest rates and an associated rebound in financial markets, macroeconomic conditions shifted again – with interest rates climbing rapidly to a 20-year high – which took a toll on early autumn, Bay Area real estate markets.