Expert Panel Predicts Home Price Growth Will Decelerate in 2024 and 2025

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Sep 05, 2024, 08:30 ET

Panel Also Shares Thoughts on Most Impactful Potential Policy Reforms to Boost Housing Supply

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following home price growth of 6.0% in 2023, a panel of housing experts forecasts annual national home price growth of 4.7% in 2024 and 3.1% in 2025, according to the Q3 2024 Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES), produced in partnership with Pulsenomics, LLC. The HPES polls over 100 experts across the housing and mortgage industry and academia for forecasts of national home price percentage changes in each of the coming five calendar years, as measured by the Fannie Mae Home Price Index (FNM-HPI). The panel's latest estimates of national home price growth are higher than last quarter's expectations of 4.3% for 2024 but lower than the previous quarter's expectations of 3.2% for 2025.

This quarter, the ESR Group also surveyed panelists on the impact of potential zoning and permitting reforms at state and local levels to increase construction of new homes and, thereby, the supply of homes available to buyers and renters. While most panelists believe that reforms implemented to date are likely to have a positive effect on new construction within the next five years, they were generally split on whether that effect would be "moderate" or "insignificant." A plurality of panelists suggested that hastening the construction permitting process would have the greatest positive impact on housing supply if broadly enacted, following by expanding zoning for multifamily housing developments and enabling more "missing middle" or "light touch density" housing construction. However, 63% of panelists are "not confident at all" that the initiatives they think would be most effective will be enacted widely within the next five years. Complete results of the Q3 2024 HPES can be found here.

"Recent measures of home price growth, including our own, have continued to come in stronger than previously expected, as reflected by the 100-plus HPES panelists who, on average, once again modestly upgraded their home price outlook for 2024," said Mark Palim, Fannie Mae Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. "Strong home price appreciation has persisted despite purchase affordability remaining stretched for the vast majority of consumers, a dynamic that is still primarily a function of inadequate supply. Our panelists overwhelmingly agreed that there is a fundamental lack of housing in the United States relative to underlying demographic factors – and, on average, believe the nation to be short approximately 2.8 million homes. We've previously estimated the shortfall to be more than 4 million. The panelists also shared that they think speeding up construction permitting processes, increasing density around transit corridors, and allowing more 'missing middle'-type housing are the local and state policy reforms likeliest to increase housing production. However, most remain apprehensive about the near-term prospects of these sorts of reforms being enacted broadly enough to have a meaningful effect on supply and housing affordability."

Terry Loebs, founder of Pulsenomics, added: "Despite robust home value growth in the first half of 2024, our panelists anticipate a slowdown in price appreciation for the remainder of the year and beyond. While lower interest rates could incentivize some homeowners to sell, the deep-rooted housing supply and affordability crises will likely persist, even with a more accommodative monetary policy."

To receive e-mail updates regarding future HPES updates and other economic and housing market research from Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group, please click here.

Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views of Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group, Pulsenomics, LLC and the surveyed experts included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae's business prospects or expected results, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the ESR Group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, beliefs and other views published by the ESR Group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management.

About Fannie Mae's Home Price Expectations Survey
Fannie Mae's Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES), produced in partnership with Pulsenomics, LLC, polls over 100 experts across the housing and mortgage industry and academia for forecasts of national home price percentage changes in each of the coming five calendar years, with the Fannie Mae Home Price Index as the benchmark. On a quarterly basis, Fannie Mae plans to publish the latest panelist-level expectations, as well as a special topic report that includes respondent feedback on topical questions designed to help inform the broader housing industry. The Q3 2024 HPES had 108 respondents and was conducted by Pulsenomics, LLC between July 30, 2024 and August 12, 2024.

About the ESR Group
Fannie Mae's Economic and Strategic Research Group, led by Chief Economist Doug Duncan, studies current data, analyzes historical and emerging trends, and conducts surveys of consumer and mortgage lender groups to provide forecasts and analyses on the economy, housing, and mortgage markets. The ESR Group was awarded the prestigious 2022 Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Forecast Accuracy based on the accuracy of its macroeconomic forecasts published over the 4-year period from 2018 to 2021.

About Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae advances equitable and sustainable access to homeownership and quality, affordable rental housing for millions of people across America. We enable the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and drive responsible innovation to make homebuying and renting easier, fairer, and more accessible. To learn more, visit:
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About Pulsenomics
Pulsenomics^® is an independent research and index product development firm that leverages expertise in data analytics, opinion research, financial markets, and economics to deliver insight and market intelligence to institutional clients, partners, and the public at large. To learn more, visit pulsenomics.com.

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