Five Root Causes for Depressed Homeownership Rate in Alexandria

Five Root Causes for Depressed Homeownership Rate in Alexandria

The National Association of REALTORS recently held the Sustainable Homeownership Conference at the University of California, Berkeley, where a group of experts discussed potential ways to reverse the decline in homeownership. During the meeting, the five main reasons why would-be buyers are locked out of the housing market were discussed.
Kim Nesbitt, Nesbitt Realty, Will Nesbitt, Stuart Nesbitt, Nora Yelland, Julie Nesbitt
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The reasons are:
  • Post-foreclosure stress disorder – The Great Recession caused long-lasting psychological changes in the financial decision-making for the estimated 9 million homeowners who lost their homes to foreclosure and the millions who lost their jobs.
  • Mortgage availability – Credit standards have not normalized since the recession, and borrowers with good-to-excellent credit scores are not getting approved at the rate they were in 2003.
  • Growing burden of student loan debt – Repaying student loan debt is making it difficult for young households to save for a down payment and qualify for a mortgage.
  • Single-family housing affordability – Lack of inventory, high home prices and high rent are causing decaying affordability conditions in many markets.
  • Single-family housing supply shortages – An inadequate level of homebuilding has led to a cumulative deficit of nearly 3.7 million new homes over the last eight years.
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    George Washington Masonic Temple illuminated at night
    George Washington Masonic Temple illuminated at night

Allison Nesbitt Johns

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Allison Nesbitt Johns is a native of Northern Virginia and a graduate of James Madison University. She is a full-time elementary school teacher and helps out at Nesbitt Realty during summer months and other times when school is out of session.