The golden era of buying and flipping homes for swift profits appears to be receding. As per recent reports, sky-high property prices and elevated mortgage rates are leading to diminished homebuyer demand, forcing real estate investors to sell homes at a loss in certain U.S. cities.
In a revealing turn of events, real estate investors incurred losses on approximately one in seven (13.5%) homes they sold in March. This is a stark contrast to the overall U.S. homes sold in the same period, where only 4.8% were sold at a loss. The situation was even grimmer in February, with losses reported on 14.5% of homes sold by investors, the highest rate since 2016 and a significant rise from the record monthly low of 2.8% in May 2022.
These figures challenge the longstanding notion that buying and selling real estate is a nearly guaranteed profit-generator, yet the overall statistics still lean in favor of the investors.
Analyzing data from 40 of the most populous U.S. metropolitan areas, it was noted that investors are most likely to incur losses in markets that witnessed the most significant surges in house prices during the pandemic. The elevated mortgage rates have also taken a toll on investor profits by significantly increasing the typical homebuyer's monthly payment. This, in turn, has slowed homebuying demand and pushed down sale prices, leading to an increase in the share of investor-owned homes selling at a loss.
In March, Phoenix, Arizona emerged as the most affected market, with 30.7% of homes sold by investors incurring losses. Following Phoenix, other impacted markets included Las Vegas, Nevada (28%), Jacksonville, Florida (20.9%), Sacramento, California (20.2%), and Charlotte, North Carolina (17.4%).
On the other hand, investors are less likely to lose money in affordable areas where house prices didn't soar as high during the pandemic, as well as certain South Florida markets. For instance, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, only 1.7% of homes sold by investors in March were sold at a loss, a stark contrast to Phoenix. Other areas with fewer losses included West Palm Beach, Florida (2.4%), Miami, Florida (2.5%), Fort Lauderdale, Florida (2.5%), and Warren, Michigan (2.6%).
One might wonder why investors don't simply wait for a rebound in the housing market before selling. While long-term investors who rent out their properties can afford to do so, many short-term investors or "flippers" are unable to wait due to financial constraints.
Holding onto homes that aren't generating income can be a financial burden, given the property taxes, operating costs, and monthly mortgage payments involved. Additionally, many short-term investors are opting to sell as they believe prices may continue to fall and prefer to cut their losses.
Despite the current high percentage of investor-owned homes selling at a loss, it's crucial to remember that many housing investors continue to profit from buying and selling homes, even in cooling housing markets. In March, the typical investor sold a home for 45.9% ($145,714) more than the purchase price. However, these gains have shrunk from 55.3% ($173,458) a year earlier and a pandemic peak of 67.9% ($199,274) in June 2022.
The current scenario in the real estate market serves as a reminder of the cyclical nature of the industry. As the market evolves, savvy investors will become more conservative and adapt to the new market realities.
