The Sibley Group at Keller Williams Realty 455-0100

Your Home For New Orleans Real Estate

  • Home
  • Sellers
    • Make a Good First Impression
    • What’s My Home Worth?
    • Determining The Value of Your Home
    • Foreclosure & Short Sales
      • What is a “Short Sale”?
      • Short Sale Process
    • Real Estate Glossary
  • Buyers
    • Find Homes For Sale
    • Get Pre-Approved
    • Making an Offer
    • Mortgage Resource Center
      • FHA Loans
      • RD Financing – Rural Development Loans
      • VA Loans
      • Construction & Renovation Loans
    • Real Estate Glossary
  • Communities
    • Northshore
      • Slidell
      • Mandeville
      • Covington
    • Southshore
      • Uptown
      • Garden District
      • Carrollton / University
      • Broadmoor
      • Lakeview
      • Mid City
      • Warehouse District and CBD
      • French Quarter
      • Marigny and Bywater
      • Metairie
  • Resources
    • Local Area Schools
    • Moving Center
    • Preferred Vendors
    • Hurricane Preparedness
    • Blog
  • Listings
    • View Our Listings
    • Search All Listings
  • About Us
    • The Sibley Group
      • Our Team
      • Reviews & Testimonials
    • Keller Williams Realty
    • Careers
    • Choosing a REALTOR
    • Client Services
  • Contact Us
  • Property SearchSearch Homes By Map
  • Listings By EmailListings Updates Sent To Your Inbox
  • Home ValuationWhat Is Your Home Worth?
  • My AccountLogin To Save Listings And Searches
You are here: Home / Blog / Buyers Want To Know: Why Is Housing Supply Still So Low?

Buyers Want To Know: Why Is Housing Supply Still So Low?

January 20, 2022 by John Sibley

Buyers Want To Know: Why Is Housing Supply Still So Low? | Simplifying The Market

One key question that’s top of mind for homebuyers this year is: why is it so hard to find a house to buy? The truth is, we’re in the ultimate sellers’ market, so real estate is ultra-competitive for buyers right now. The number of buyers searching for a home greatly outweighs how many homes are available for sale.

While low inventory in the housing market isn’t new, it’s a challenge that continues to grow over time. Here’s a look at two reasons why today’s housing supply is low and what that means for you.

1. New Home Construction Fell Behind for Several Years

The graph below shows new home construction for single-family homes over the past five decades, including the long-term average for housing units completed. Builders exceeded that average during the housing bubble (shown in red on the graph). The result was an oversupply of homes on the market, so home values declined. That was one of the factors that led to the housing crash back in 2008.

Since then, the level of new home construction has fallen off. For the last 13 straight years, builders haven’t been able to construct enough homes to meet the historical average (as illustrated in green on the graph). That underbuilding left us with a multi-year inventory deficit going into the pandemic.

Buyers Want To Know: Why Is Housing Supply Still So Low? | Simplifying The Market

2. The Pandemic’s Impact on the Housing Market

Then, when the pandemic hit, it fueled a renewed appreciation and focus on the meaning of home. Having a safe space to live, work, school, and exercise became even more important for Americans throughout the country. So, as mortgage rates dropped to at or below 3%, buyers eagerly entered the market looking to capitalize on those low rates to secure a home that would fulfill their changing needs. At the same time, sellers hesitated to put their houses on the market as concerns about the pandemic mounted.

The result? The number of homes available for sale dropped even further. A recent article from realtor.com explains:

“Last month, the number of home listings dropped 26.8% compared with the same time a year earlier. This meant there were about 177,000 fewer homes listed in what’s already typically a slower month due to the holidays and colder weather. . . .”

What Does All of This Mean for You?

For a buyer, low inventory can be a challenge. You want to find the home of your dreams, and you don’t want to settle. But what if there just aren’t that many homes to choose from?

There is some good news. Experts are projecting more homes will soon become available thanks to sellers re-entering the market. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com, shares this hope, but offers perspective:

“We expect that we’ll start to see a turnaround and inventory will stabilize and start to go up a little bit in 2022. . . . But that means we’re looking at inventory levels of roughly half of what we saw before the pandemic. For buyers, the market is likely to continue to move fast. If you see a home you like, you want to jump on it right away.”

Basically, inventory is still low, even though more homes are coming. But you shouldn’t put your plans on hold because you’re waiting for those additional houses to hit the market.  Instead, stick with your search and persevere through today’s low inventory. You can find your next home if you’re patient and focused.

Remember your goals and why finding a home is so important. Those things should be the driving force behind your search. Share them with your agent and be clear about your priorities. Your trusted advisor is your greatest support as you navigate today’s low housing supply to find the home of your dreams.

Bottom Line 

If you’re planning to buy this year, the key to success will be patience given today’s low inventory. Let’s connect to discuss what’s happening in our area, what homes are available, and why it’s still worthwhile to prioritize your home search today.

Receive A Free Guide To Buying or Selling Your Home

The process of buying or selling a home can be overwhelming at times. It’s difficult to know when is the best time to buy, or how to get the most money for your house when selling. You don't need to go through the process alone.

Our free eGuides will answer many of your questions and likely bring up a few things you didn’t even know you should consider when buying or selling a home.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Filed Under: Blog, Buying Myths, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates

Homes By Price Range

Homes Under $200,000

Homes $200,000 – $300,000

Homes $300,000 – $400,000

Homes $400,000 – $500,000

Homes $500,000 – $600,000

Homes $600,000 – $750,000

Homes $750,000 – $1,000,000

Homes Over $1,000,000

Homes by School District

  • Your Contact Information

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

John Sibley came highly recommended by a neighbor and he sold our house not only once but twice! A pipe burst upstairs and flooded the house and the first sale was cancelled. We were out of town and John and his staff handled everything from informing us of the problem to working with the adjusters giving them access to the house. When we got back in town just three days later, the damage was already cleaned up and we were ready to begin the repairs!

Default Avatar75
Marilyn, Slidell, LA
 

We were very happy with the service provided. As first time home buyers, we were initially anxious, however, John and the rest of the group helped us understand the home buying process and what to expect. They made sure we were well prepared by the closing and that our interests were top priority.

Default Avatar75
Jimmy, New Orleans, LA
 

John was great to work with. He provided good sound advice relative to marketing our home. He kept me informed through every step of the process from the initial listing to the closing. It was a great experience and I recommend the Sibley Group to anyone interested in purchasing or selling real estate property.

Avatar
Richard, Madisonville, LA
 

John Sibley and Lana Sibley Leonard were very instrumental in marketing my home both personably and professionally. Their drive and incentive made it possible for my home to sell in a quick, timely manner.

Avatar
Christina, Slidell, LA
 

Everyone throughout the process was extremely helpful. Dianna spent a lot of time, including late hours helping us find the right house.

Default Avatar75
Chris, Slidell, LA
 

John & company were always negotiating on my behalf and won the battle such as letting me have an Estate Sale w/o charging me rent for one week and then the new owner moved in. The Sibley Realty Group was always professional in every way.

Default Avatar75
Anonymous, Slidell, LA
 

Sibley's group is the best we've used.

Default Avatar75
Cathy & Will, Slidell, LA
 

John and the Sibley Realty Group had a great command of the market prices and an excellent marketing strategy to get new groups of people to look at our property. By using new technology to market to different buyers and target new groups of potential buyers the Sibley Realty Group met our goal of selling within 3 months. The entire office helped make the transition smooth and Lauren is very helpful making sure everyone is on the same page as you go through the closing process. It is good t(...)

Default Avatar75
Kevin, New Orleans, LA
 

Sibley Group delivered as promised.

Default Avatar75
Stan, New Orleans, LA
 

We are extremely grateful to have found Sibley Realty group. Initially I had called other realtors who were not so responsive since we did not live in the area. Jordan contacted me back right away and made us feel at ease with our first home purchase. We lived 7 hours away from where we were buying and Jordan was very accomendating to our schedule of only being able to make it down on the weekends. The whole office are a bunch of true professionals that we owe more gratitiude to then we can(...)

Default Avatar75
Troy, Slidell, LA
 

From Our Blog

Don’t Let Rising Inflation Delay Your Homeownership Plans [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights If recent headlines about rising inflation are making you wonder if it’s still a … [Read More...]

The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

A recession does not equal a housing crisis. That’s the one thing that every homeowner today needs … [Read More...]

About Us

The Sibley Group has a team of Realtors to meet all of your real estate needs throughout the New Orleans Metropolitan area. We have agents that specialize on the Northshore and Southshore, including New Orleans, Slidell, Metairie, Covington, Mandeville, Pearl River, and Lacombe.


Trust a real estate team with a long-standing tradition of service, expertise, and professionalism in the local area.


John Sibley reviews
The Sibley Group
Keller Williams Realty 455-0100

3197 Richland Ave, Metairie, LA 70002

Northshore: 985.326.9755
Southshore: 504.571.9755
Broker: 504.455.0100

From Our Blog

Don’t Let Rising Inflation Delay Your Homeownership Plans [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights If recent headlines about rising inflation are making you wonder if it’s still a … [Read More]

The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

A recession does not equal a housing crisis. That’s the one thing that every homeowner today needs … [Read More]

Search Links

  • Search Listings
  • Search by Map
  • Login






Keller Williams Realty Professionals

The name of the company is Keller Williams Realty 455-0100.
Each Office is Independently Owned & Operated.

Broker & Associates are licensed by the State of Louisiana.
Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved