Experts Weigh In on Post-COVID Housing Market

Despite the obvious slow down in real estate market, experts are quite optimistic that the real estate market will pick right back up once COVID-19 resolves, especially in a market like Boston. With an already limited housing supply, experts also don’t expect a big dip in housing prices either. “Once the economy can return to normal, and people can get back to normal, I think the fundamental shortage of homes will still be there. That’s why I don’t see much prospect for prices to fall very far as a consequence of this,” said Jeff Tucker, a Zillow economist.

In the meantime, real estate agents are getting creative with virtual tours and other ways of “showing” properties with prospective buyers and tenants and the City of Boston has created a fund to help tenants pay rent. For more details about the current and future housing market, click here.

Will COVID-19 Affect the Housing Market?

There is a lot of speculation as to what may happen to the housing market in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the 2008 recession, it is easy to imagine a similar scenario where housing prices drop drastically and properties sell for a fraction of what they were valued at prior to the recession. However, there is a major difference between the 2008 recession and the potential recession caused by coronavirus, as explained in a recent Curbed article — the 2008 recession was caused by the collapse of the housing market, whereas coronavirus is causing many markets to essentially freeze until further notice. So, what can we expect to happen? Ultimately, we agree with the author’s main conclusion - it’s too soon to tell what the effects of COVID-19 will be on the housing market, but click here to read through a few scenarios you may find yourself in if there is a recession.

Why Is the SJC Ruling in Murchison vs. Sherborn So Important?

Without a doubt, many of our fellow developers have already read about and rejoiced over the recent ruling from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) that essentially prevents neighbors of development projects from suing land-use decisions unless they can prove harm. But we want to again revisit why this is so important, not just for developers, but for everyone participating in the real estate market in Massachusetts.

Has Newton's Community Process Gone Too Far?

Voters in Newton recently approved a 23-acre mixed use project that will provide 800 units of housing, as well as office space and retail space. The project was originally approved by the Newton City Council in a 17-7 vote, but a group in opposition of the project lobbied that the project’s fate should be voted on by town residents. Ultimately, the project was voted on and approved, partly in thanks to a group that rallied in support of the project. But we are left wondering if this is a case of community involvement gone too far as Greater Boston (and many other places in the country) is faced with a severe housing shortage. Read more about this case here.

The Real Holdup with Solving Boston's Housing Shortage

Last week, we wrote about Mayor Walsh’s vision for the next decade, particularly how he plans to add housing units to the city with the goal of making it more affordable for working people. Interestingly, this article from the Boston Business Journal reports that Governor Baker put a bill before the state legislature more than 8 months ago that would make it easier to rezone areas for housing. This bill would greatly help Mayor Walsh move forward on his housing plans for the city, so it’s time our state legislators get behind these visions.

Are Lenders Justified in Being Wary of Modular Construction?

Any developer who has explored building a project modularly instead of on-site has likely run into trouble finding a lender to work with. In general, lenders are far less familiar with modular construction and therefore are hesitant to lend money for such projects despite the major benefits of projects being built faster and for less money. Compared to on-site construction, modular construction requires a lot of capital early on because both site work and modular building are happening simultaneously. Lenders are also wary of the risk involved in transporting the modules from the factory to the final site. For these reasons and more, lenders are not as willing to fund modular projects even though “modular construction could claim $130 billion worth of the combined U.S. and European construction markets by 2030.” Click here to read more about the lending climate for modular construction.

Boston's Boom Sparks Rise in Property Values

Ahead of the new year, the Boston Municipal Research Bureau is releasing a five-part series on Boston’s economic boom since 2013. The first report property values have hit a high of $164.5 billion in 2019, which is an increase of 78.4% since 2013. The city’s population has grown about 6% which is about 40,000 people. Rising property values, new construction of all types, the influx of people, and a strong business sector are all part of Boston’s boom. Click here to read more about which neighborhoods have seen the biggest growth in property values.

More New Construction Points to a Strong Housing Market

Multiple data indicators support the notion that the housing market is strong in the final quarter of the year. Housing starts increased 3.8%, single family new construction rose for the fifth straight month, and building permits rose another 5% in October. These numbers, along with more data you can find here, all indicate that the housing market is strong and builders are taking advantage of low interest to increase the housing stock.

Where Is the Housing Market Headed?

New data about the national housing market shows some positive signs that the market is growing steadily again. Prices of existing homes rose 6.2 percent, building permits (an indication of new homes being built) increased 5 percent, and mortgage rates are low at 3.66 percent, according to a recent Fox Business report. See what some experts have to say about these indicators by clicking here.

Spencer Flats Featured in NEREJ

OnPoint Capital’s 8-unit condo project in Chelsea, deemed the “Spencer Flats”, was recently featured in the NEREJ! Click here to read the full article.

Is the End of "Off-Market" Listings Near?

The National Association of Realtors (NAR), which oversees 640 multiple listing services across the country, voted this week to require members to list all properties within one day of marketing efforts beginning - a policy effective May 1, 2020. In essence, they are trying to prohibit “off-market” listings. The goal of this is for all buyers to have equal knowledge and access to all the properties that are currently for sale. However, this policy may have unintended consequences for sellers and their agents. For example, agents can no longer start marketing a property while it is undergoing renovations or getting staged and photographed. For more pros and cons of this new policy, check out this article.

The Effects of Falling Mortgage Rates

“Lenders extended $700 billion of home loans in the July-to-September quarter, the most in 14 years, according to industry research group Inside Mortgage Finance,” as was reported in a recent Wall Street Journal article. The authors suggest that the spike in home loans is due to falling mortgage interest rates. Many homeowners have taken advantage of the low rates by refinancing their home loans. In addition, home sales have risen on an annual basis, but not as much as expected, possibly due to the lead time it takes to find and close on a home once someone has decided to take advantage of the low rates and actually buy a home. For more analysis on the causes and effects of falling mortgage rates, click here.

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