March housing sales statistics are rolling in, and we’re finally seeing some of the effects that the coronavirus is having on the housing market—and they are not good. But will the housing market crash? Housing experts point to a few factors such as the low inventory and better mortgage loan practices as evidence for why this time around will be much different than the Great Recession. And as disappointing as it was to lose this spring season, the momentum building up to February is partly to thank for why the housing market will likely come out the other side scratched and bruised, but still breathing.
All of us have a mind-boggling range of challenges to deal with in these stressful and uncharted times of COVID-19. But for many homeowners, sellers, and buyers, one concern rises to the top: Are we heading straight into another housing crash?
Little is assured these days, and our current situation is without precedent. But most housing experts believe the wave of across-the-board home-price slashing and desperate sell-offs that characterized the aftermath of the Great Recession are far less likely to materialize this time around.
Why will things be different? Because bad mortgages, rampant home flipping and speculation, and overbuilding all contributed to the last financial meltdown. This time around, the much-stronger housing market isn't the driver of the crisis—it's one of COVID-19's many victims.