Despite rising mortgage rates and slumping home sales in 2022’s second quarter, a greater number of markets experienced double-digit annual price gains compared with the prior quarter, according to the latest quarterly report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Eighty percent of the 185 tracked metro areas posted double-digit price gains, up from 70% in the first quarter of this year.
Nationally, the median single-family existing-home price eclipsed $400,000 for the first time, rising 14.2% from one year ago to $413,500. Year-over-year price appreciation eased slightly compared with the previous quarter’s 15.4%.
“Home prices have increased at a pace that far exceeds wage gains, especially for low- and middle-income workers,” says NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun. “Overall, the national price deceleration inevitably followed the softening sales, providing well-positioned prospective buyers a small measure of welcomed relief. The recent dips in mortgage rates will bring additional buyers to market, especially in those places where home prices are still relatively affordable and where jobs are being added.”
Regionally, the South accounted for 44% of sales in the second quarter and posted the largest price appreciation of 18.2%. Prices increased 12.7% in the West, 10.1% in the Northeast, and 9.7% in the Midwest.
The top 10 metro areas with the largest year-over-year price gains all recorded increases greater than 25%, with seven of those markets (Lakeland-Winter Haven; Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island; North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater; Cape Coral-Fort Myers; Punta Gorda; and Ocala) located in Florida.
Other markets with the highest price gains include Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas/Missouri; Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina/North Carolina; and Ogden-Clearfield, Utah.
The top 10 most expensive markets in the U.S., half of which were in California, included San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California; San Francisco; Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, California; Honolulu; San Diego; Boulder, Colorado; Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida; Los Angeles; Seattle; and Boston.
“The local job market performance and supply availability are the clear distinguishing factors driving local home price growth,” adds Yun. “Job growth is positive and should be applauded, but supply restraints are creating unnecessary barriers to ownership opportunities.”
The monthly mortgage payment on a typical existing single-family home with a 20% down payment in Q2 2022 jumped to $1,841, an increase of $444 from the first quarter and $612 from one year ago. Families typically spent 24.3% of their income on mortgage payments, up from 18.7% the prior quarter and 16.9% one year ago.
Growing unaffordability also impacted first-time buyers. For a typical starter home valued at $351,500 with a 10% down payment loan, the mortgage payment rose to $1,810, a bounce of $433 from the prior quarter and $597 from one year ago. First-time buyers typically spent 36.8% of their family income on mortgage payments, up from 28.7% in the previous quarter.
According to the NAR, a family needed at least $100,000 to afford a 10% down payment mortgage in 53 markets, nearly double the 27 markets from the prior quarter. Yet, a family needed less than $50,000 to afford a home in 23 markets, down significantly from 63 markets in the previous quarter.
