The changes in the housing market dynamics that began in late spring/early summer 2022 generally continued in autumn due to the ongoing economic headwinds, including high inflation and interest rates, reduced consumer confidence, and volatile stock markets, though all have fluctuated significantly over the period, and some readings have recently improved.

After a brief rebound in market activity in August, pursuant to what turned out to be a very temporary decline in interest rates and an associated rebound in financial markets, macroeconomic conditions shifted again - with interest rates climbing rapidly to a 20-year high - which took a toll on early autumn, Bay Area average home price. Though across the Bay Area, thousands of homes continued to be sold [...]

Virtually across the Bay Area, Q3 median sales prices retreated dramatically from their spring peaks, and SF was hit harder than most area markets. Part of this was due to seasonal trends – median sales prices often peak for the calendar year in Q2, then drop in summer – but part of the decline was clearly due to changing market conditions prompted by shifts in interest rates, inflation, [...]

In early August, we mentioned agents reporting that buyer activity - renewed interest in getting back into the market, visits to open houses, and so on – was picking up due to a number of issues: Price reductions, less competition, the drop in interest rates, and the dramatic recovery in stock markets. And a small rebound in SF sales did show up in August data – sales usually [...]