Boston Condos for Sale and Apartments for Rent
The importance of Boston condo appreciation
Home value appreciation was greater than median annual earnings in 25 of the largest 38 U.S. metro areas in 2021, a new Zillow report found, and Boston was no exception.
Boston-Cambridge-Newton region, home values grew by $76,616 during 2021,
In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton region, home values grew by $76,616 during 2021, exceeding the median pre-tax income of $66,852 by $9,764. And though that difference may sound substantial, in fact, it did not land Boston near the top of Zillow’s list.
The ten areas where home value growth most outpaced local salaries were, in order: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (with a difference of $136,277), San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward ($129,914), San Diego-Carlsbad ($105,790), Urban Honolulu ($87,254), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim ($81,979), Boise City ($74,979), Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue ($66,129), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario ($66,014), Salt Lake City ($65,901) and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale ($51,470).
What does that all mean? Well, homeowners are in a good spot, while those trying to save up for a down payment or are in a renting situation have more work to do.
Zillow’s report found that in Boston, the typical full-year rent increased by more than $3,948 last year.
“While homeowners watched their assets multiply in 2021, the chasm separating many renters from homeownership widened, as home prices skyrocketed and rising rents eroded their ability to save for a down payment,” the report found.
The importance of Boston condo appreciation
There has been a lot written about the benefits of Boston condo ownership. One benefit that continues to rise to the top is the added wealth homeowners gain simply by paying their mortgage while their home increases in value over time.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently broke down the equity gained from price appreciation and principal payments in their Economists Outlook Blog. Homeowners who purchased their homes five years ago have already gained almost $80,000 in equity over that time with 80% of the gains coming from price appreciation.
Experts Say Home Prices Will Continue to Appreciate
It’s clear that consumers are concerned about how quickly home values are rising. Many people fear the speed of appreciation may lead to a crash in prices later this year. In fact, Google reports that the search for “When is the housing market going to crash?” has actually spiked 2450% over the past month.
In addition, Jim Dalrymple II of Inman News notes:
“One of the most noteworthy things that came up in Inman’s conversations with agents was that every single one said they’ve had conversations with clients about whether or not the market is heading into a bubble.”
To alleviate some of these concerns, let’s look at what several financial analysts are saying about the current residential real estate market. Within the last thirty days, four of the major financial services giants came to the same conclusion: the housing market is strong, and price appreciation will continue. Here are their statements on the issue:
Goldman Sachs’ Research Note on Housing:
“Strong demand for housing looks sustainable. Even before the pandemic, demographic tailwinds and historically-low mortgage rates had pushed demand to high levels. … consumer surveys indicate that household buying intentions are now the highest in 20 years. … As a result, the model projects double-digit price gains both this year and next.”
Joe Seydl, Senior Markets Economist, J.P.Morgan:
“Homebuyers—interest rates are still historically low, though they are inching up. Housing prices have spiked during the last six-to-nine months, but we don’t expect them to fall soon, and we believe they are more likely to keep rising. If you are looking to purchase a new home, conditions now may be better than 12 months hence.”
Morgan Stanley, Thoughts on the Market Podcast:
“Unlike 15 years ago, the euphoria in today’s home prices comes down to the simple logic of supply and demand. And we at Morgan Stanley conclude that this time the sector is on a sustainably, sturdy foundation . . . . This robust demand and highly challenged supply, along with tight mortgage lending standards, may continue to bode well for home prices. Higher interest rates and post pandemic moves could likely slow the pace of appreciation, but the upward trajectory remains very much on course.”
Merrill Lynch’s Capital Market Outlook:
“There are reasons to believe that this is likely to be an unusually long and strong housing expansion. Demand is very strong because the biggest demographic cohort in history is moving through the household-formation and peak home-buying stages of its life cycle. Coronavirus-related preference changes have also sharply boosted home buying demand. At the same time, supply is unusually tight, with available homes for sale at record-low levels. Double-digit price gains are rationing the supply.”
For a homeowner who purchased their home 30 years ago, they have gained nearly $250,000 in equity with 70% coming from price increases. The full results can be seen in the chart below.
According to the Home Price Expectation Survey, a family who purchased a median priced home this January can expect to gain more than $42,000 over the next five years simply from price appreciation alone.
Boston Real Estate and the Bottom Line
Your Boston Beacon Hill condo is one of the only investments you can live inside as you pay it off over time. If you are ready to use your Boston Seaport condo costs to build wealth, let’s get together to discuss how to make your dream a reality.
If you’re concerned about making the decision to buy or sell right now, contact your trusted real estate professional to discuss what’s happening in your local market.
Newest Boston condos for sale
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