We’re also seeing a rapid increase in commercial vacancies with WFH. But there are big challenges and costs to turning commercial properties into residential.
I’ve heard a lot about the problems. Surely there’s some good ideas for a solution out there?
A lot of this comes from the mindset of real estate as an appreciating asset. That drives the desire to buy and hold, because it only ever goes up.
Why do you think opportunity cost isn’t coming into play? If you’ve got a house only as an appreciating asset that’s not generating income, you’re losing money compared to just throwing it in the stock market. If they’re just holding it because the value always goes up, that sounds exactly like 08, and the price would have to come down once the bubble pops.
Historically, I think, housing is less volatile than the stock market. So there’s a risk mitigation strategy there that may partly be in play with companies that are purchasing single-family homes and just squatting on them.
This may also be exacerbated by rising interest rates. So companies/individuals that purchased a historically low rates are/may be reticent to sell because they can’t secure a loan with the same rates they currently have. Even IF the housing isn’t actively generating income, it could be losing LESS just due to the rates.
This is all entirely speculation on my part. I’ll freely admit I don’t know.
Can confirm, the interest rates have been a huge deterrent to me for selling my home and moving. My current interest rate is 2.75%, back when I was looking around I was being quoted around 7%, which would have had a significant effect on my monthly payments.
It’s easier to wait out the storm and move when the interest rates (hopefully) recover. They seem to be improved since I last was looking at places, but I don’t think I’ll be abke to get a rate close to what I have anytime soon :(