{"id":75309,"date":"2022-10-26T05:00:31","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T12:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/?p=75309"},"modified":"2023-08-02T15:45:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T22:45:11","slug":"economist-faq-advice-sellers-buyers-high-rates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/economist-faq-advice-sellers-buyers-high-rates\/","title":{"rendered":"Redfin Economist Q&#038;A: Advice for People Who Need to Move Now While Housing Costs Remain Near Record Highs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many prospective buyers and sellers have retreated to the sidelines as mortgage rates near 7% and home prices remain high, sending sales and new listings down, but some need to move now. Redfin\u2019s economists advise on how to buy and sell in an uncertain economic landscape.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Home sales and listings are pulling back <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/housing-market-update-sales-new-listings-decline-slowdown\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">even further<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> this fall than they were over the summer as mortgage rates continue their upward march and widespread economic volatility leaves would-be homebuyers and sellers rethinking their plans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With rates nearing 7%, why haven\u2019t home prices fallen from a year ago to meet low demand? Speaking of high rates, is it better to continue renting than to buy your first home? Should buyers consider adjustable-rate mortgages? Should prospective sellers list their home now before prices fall? Redfin economists answer these and other questions, and share their insights about the state of the housing market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Mortgage rates have more than doubled over the last 12 months. Why haven\u2019t home prices fallen?<\/h4>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The median U.S. home-sale price has <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/housing-market-update-days-on-market-doubles-sales-drop\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fallen<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from its pandemic peak, but it\u2019s still up 6% year over year. Prices have only declined from a year ago in a few U.S. metros, including San Francisco and Oakland, CA.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/author\/taylormarr\/page\/3\/\">Taylor Marr<\/a>, Redfin Deputy Chief Economist<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: There are two main reasons home prices haven\u2019t dropped year over year. One is that supply has fallen in tandem with demand, and the other is that home-sale price data lags a few months behind what\u2019s happening in the market in real time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/author\/darylfairweather\/page\/3\/\">Daryl Fairweather<\/a>, Redfin Chief Economist<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Today\u2019s buyers will become price data points in two to three months. If you put in an offer on a home today, the sale will close in 30 to 60 days, then it\u2019ll take another few weeks to show up in the data.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Pricing is very nuanced right now, though. Even if we could track sale prices in real time, they still wouldn\u2019t be falling as much as we would expect. Home sales are down <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/housing-market-update-days-on-market-doubles-sales-drop\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more than 30%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from a year ago, but new listings are down almost 20% because prospective sellers are spooked by high mortgage rates, too, and a lot of them are staying put. The pullback in supply is keeping upward pressure on prices. There aren\u2019t enough homes on the market to give buyers total control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>When <i>will<\/i> home prices fall year over year?<\/h4>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: In the next six to 12 months, prices are likely to fall year over year, possibly by double digits in some areas. They\u2019ll still be higher than pre-pandemic levels, but a lot of homeowners will be unhappy that the value of their home has gone down. Some builders are already offering new homes in bulk to investors at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/mortgage-rates-rising-builders-unloading-143805913.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">discounted rates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of 10% to 15% off what they had hoped to get.\u00a0 They probably planned pricing six months ago, and now those homes are nearing completion and builders are willing to take a loss to get rid of them. Businesses that sell homes, like builders, investors and iBuyers, are much quicker than individual homeowners to react to changes in the market, so this is a sign that home prices more broadly are about to come down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Is the U.S. in a recession? If yes, how is the recession impacting the housing market?<\/h4>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A recession is a sustained and broad slowdown in the economy. I don\u2019t think the overall U.S. economy is in a recession yet because unemployment is still <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/pdf\/empsit.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quite low<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, though we\u2019ll probably dip into recession territory next year.\u00a0 Home sales have declined enough that it\u2019s fair to say the housing market specifically <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/qai\/2022\/08\/31\/the-real-impact-of-a-housing-market-recession\/?sh=70e1953cb6c6\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in a recession<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. But economic growth is already slowing, inflation is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/10\/13\/inflation-remains-high-at-8-point-2-percent-more-interest-rate-hikes-likely.html#:~:text=surprise%2C'%20says%20economist-,Inflation%20remains%20persistently%20high%20at%208.2%25%E2%80%94a%20'tremendously,unwelcome%20negative%20surprise%2C'%20says%20economist&amp;text=U.S.%20Federal%20Reserve%20Board%20Chairman,%2C%202022%20in%20Washington%2C%20DC.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">persisting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and Americans are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/08\/05\/business\/economy\/economy-jobs-survey.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">feeling gloomy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about the economy. All of these factors have hit homebuyers hard. Combine that with the Fed actively trying to dampen consumer demand to fight inflation by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/us\/fed-seen-driving-interest-rates-higher-inflation-sears-2022-10-13\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hiking interest rates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013causing mortgage rates to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freddiemac.com\/pmms\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more than double<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the past year, an unprecedented uptick\u2013and the housing market has slowed significantly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>DF<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: If the overall U.S. economy <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">does <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">officially enter a recession, it may boost homebuying demand because the housing market is particularly sensitive to interest rates. The Fed\u2019s rate hikes are a double-edged sword. They will probably get inflation under control sometime in 2023, but they\u2019re also likely to dampen consumer demand and cool the economy. Once that happens, the Fed is likely to bring rates back down to encourage spending, which would push mortgage rates down. That\u2019ll encourage buyers who had been sidelined by high rates, and it\u2019ll hopefully motivate sellers to list their homes to take advantage of the new pool of buyers. Whether the housing market makes a speedy or gradual recovery depends on the extent of job losses and economic uncertainty that could come in a recession.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Chen Zhao, Redfin Economics Research Team Lead<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The impact of an overall economic recession on the housing market also depends on which Americans are hit hard. The pandemic recession in early 2020 mostly impacted renters, so it didn\u2019t ultimately slow the housing market. The Great Recession that began in 2008, on the other hand, was caused mostly by loose lending standards and a foreclosure crisis, which caused the housing market to plummet. A foreclosure crisis is unlikely today because lenders have upped their standards since 2008 and most homeowners would have equity in their home even if values dropped by 10% or so. Plus, declining values don\u2019t impact homeowners unless they\u2019re planning to sell soon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>What\u2019s your advice for prospective homebuyers? Should they hold off and hope prices and mortgage rates come down, or swoop in now before rates potentially climb higher?<\/h4>\n<p><b>DF<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Some people have no choice but to enter the housing market at an inopportune time due to various life circumstances like divorce, death, job relocation or a growing family. For people who <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> buying a home right now, make sure you don\u2019t stretch your budget. Mortgage rates are high and inflation is causing prices of most other things to rise, too. Ensure you have a pad of savings to cover emergencies and that every dollar isn\u2019t going to your down payment and monthly mortgage payments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Here\u2019s what I\u2019ve been telling friends. There\u2019s more to the decision than just mortgage rates and where home values are headed. Those things are important, but a lot of other factors\u2013like how long someone plans to stay in a home and their risk tolerance\u2013matter, too. If someone is going to stay in a home for 10 years, it\u2019s unlikely the home will lose value. Seven percent mortgage rates are a tough pill for a lot of people to swallow. But there is a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/silver-lining-for-buyers-rising-mortgage-rates\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">silver lining<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to high rates: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/sales-listings-plunge-september-2022\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Competition is low<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and buyers have the opportunity to negotiate with sellers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Can today\u2019s buyers get away with a lowball offer? What are your other tips for negotiating with sellers?<\/h4>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Look at homes that have been on the market for 30 or 60 days and consider making a low offer. Not everything is dictated by asking prices; buyers should account for the fact that home values are likely about to decline when determining their offer price.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open communication between the buyer\u2019s agent and the listing agent is key. Initiate an honest conversation about how to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, where the buyer can afford their\u00a0 mortgage payment and the seller unloads their home for a fair price.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Say you\u2019re comfortable paying $475,000 for a home. If you believe home prices will decline by 5% in the next year, price that into your negotiations. Offer $475,000 on a $500,000 listing. When prices were soaring at the height of the pandemic and expected to grow 10% year over year, buyers often priced <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">into offering over asking price, and it also works the other way around. The seller may be motivated to get the home off their hands in case demand cools further.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it\u2019s increasingly common for sellers to cover the buyer\u2019s closing costs, there are other ways to ease the burden on the buyer\u2019s pocketbook. Negotiate on the terms of the offer and ask for concessions. For example, include an inspection contingency and ask the seller to cover the cost of necessary repairs. I also recommend buyers ask for a seller concession to help buy down their mortgage rate, which would mitigate some of the impact of higher rates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>So who <i>should <\/i>buy a home right now? Who should rent?<\/h4>\n<p><b>DF<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: House hunters who can pay all cash should consider buying. Mortgage rates don\u2019t matter to them, and they can take advantage of homes sitting longer on the market to negotiate with a seller on price. But for most people, who can\u2019t pay in cash, make sure you consider the local market. There are a few parts of the country, like the Midwest, where prices are generally stable and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/housing-markets-holding-up-best-2022\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">don\u2019t react<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as much to larger economic forces. There\u2019s a low chance of home values declining significantly in a place like Chicago or upstate New York, so buying in those places is less risky right now. Home values are likely to decline most in pandemic boomtowns like Phoenix, Boise and Austin; prospective buyers in those areas should be more cautious about entering the market right now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: People who plan to stay in a home for 10-plus years are also good candidates to buy. If you\u2019re holding onto a home longterm, the housing market\u2019s ups and downs\u2013and the value of your home going up and down\u2013don\u2019t impact your finances much. If you find your dream home and can afford the current monthly payments, consider going for it. Homes aren\u2019t just about money; they\u2019re also about enjoying where you live.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>CZ<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It nearly always makes more sense to rent if it\u2019s a short-term living arrangement or you need flexibility to move at a moment\u2019s notice. But now renting makes financial sense for a bigger portion of the population. Prospective first-time buyers who don\u2019t have cash for a big down payment may continue renting because they don\u2019t want a huge mortgage and the risk of sinking underwater when a recession is looming. Also consider how you\u2019re putting your money to work: Renting makes more sense if you can put what you would have used for a down payment into another investment that\u2019s likely to grow in value.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Renting is more expensive than ever, too. What\u2019s your advice for prospective renters?<\/h4>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rental payments have surged since the pandemic started, with the typical asking rent <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/redfin-rental-report-may-2022\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increasing tremendously<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in metro areas like Austin, Nashville and Seattle.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The good news for prospective renters is that rent growth <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/news\/redfin-rental-report-september-2022\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">slowed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the fourth-straight month in September and I expect it to slow further next year. It\u2019s possible that asking rents could decline in some areas. That\u2019s partly because of new supply, with a lot of new construction and many homeowners choosing to become landlords instead of selling. If you can, wait a few months to move into a new rental.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>CZ<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Consider trying to negotiate the price down or asking for some concessions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Should buyers consider using an adjustable-rate mortgage or a 2-1 buydown instead of a 30-year fixed mortgage to secure a lower rate? What about taking a high rate now with the hope of refinancing in the future?<\/h4>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adjustable-rate mortgages often come with lower interest rates, but they\u2019re risky because the rate resets after a fixed period of time.\u00a0 A 5\/1 ARM, the most common type of adjustable-rate mortgage, is a loan in which the interest rate is fixed for the first five years and then adjusts once a year for the remainder of the loan term\u2013<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocketmortgage.com\/learn\/arm-vs-fixed\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">typically<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 30 years. 30-year fixed mortgages are currently at <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freddiemac.com\/pmms\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6.94%<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while 5\/1 ARMS are at 5.81%.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/terms\/1\/2-1_buydown.asp\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2-1 buydown<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a mortgage agreement where homebuyers and\/or sellers pay to provide lower interest payments for the first two years of a loan. The agreement typically provides a low interest payment for the first year of a loan, a slightly higher rate for the second year and the full rate for the remainder of the loan term.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>CZ<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: After the 2008 foreclosure crisis, lenders made ARMs less risky. Even though the rate resets after the fixed period, there\u2019s now typically a cap on how high it can go. It\u2019s also more difficult to qualify for an ARM, which limits the number of people who can get them and limits the overall risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Think about your long term plans. If you\u2019re planning to stay in a home for five years or less, ARMs are a good option. \u201cAdjustable\u201d is in the name, but it is fixed for a handful of years. But if you\u2019re buying a forever home, ARMS are riskier because the rate\u2013and your monthly payment\u2013could go up in five years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>CZ<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A 2-1 buydown can be a good deal, but do the math before you commit to it. Make sure the amount you\u2019re paying to buy down the first two years of interest payments is worth it. And remember that after two years, you\u2019re responsible for the full loan and interest payment. If you can\u2019t afford the full monthly payment now and you don\u2019t foresee your finances increasing, think twice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>DF<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: For people hoping to refinance in the future, I do think rates will come down eventually.\u00a0 Historically, most people who purchase a home have been able to refinance for a lower rate within five years, given the decades-long downward trend in interest rates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Refinancing is expensive. It typically costs 2% to 5% of the value of your loan, which can equal tens of thousands of dollars. Calculate whether eventually refinancing will be worth the interest savings over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>What\u2019s your advice for prospective sellers? Should they wait to list until mortgage rates drop?<\/h4>\n<p><b>DF<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: For some homeowners, like retirees downsizing or people moving to a more affordable area, now is still a fine time to sell. It really depends on what stage of life you are in, and whether you are ready to cash out. There are also circumstances where you could wait to sell. Maybe you got a new job that\u2019s bringing you across the country. Consider renting out your home instead of selling right away. You can cash in on high rental demand and wait to sell until prices potentially rise again in a year or two.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TM: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you need to sell now, be open to negotiations, communicate with the buyer\u2019s agent and work with the buyer to get to their ideal monthly mortgage payment. There may be concessions that will make the home you\u2019re selling\u2013and the price you want\u2013attractive to both parties. For example, sellers can consider paying for closing costs and\/or helping the buyer buy down the mortgage rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>CZ<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: If you\u2019re a seller, you\u2019re often also a buyer. Weigh everything together. It\u2019s impossible to time the market perfectly, but one great time to sell <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">buy is right when mortgage rates start dropping and demand starts coming back. So this could be an opportunity for people who have time and flexibility to watch the market like a hawk and be ready to move when there are signs conditions are changing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TM:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Demand could<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">come back sooner than we expect because buyers may get used to higher rates. When people were used to 3% rates, a 5% rate sounded miserable. Now that rates are nearing 7%, a 5% rate seems like a deal. If rates go down to 5.5% in the next six months, that may feel good to buyers and improve demand. We saw that over the summer when rates dropped from around 6% to around 5% briefly and demand bounced.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>What\u2019s your advice for people who find themselves obsessing over the current housing-market downturn and rising mortgage rates?<\/h4>\n<p><b>DF<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A lot of prospective sellers are bummed because they missed a golden opportunity to sell. But look back two years, five years or 10 years and appreciate how much your home has gone up in value. Don\u2019t compare to six months ago. And if you bought your home in the last two years, you probably have a low mortgage rate that\u2019s keeping your monthly payments down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: For most homeowners, ups and downs in the market don\u2019t mean much, except on paper. Think big picture. Take a step back from looking at daily, weekly and monthly movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>DF<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: If you\u2019re thinking of buying, talk to a lender. Tell them your monthly budget and work out what your actual costs will be. Get some hard numbers. How low will rates need to go, and\/or how low will home prices need to go, to reach your ideal budget? Is there a way to stay within your ideal budget right now by using the right combination of down payment, loan type and possibly seller concessions?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>CZ:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Remember that you\u2019re not a speculator. You\u2019re not an investor. You\u2019re a homeowner or a homebuyer. Even investors don\u2019t hit the peaks and troughs of the market perfectly, and you certainly don\u2019t need to. Yes, your house can be an asset, but your primary goal is providing a place for your family to live.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many prospective buyers and sellers have retreated to the sidelines as mortgage rates near 7% and home prices remain high, sending sales and new listings down, but some need to move now. Redfin\u2019s economists advise on how to buy and sell in an uncertain economic landscape.\u00a0 Home sales and listings are pulling back even further [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13153,"featured_media":75310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[632],"tags":[36,20],"dashboard":[],"coauthors":[124],"class_list":["post-75309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-our-economists","tag-economics","tag-housing-affordability"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.7 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Redfin Economist Q&amp;A: Advice for People Who Need to Move Now While Housing Costs Remain Near Record Highs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Many prospective buyers and sellers have retreated to the sidelines as mortgage rates near 7% and home prices remain high, sending sales and new listings down, but some need to move now. 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