The Winners and Losers of the Housing Crash

To say that the current state of the US housing market is a little shaky would be an understatement. The waves of recent mortgage statistics are at best conflicting and in many cases misleading as to the true nature of the property economy. Some experts are clinging to the fact that a recent boom in first time buyers being accepted for mortgages (in light of the $8000 tax credit) is a sign that the industry has turned a corner. Others, meanwhile, see the glimmer of hope as more of a mirage in a still arid housing landscape. Indeed, recent reports show that the Philadelphia Housing Market Index has fallen to its major support level of 225; Toll Brothers (a major US luxury home builder) has seen a 33% drop in order during the second quarter and mortgage lender Ameriquest is downsizing and laying off 3500 workers.

Wealthy Housing Opportunities

In the wake of this uncertain housing climate there has risen a sharp contrast between the poorest and the wealthiest people in the country. The current situation has provided a stark reminder of the money gap between the haves and the have-nots in America. Moreover, where one demographic sees opportunity the other sees long-term financial uncertainty. The old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is particularly pertinent at the moment as the rich are seeing the drop in house prices as a chance to increase their portfolios. One of America’s most exclusive housing markets, the Hamptons, felt the bite of the recession more than most with the uptake on many multimillion dollar Long Island properties being extremely low. In recent months though, high-end real estate developers have seen a sharp rise in sales as the price of housing has fallen. Alan Schurman, a real estate developer, points out that those that can afford the million dollar price tags “made a decision that the market hit a point and was forming a bottom. Now they want to get in on the values that are out there.”

Luxury property prices have been slashed by around 20% in the area and this has attracted a glut of buyers back to the area keen to snap up a bargain ready for when the market begins to rejuvenate itself. This flood of multimillion dollar spending provides a striking juxtaposition to the financial difficulties facing many “average income” homes. Across the country the rate of foreclosures has risen and more and more homes are seeking the help of programs like the one in operation in Louisville, designed to be the final lifeline for those facing foreclosure. The number of people struggling to make their mortgage repayments has risen to over 13% and more than 4% of all borrowers are in foreclosure. The rising jobless figures are the major contributing factor to the situation, and while government incentives such as the $8000 tax refund are aiming to help the average buy, the problem is continuing to escalate.

The Great Divide

In times of financial crisis the wealth divide is always more prevalent, and while Middle America struggles to retain possession of its homes; the wealthy can’t wait to expand theirs. Nobody is clear just how much longer the current economic climate will last and for the average American the future isn’t looking like a bed of roses. Recent reports over whether the situation is improving or not is much like the discrepancy between those at the top and bottom of the housing chain; on the one hand someone is a winner but on the other, someone always ends up a loser.

ref: blog.mortgage101.com/2009/09/09/the-winners-and-losers-of-the-housing-crash