Boston condos forecast 2nd half of the year

Boston Condos for Sale and Apartments for Rent

Boston condos forecast 2nd half of the year

We just wrapped up the first half of 2026 with nearly 4% more home sales than the first half of last year nationally. Mortgage rates have been hovering in the mid 6s for months, still slightly below where they were a year ago. Not boom times, but slow, consistent growth.

Home prices and Boston condo for sale prices don’t show that growth. They finished the first half basically flat with last year. Active listings and price per square foot are running just below last year nationally, while pending and closed sales prices are only fractionally higher. Sales are up. Prices are not.

Forecast for the second half of 2026

How will Boston condo for sale look for the second half of the year? Well, that all depends on mortgage rates staying out of the 7% range. If rates hold or ease, this slow growth continues. If they spike, expect demand to slow and inventory to build late in the year.

Ford Realty Menu of Flat Fee Listings for Boston and the North Shore

As a home seller, it sounds like you have a solid grasp of the current 2026 landscape for flat-fee listings in the Boston and North Shore areas. Here is a concise breakdown of how those Ford Realty tiers typically function based on the service levels you’ve identified:

1. Basic “Entry Only” – $500.00

• Visibility: Your home is listed on the local MLS, which syndicates to Zillow, Realtor.com, and local brokerage sites.
• Your Role: You are the primary point of contact. You handle photography, scheduling all showings, vetting buyers, and all contract negotiations.
• Best for: Experienced sellers or those comfortable managing real estate paperwork and logistics independently. 

2. Flat Fee (Assisted) – Starting at $1,500.00

• The Upgrade: The broker takes professional photos and handles the listing setup.
• Added Support: You gain professional guidance for the initial setup, ensuring the listing looks polished to attract higher-quality leads.
• Broker Role: 60-day listing, one open house per month, schedule day and evening showings. The negative is that the full fee is due after 60 days even if the house/condo doesn’t sell or go under agreement.

3. Full-Service – 1% Commission 

• The Full Package: Professional photography and floor plans are included.
• Active Management: The broker hosts one open house per month and handles day/evening showings.
• Logistics: They are physically present for the BFD smoke detector inspection and the home inspection, taking significant stress off your plate. 

Key Financial Reminders

• Buyer’s Side: Regardless of your flat fee, remember to factor in the 2%–3% commission for the buyer’s agent to keep your home competitive.
• Tax/Closing: Budget for the MA transfer tax ($4.56 per $1,000) and ensure all Condo fees are cleared to avoid delays at closing. 

BUYERS REBATE

Boston and North Shore Buyers: We provide a 55% rebate of our commission to you, as the buyer, for homes priced over 500,000.

Boston condos forecast 2nd half of the year

What to expect from the housing market in the second half of 2024, according to real estate experts

Ana Teresa Solá

 

• While experts are forecasting more homes will be available, they said the boost in supply is not enough to solve affordability issues for buyers.
• Interest rates are expected to come down, but not by enough to counteract high prices.
• “It’s a very strange market, and it’s kind of hard to predict,” said Jeff Ostrowski, a housing analyst at Bankrate.com.

 

Peace be with you

Boston Beacon Hill Condos for Sale

Updated: Boston Real Estate Blog 2024

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Boston condos forecast 2nd half of the year

Boston condos for sale

This article gets into the usual topics for those trying to forecast the future:

https://www.investopedia.com/what-housing-experts-anticipate-for-the-last-half-of-2023-7555067

Their experts think that mortgage rates will ease for the rest of the year, which will cause the inventory of homes for sale to increase. Apparently they are stuck on the whole golden handcuffs theory (sellers are locked in on low interest rates) of why inventory is ultra-low, and when rates drop, then everything will be fine.

Here are their two quotes on the direction of home pricing:

Weak home prices are expected over the summer months, when they are typically at their peak, according to Realtor.com’s Hale.

“Specifically, while June is expected to be the seasonal peak for home prices in 2023, like it is most years, we won’t see as big of a month to month climb as we did in 2022, which will mean ongoing mild declines when we’re comparing home sale prices to one year ago,” Hale said.

The declines are expected to run through the early fall, depending on the Federal Reserve.

“By the time we get to the fourth quarter, mortgage rate and seasonal home price relief could be enough to stanch the declines” Hale added. “On net, we expect average home prices in 2023 to fall 0.6% compared to 2022.”

As supply boosts and mortgage rates and home prices fall, sales are expected to rise through the end of the year, according to NAR’s Yun.

“We’re likely approaching the bottom in home sales with steady improving home sales in the second half of the year and into 2024,” Yun said.

None of their experts offer any data to support their cases, and are just guessing.

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Boston condos forecast 2nd half of the year

The Boston condo for sale market is at a turning point, and if you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, that may leave you wondering: is it still a good time to buy a home? Should I make a move this year? To help answer those questions, let’s turn to the experts for projections on what the second half of the year holds for residential real estate.

Where Boston Condo Mortgage Rates Will Go Depends on Inflation

While one of the big questions on all buyers’ minds is where will mortgage rates go in the months ahead, no one has a crystal ball to know exactly what’ll happen in the future. What housing market experts know for sure is that the record-low mortgage rates during the pandemic were an outlier, not the norm.

This year, rates have climbed over 2% due to the Federal Reserve’s response to rising inflation. If inflation continues to rise, it’s likely that mortgage rates will respond. Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst at Bankrate, explains it well:

“Until inflation peaks, mortgage rates won’t either. Without improvement on the inflation front, we don’t know where the interest rate ceiling will be.”

Whether you’re buying your first Beacon Hill condo for sale or selling your current house to make a move, today’s mortgage rate is an important factor to consider. When rates rise, they impact affordability and your purchasing power. That’s why it’s crucial to work with a team of professionals, so you have expert advice to help you make an informed decision about your best move.

The Supply of Boston Condos for Sale Projected To Continue Increasing

This year, particularly this spring, the number of homes for sale has grown. That’s partly due to more homeowners listing their houses, but also because higher mortgage rates have helped ease the intensity of buyer demand. Moderating buyer demand slows down the pace of home sales, which in turn helps inventory rise.

Experts say that growth will continue. Recently, realtor.com updated its 2022 inventory forecast. In the latest release, they increased their projections for inventory gains dramatically, going from a 0.3% increase at the beginning of the year to a 15.0% jump by the end of 2022 (see graph below):

More homes to choose from is great news if you’re craving more options for your home search – just know that there isn’t a sudden surplus of inventory on the horizon. The housing supply is still low, so you’ll need to partner with an agent to stay on top of what’s available in your market and move fast when you find the one. It’s not going to be easy to find a home, but it certainly won’t be as difficult as it has been over the past two years.

Boston Condo Price Forecasts Call for Ongoing Appreciation

Due to the imbalance between the number of homes for sale and the number of buyers looking to make a purchase, the pandemic led to record-breaking increases in home prices. According to CoreLogic, homes appreciated by 15% in 2021, and they’ve continued to rise this year.

Even though housing supply is increasing today, there are still more buyers than there are homes for sale, and that’s maintaining the upward pressure on home prices. That’s why experts are not calling for prices to decline, rather they’re forecasting they’ll continue to climb, just at a more moderate pace this year. On average, homes are projected to appreciate by about 8.5% in 2022 (see graph below):

Selma Hepp, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, explains why the housing market will see deceleration, but not depreciation, in prices:

“The current home price growth rate is unsustainable, and higher mortgage rates coupled with more inventory will lead to slower home price growth but unlikely declines in home prices.”

For current homeowners looking to sell, know your home’s value isn’t projected to fall, but waiting to make your purchase does mean your next home could cost more as home prices continue to appreciate. That’s why, if you’re thinking about buying your first home or you’re ready to make a move, it may make sense to do so now before prices climb higher. But rest assured, once you buy a home, that price appreciation will help grow the value of your investment.

Boston Condos for Sale and the Bottom Line

Whether you’re a Seaport condo or seller, you need to know what’s happening in the housing market, so you can make the most informed decision possible. Let’s connect to discuss your goals and what lies ahead, so you can determine the best plan for your move.