OC Housing Report

A 2022 Forecast

Another hot year for housing

 The shock of going into a pandemic may have disrupted the housing market in 2020 for a few months, but there was no disruption in 2021. Demand surged despite COVID’s winter wave, summer delta wave, and the current omicron wave. If anything, it has kept a lid on mortgage rates. The only thing that will slow the speeding housing freight train at this point is rising rates; yet, as long as COVID continues to be a threat, rates will have a hard time rising much from their current record lows. Housing is one of the strongest sectors of the economy, yet the overall U.S. economy has been on the mend as well. Retail sales have soared. Unemployment has dropped substantially. Job openings are surging. The number of homeowners in forbearance dropped below 600,000 by the end of December, and the vast majority of the nearly 7 million exits are either performing or paid off their mortgages in full. The economy has dramatically improved. Inflation may have risen to highs not seen in decades, but mortgage rates have not budged, indicating that investors are confident that the inflation pressures will subside and eventually retract sometime in 2022.  The low interest rate environment will continue and will be a tailwind that will continue to fuel the incredible run on housing. As a result, the local housing market is going to be HOT in 2022.

About the Author

Tim Morissette, also known in the community as Mr. Foothill Ranch, offers over 45 years of real estate experience which has given him an established reputation and unmatched market knowledge. He is joined by his wife, Michele and sons Matt and Jeff, as they continue to offer personal service with an emphasis on achieving his clients’ real estate goals.  This unique combination of traits has led to his proven track record of referral and repeat business. This can be witnessed by the trust of homeowners in Foothill Ranch where he has sold twice as many homes and represented three times more buyers than the next-leading real estate agent for the last 25 years.

As residents of Foothill Ranch since 1994, Tim and Michele are actively involved in the community by fundraising for Foothill Ranch Library, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Cancer Society, Homes for Habitat, Relay for Life, South County Outreach, and the local church and schools. Tim enjoys sponsoring community-wide garage sales, as well as sponsoring Paper Shredding and E-Waste Recycling events twice a year, a Meet Santa Event & a Movie Night.

Tim and Michele are dedicated to their family of four sons, daughter-in-laws, and grandchildren. As a family, they enjoy many outdoor activities which include camping, spearfishing, mountain climbing and exploring the miles of hiking and equestrian trails in Foothill Ranch and the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Tim and his sons are also avid snowboarders and enjoy mountain biking and lobster diving. Family is a top priority in the Morissette household. They look forward to helping more families achieve their dreams of homeownership.