Will Middle Class Home Ownership Become Inaccessible?

EDITOR NOTE: In this low-interest rate environment, one would think that now’s the perfect time to buy a home. Many middle-class households have had this on their mind for some time; hence, home sales helped buoy the economy in the early months of the pandemic. But now, middle-class families are getting priced out. There’s an exodus from big cities to the suburbs. Houses for sale, according to the national inventory, have dropped nearly 40% over last year. And banks, many of whom are skeptical due to the rapidly deteriorating labor markets, are making it difficult for homebuyers to get loans. So, the great wealth divide continues to widen. And on top of all this, prices (according to the most recent Fed Beige Book) are beginning to soar across the country. If you haven’t hedged your purchasing power at this point, we urge you to do so. The cost of living is only going to rise from here. And securing a mortgage will be just one of many other financial problems you may face.

The number of homes for sale reached an all-time low in December, as buyers remained active and eager to buy even during the holiday season. National inventory declined by 39.6% over the last year, and fell below 700,000 for the first time, according to a new report from realtor.com

The U.S. housing market has been a consistent bright spot during the coronavirus crisis, buoying the economy, which in December lost jobs — 140,000 of them — for the first time since April. Even during such uncertain times, mortgage rates remain at historically low levels and many Americans are seeking more space as their homes have transformed into offices and schools overnight.

But given the low inventory and the quick turnaround of homes, middle class Americans are finding homeownership more inaccessible than ever, according to Grant Cardone, a real estate investor who manages a $1.4 billion portfolio of multifamily properties and also stars in Discovery Network’s (DISCA) reality series, "Undercover Billionaire.”

“The middle class are going to get priced out permanently. The great divide will get wider, wealthy people are picking up second and third homes like most people buy Skittles or the way we were buying toilet paper back in March. The average person is not able to grab a house today. After the pandemic, the banks went to 20% down, now they're doing double and triple checks to see if your future employment is stable,” he said during an interview with Yahoo Finance Live on Friday.

‘It’s going to get more and more difficult’

Homes are selling quickly in this environment, spending an average of 66 days on the market as of December — 13 fewer days on average than in 2019, according to realtor.com. U.S. home price growth surged in October to levels not seen in six years, Yahoo Finance’s Amanda Fung reported.

“It's going to get more and more difficult for people to buy homes in the lowest interest rate environment we've ever had, the middle class will not be able to take advantage of this. This validates the concept which I've been pushing... cash is trash and the wealthy are turning cash into real assets,” he added.