After Wreaking Havoc on Rural Markets, Remote Workers Are Returning to the Office

Remote workers kicked off a mid-pandemic Great Migration that led to elevated housing demand in rural areas across the U.S., but as employers push for professionals to return to the office, many workers are once again relocating. Many of those who settled in small and midsize communities throughout the pandemic were out-of-state buyers taking advantage of remote work flexibility, but in their hunt for quieter and more desirable markets to call home, they created an ongoing housing crisis, NBC News reports.

During the past two years, home prices have surged in rural markets, entirely pricing out local buyers. In addition, an unprecedented wave of housing demand drove up competition and left behind little inventory for remaining house hunters in towns such as Moab, Utah.

In Moab, Utah, residents are having similar issues as their desert community has become a new hot destination for second-home buyers, said Kaitlin Myers, executive director of the Moab Area Community Land Trust.

Even with demand seeming to ease and the housing market cooling, developers continue to build housing that will be unaffordable for most local residents, said Myers. She said several mobile home parks, which were one of the last bastions of affordable housing in the community, were bought in 2021 by developers who plan to put higher-end housing in its place.

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