4 2017 Trends

With 2016 rapidly coming to a close, it’s time to begin planning for the blank slate and new challenges that always come when the calendar turns to January 1.

With the real estate markets around the country now fully recovered from the recession of a few years ago, certain trends have begun developing that are driving the market anew. Some of these trends began in 2016 or earlier, but others are just now coming to the surface.

So let’s examine a few of the things that experts say to be on the lookout for in 2017:

  • First Time Homebuyers Multiplying. According to data, more than one-third of the people purchasing homes in 2015 were first-time buyers, but that number is expected to increase to more than half in 2017. This means that the competition for affordable starter homes may increase exponentially, as more than 60 percent of first-time homebuyers are expected to be millennials less than 35 years old. Something to keep your eye on for sure.
  • Barriers are Changing. Mortgage qualification issues, including credit scores and down payments, are expected to be the biggest barriers to homeownership in 2017. So expect to work a little harder with your clients when trying to get them qualified for loans. There are many options, of course, and you may need to examine several of them in 2017 to get over this hurdle.
  • What Buyers are Looking for. In a recent survey, prospective home buyers were asked what attributes they were looking for in new homes, with large yards, quality construction and safe neighborhoods coming out on top. Millennials are also looking for single-family homes with extra space for starting families. No condos for them!
  • Spring and Summer is Still King. Most prospective buyers have indicated that they plan to buy in the spring and summer months, when the weather is warmer and moving to a new home is more convenient. This trend is obviously nothing new in our area, but it’s still worth noting.

So there are a few trends that experts are expecting to either occur or continue in 2017. Trends change every year, of course, and each market is different (think coastal) but these are things worth watching for in the next calendar year.

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Sussex County Association of Realtors

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