RealTrending cover image

RealTrending

Altos Founder Mike Simonsen on the latest housing market trends

Feb 3, 2025
This week features Mike Simonsen, Founder of Altos Research, a leading source for housing market data. He shares an intriguing 2025 forecast predicting a slight increase in home sales and prices, yet highlights persistent affordability challenges. Simonsen also discusses the pivotal role of immigrant labor in the construction industry and how tariffs might spike building costs. With a possible dip in mortgage rates on the horizon, the conversation reveals the complex dynamics shaping today’s housing market.
31:49

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Home sales are expected to rise slightly to 4.2 million by 2025, facing challenges from fluctuating mortgage rates and affordability issues.
  • The reliance on immigrant labor in construction and potential tariffs on materials could significantly impact housing market dynamics and affordability.

Deep dives

Forecast for Home Sales in 2025

Home sales are expected to grow modestly by 5% in 2025, increasing from about 4 million to 4.2 million transactions. The market has experienced a significant drop in home sales from 6 million annually to 4 million due to rising rates that have persisted since the pandemic. Although the forecast suggests growth, recent data indicates a 10% decrease in pending home sales compared to the previous year, raising concerns about whether the anticipated sales volume will materialize. Ongoing fluctuations in mortgage rates may necessitate a reevaluation of this growth forecast in the coming months.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode