It’s less about the health of the housing market and more about concern for the future of the economy, as buyers are suddenly more cautious about buying a home.
Consumer sentiment in housing did improve in August, according to a monthly survey from Fannie Mae, but only because of a big jump in the share of those who think mortgage rates will keep falling. Other components of the survey were not so rosy. Fewer people think now is a good time to buy or sell a home, and fewer said they are not concerned about losing their job in the next year.
“Unfortunately, much of the lower interest rate environment can be attributed to global economic uncertainties, which appear to have dampened consumer sentiment regarding the direction of the economy,” said Doug Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae. “We do expect housing market activity to remain relatively stable, and the favorable rate environment should continue supporting increased refinance activity.”