Buffalo, New York is projected to be the hottest housing market of 2024, according to an analysis from real estate company Zillow.
Zillow called affordability the “most powerful force driving real estate,” bringing lower-cost markets in the Great Lakes, Midwest and South regions to the top of the company’s 2024 rankings.
“Housing markets are healthiest where affordable home prices and strong employment are giving young hopefuls a real shot at buying and starting to build equity,” said Anushna Prakash, data scientist for Zillow Economic Research.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that the housing market will get back on stable footing in 2024 − we shouldn’t see the massive price spikes of the early pandemic or fast-rising mortgage rates of recent years,” Prakash said.
There are some signs the housing market will improve in 2024. Mortgage rates dropped steadily over the past seven weeks, averaging 6.61 % for a 30-year fixed mortgage, the week ending Dec. 28. The lower mortgage rates provided a boost to existing-home sales, which grew in November, up 0.8% from October and breaking a streak of five consecutive monthly declines, according to the National Association of Realtors.
However, one thing most experts don’t expect to see is an end to shortage of homes for sale.
“Despite this, households will have more options in 2024 from a small uptick in single-family home construction, and the completion of the large number of multifamily units that are under construction, the vast majority…
