Policy, Price, and Product Are Used to Assess Market Recovery
Existing home sales in the U.S. rose 10.1% in October, 2009. This is good news for the housing sector that has been hurt by an exceedingly large inventory of unsold homes and unprecedented rates of foreclosure.
Government Policy
The ability of the housing market to stand on its own, unaided by federal stimulus, will be tested very soon. The end is nearing for two federal policies that are credited with providing a boost to the housing market this year. The $8,000 tax credit for new home buyers was extended, but is scheduled to end in the spring of 2010. Secondly, the Federal Reserve, which purchased mortgage securities in an effort to keep mortgage rates low, has indicated that aid will soon cease as well.