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Spring housing season has begun but many buyers feel frustrated by the lack of available homes and higher prices. I joined CBS This Morning to explain what homeowners and potential buyers can expect.
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"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.
Existing home sales in April were down 4.4 percent from a year ago, according to The National Association of Realtors, despite lower mortgage rates. I joined CBS This Morning to discuss how to know whether you're ready to buy a home and financial tips for first-time buyers.
A couple of months ago, I noted that the housing market had a problem: there were too few homes for sale. Persistently low inventory means that there are a lot of frustrated would-be buyers out there, spending weekends at open houses. It also has led to home prices continuing to rise at a more than six percent clip from a year ago.
It’s been more than five years since housing prices bottomed out. Since then, the economy has strengthened, the labor market has improved and mortgage rates remain historically low. All of those factors should add up to a robust spring housing season, but that’s not what’s going on. Instead, realtors and builders are lamenting the low number of homes for sale.
