Historically, spring and summer are peak months for homebuying. Schools are out, for one, which makes it an ideal time for people relocating for work or considering upgrades to do their home shopping.
While the last several months have certainly been challenging ones for homeowners and the mortgage industry, my message to all those considering homeownership this National Homeownership Month is to remember: Home is where the wealth is and has a life-changing impact as customers like Lindsie can attest to.
Homeownership is the American dream and a hard-to-beat way to grow generational wealth, even with the challenges of inflation and fewer-than-expected rate cuts from the Fed.
As it relates to the Fed, one thing I’d like to clarify when it comes to mortgages since so many seem to make this mistake is that the Fed rate is one of several factors that determine mortgage rates. Those include inflation and unemployment.
Just as it is bad advice to try to time the market in investing, this makes it equally unwise to make a home finance decision based on a Fed announcement alone.
It’s why we always encourage our customers to sit down and talk to a mortgage loan officer and also have a Regions Greenprint® plan conversation with a banker.
This way, they get a personalized, big-picture look at their finances that takes all their goals into consideration and makes homeownership part of the overall focus on financial health and wealth.
Even with all the negative news around rates, there’s some good news for those considering homeownership: Inventories are up and rents are outpacing inflation.
Home inventory is increasing
For the week ending May 24, Realtor.com reports that the inventory of homes for sale was 29.7% higher year-over-year — the 81st consecutive week of annual gains in inventory.
New listings also were up 8.2% compared versus 2024 giving home buyers even more options to find the home that best fits their needs.
Widening wealth gap between homeowners and renters
According to research by the Urban Institute, the median wealth gap between homeowners and renters has increased by 70% over the last 33 years.
From the mid-1990s until 2007, the median housing wealth gap increased but declined due to falling home prices during the housing market crisis.
But as demand exceeded supply coming out of the Great Recession, home prices took off again which has widened the wealth gap between renters and homeowners and, in turn, led to huge home equity gains for those able to become homeowners or stay in their homes.
In fact, according to the Realtor.com, home equity reached its third-highest value at $34.7 trillion in 2024.
It has definitely rebounded as this graph from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows. The large equity cushion many homeowners have could be a potential source of cash if the economy weakens.
As for rent, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows rent prices continue to outpace inflation. The reasons include low rental vacancies, rising demand, lower incomes among renters versus homeowners and other barriers to homeownership.
For those considering the rent-to-buy question, our rent vs. buy calculator can show you the difference over time. Along with our Road to Homeownership webinar, it’s part of our Regions Next Step® Home Resource Center — a no-cost resource offering articles, tools, podcasts and more to anyone considering homeownership.
This focus on financial education is important to me personally since one reason why I joined Regions Mortgage in August 2024 was Regions’ holistic focus on the customer.
I said then and continue to believe that that there is something noble with what we do as a mortgage lender because we’re helping people achieve the American Dream.
One particular success centered around a woman who had rented for decades before becoming her family’s first homeowner by buying the house she’d rented for all those years.
What a legacy she can now pass on to her family!
Indeed, home is where the wealth is. Homeownership has a powerful ability to change lives, communities and build wealth.
Giving people financial confidence through homeownership brings me to work each day and is what I will reflect on and appreciate anew this National Homeownership Month.
