US ka housing market phir se dushwari mein hai kyunki mortgage rates 9 mahine ke highest level par pahunch gaye hain. Isse homebuyers ke liye affordability aur bhi kharab ho rahi hai. Freddie Mac ke Thursday ke data ke according, 30-year fixed mortgage ka average rate is week mein 6.53% ho gaya hai, jo pichle week ke 6.51% se thoda up hai. Yeh figure ek saal pehle ke 6.89% se bhi zyada hai. Borrowing costs mein yeh badhotri global oil prices ke upar bhi hai, jo Iran ke conflict ki wajah se Persian Gulf se oil supply mein disturbance ki wajah se aur badh gaye hain. Isse crude prices bhi badh gaye hain, jisse bond yields bhi upar gaye hain aur mortgage rates par asar pad raha hai.
Yeh badhotri sirf 30-year loans tak hi limit nahi hai. 15-year fixed mortgage ka average rate bhi thoda badhkar 5.87% ho gaya hai, jo pichle week ke 5.85% se upar hai. Housing market ke spring homebuying season par iska asar dikhne laga hai. Pichle mahine previously occupied homes ki sales mostly flat rahi, jabki 2024 ke Q1 mein yeh year-on-year decline mein thi. Yeh slowdown 2022 se shuru hua hai, jab borrowing costs do saal mein tezi se badhe the. New home sales bhi kamzor hue hain, US Census Bureau ke data ke according April mein 6.2% ki girawat aayi hai. Seasonally adjusted annual rate of new home sales 622,000 units tak gir gayi hai, jo demand mein kamzorai ko dikhata hai.
Mortgage applications ka data bhi buyers ke sentiment mein cooling ko zyada clear kar raha hai. Mortgage Bankers Association ke according, total mortgage applications pichle week mein 8.5% gir gaye, jo mainly refinancing activity mein girawat ki wajah se hai. Lekin home purchase ke liye loans ke applications pichle saal ke same period se zyada hain, jo higher costs ke bawajud bhi buyers ki interest mein resilience ko dikhata hai. Economists ka kehna hai ki buyers ke paas ab zyada options hain aur home prices bhi soft ho rahe hain, lekin in low prices ka faida higher borrowing costs ki wajah se kam ho raha hai.
Jake Krimmel, Realtor.com ke senior economist, ne current situation ko explain karte hue kaha, “Buyers ke paas ab zyada options hain aur prices bhi soft ho rahe hain, lekin unke paise utne far nahi ja rahe hain jitne kuch mahine pehle the.” Unhone yeh bhi kaha ki US-Iran conflict ka hal nikalne se mortgage rates par pressure kam ho sakta hai, jisse consumers ko fayda hoga aur housing market ki momentum bhi badhegi. Conflict ke global oil supply par asar ne inflation concerns aur US economy mein higher borrowing costs ko badhane mein major role play kiya hai.
Housing slowdown broader economic challenges ko reflect kar raha hai, jisme persistent inflation aur higher oil prices shamil hain, jisse sirf mortgages hi nahi balki poore US economy mein borrowing costs badh rahe hain. Federal Reserve ke cautious stance on interest rate policy ki wajah se real estate sector affordability constraints se jhujh raha hai. Kam sales, higher rates aur fluctuating market conditions ne buyers aur sellers dono ke liye challenging environment create kar diya hai.
Industry analysts ka kehna hai ki market cooling ke signs dikha raha hai, lekin zyada inventory ki availability se prices stabilize ho sakte hain. Lekin jab tak mortgage rates kam nahi hote ya incomes mein significant rise nahi hota, affordability ek major hurdle bani rahegi. Yeh situation economic policies, geopolitical stability aur housing sector ki health ke beech ke delicate balance ko highlight kar rahi hai.
