Where to Invest in Real Estate Right Now
Experts point to opportunities in residential housing, short-term rentals, commercial property and more.
Bloomberg | By Charlie Wells
What was supposed to be a year of clarity for the property market has instead given way to fresh uncertainty.
Stubbornly high mortgage rates are keeping buyers out of the house hunt. Potential sellers are staying put. Commercial property valuations, on the other hand, are still depressed amidst disagreements over the value of everything from office buildings to warehouse space.
Expectations were that September’s jumbo rate cut would shake the market loose, but no boom has emerged and mortgage rates have remained elevated. The election of Donald Trump brought mixed signals. Some in the real estate industry welcome his promises of deregulation and his real-estate background, while others fear the effects of an “America-first” policy on property — tariffs and an immigration crackdown — could lift costs for materials and labor. And all of that may feed through to rates.