This Is The Recovery

by Jim the Realtor | Sep 30, 2011 | Market Conditions | 8 comments

Now that the so-called expert analysts have run out of superlatives, they don’t know what to think about real estate – this HW article refers to “housing desolation”.

But this is the recovery.

Mission accomplished, we’re here, it’s done.  The ‘market’ will be on choppy seas for years to come, and people can either participate, or grab some popcorn and watch.

We’ll have more financial calamity and hysteria, but we’ve become accustomed to it by now.  When Greece goes under, will anyone in NSDCC care?  I don’t think the FedGov will stop throwing money at the USA (especially Fannie/Freddie), so short of a domestic revolution, this is it – at least until somebody with vision steps up to the microphone and demands market clearing.

From HW:

http://www.housingwire.com/2011/09/30/market-reports-point-to-housing-desolation

As the housing market exits its typical buying season, it faces what many analysts predict to be several months of an ongoing search for a bottom and many years of slow recovery unless bold action is taken now.

Moody’s Investors Service lowered its near-term outlook for housing and the broader economy this week. Home sales and starts are now hitting a bottom, while home prices will continue to sink until early 2012, said Celia Chen, senior director at Moody’s Analytics in a research note.

“As 2011 began, the recovery appeared healthy and ready to turn into a self-sustaining expansion. Job growth was strong, unemployment was falling, and income and consumer spending were accelerating,” Chen said. “Today, the economy is struggling to avoid another recession.”

Recent housing indicators remained stable over the last three months. Housing starts averaged 590,000 units, house prices were flat, according to the National Association of Realtors and CoreLogic indices. But all data were down from last year and should only show minimal gains by the end of 2011.

Chen expects existing home sales will reach a 5.3 million annualized pace, and housing starts will touch 640,000. Next year, she said sales should reach a 6.5 million pace and housing starts could hit 1 million.

Of the bankers surveyed by analysts at the consumer credit firm FICO and the Professional Risk Managers International Association more than half do not expect home prices to climb back to 2007 levels before 2020.

“Have we finally hit rock bottom? That’s hard to say, but according to our survey, it’ll be quite some time before prices fully recover. The fact is that the market needs help to clear the backlog of distressed properties,” researchers said. “We are in no man’s land right now.”

Both Chen and the surveyors said the most obvious policy step to take would be the new refinancing package the Obama administration is currently putting together. Most believe the upcoming changes will simply be a tweak of the underwhelming Home Affordable Refinance Program.

“Economic logic strongly favors action to promote refinancing. With current mortgage rates near 4% and the median rate on outstanding mortgages above 5.75%, the potential rate reduction could average almost 175 basis points,” Chen said, adding that the savings to borrowers could be around $63 billion a year, though estimates vary wildly.

Chen also pointed out that the estimated 2012 bottom to home prices hinges on a restarted foreclosure process very soon, and that depends on how quickly the attorneys general and the banks resolve their differences in the robo-signing talks.

The FICO and PRMIA surveyors agreed.

“Something bold has to happen – either an acceleration of foreclosures that will force prices down to clear the market, or the adoption of aggressive policies that encourage the resetting of loan terms, such as the proposed expansion of the number of homeowners that qualify for refinancing,” they said.