Housing in the US is simply unaffordable for the middle class and low-wage workers. Combine rising food costs and gasoline/heating costs, and we have an economic disaster on our hands.
US existing home sales for June will be released on Wednesday. But can The Fed kill-off home price inflation?
A preliminary analysis of existing home sales for June is for a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.1 million, down 5.4% from May and down 14.2% from last June. As The Fed cranks up its target rate (green line) and eventually shrinking its balance sheet, we will see further shrinking of existing home sales this summer.
But home price inflation remains high (Case-Shiller National home price index at 21.23% YoY, Zillow’s rent index at 14.75% YoY) while the Consumer Price Index YoY is at 40-year high of 9.1% YoY. In other words, home price inflation is 233% of the stated inflation rate from Uncle Sam.
May’s existing home sales report was … sobering. There is still historically low levels of available inventory and median sales price of existing home sales was 14.64% YoY. Of course, the alternative to ownership is renting which is growing at 14.75% YoY. Simply unaffordable.
The gap between REAL home price growth (12.13% YoY) and REAL average hourly earnings (-3.95% YoY).
Consumer sentiment for housing is near the lowest level since 1982.
The Fed seems determined to remove the punch bowl in its efforts to crush inflation. But will The Fed’s efforts also crush the housing and mortgage market?
