Orange County Housing Report

By Buying, Selling March 31, 2021
OC Housing Report

The Coming Change

The sharp rise in mortgage rates from 2.65% during the first week of January to 3.09% today is just the beginning of rising rates.

The Los Angeles Lakers reached the playoffs 10 years in a row between 1995 and 2004. They hoisted the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy three times between 2000 to 2002. The team was stacked and included Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Derek Fisher, and Rick Fox. What happened in 2005? Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Derek Fisher signed as a free agent with the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers won only 34 games and missed the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. In sports, phenomenal teams do not last forever.

Housing is in the midst of its own playoff run and has been a Hot Seller’s Market since June of last year, 9-months straight. It is the longest since the 16-month streak that ran from March 2012 through July 2013. What happened in the summer of 2013 to end the run? The market decelerated because of higher mortgage rates.

In 2013, there was very little supply and low mortgage rates were juicing demand. Doesn’t that sound familiar? A low supply and a truck load of demand? The difference between 2013 and 2021 is that the supply of available homes to purchase today is even lower and demand is a bit higher due to even lower mortgage rates.

Excerpt taken from an article by Steven Thomas.

About the Author
Tim Morissette, REALTOR®

Tim Morissette, also known in the community as Mr. Foothill Ranch, offers over 46 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 26 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, paper shredding and e-waste recycling event, an Easter egg hunt, & a Meet Santa Event.

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.