Surprising Shift Favors Homeowners: Buyers Now Prefer Existing Homes
/As buyers switch from wanting new construction to wanting existing homes. Homeowners have the advantage when it comes to catching the attention of potential buyers!
Read MoreThe Team Hinton Real Estate Group blog is a place for all the latest news and updates about the Real Estate market will appear. Learn all about the latest and greatest tips and tricks to buying a home or selling a home. Also, get the latest updates about Team Hinton and our ever growing team of real estate agents in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally learned they were free.
That day became known as Juneteenth.
Today, Juneteenth is more than a celebration of freedom. It’s a celebration of resilience, achievement, culture, and community. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come—and how far we still have to go.
Imagine being legally free but not knowing it.
For more than two years, thousands of enslaved people continued to live in bondage because the news of their freedom had not reached them.
Juneteenth reminds us that freedom delayed is freedom denied.
It also reminds us that progress requires action.
Every June, our nation recognizes both Juneteenth and National Homeownership Month.
That connection is powerful.
Homeownership has long been one of the most effective ways for families to build wealth, create stability, and pass opportunities to future generations.
For many Americans, owning a home represents a key part of the American Dream.
But access to that dream has not always been equal.
Today, only 43% of Black households own their homes.
The gap between Black and White homeownership rates remains approximately 30 percentage points—one of the largest disparities in modern history.
Even decades after the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the homeownership gap remains wider than many people realize.
These aren’t just numbers.
They represent families who missed opportunities to build wealth, create equity, and establish long-term financial security.
Homeownership is about much more than having a place to live.
It’s about building a foundation.
For most families, a home is the largest asset they will ever own and one of the primary ways wealth is created and passed to future generations.
The numbers tell the story:
Median White family wealth: approximately $285,000
Median Black family wealth: approximately $44,900
At the same time, there is reason for optimism.
Between 2019 and 2022, Black household wealth increased significantly, with housing accounting for nearly 44% of total Black wealth.
When families gain access to homeownership, communities gain access to opportunity.
Here in Ypsilanti, Juneteenth is more than a historical observance.
It’s a community celebration.
This year’s Juneteenth festivities will once again bring together neighbors, local businesses, organizations, entertainers, and families to celebrate freedom, culture, and progress.
It’s a chance to honor history while investing in the future.
It’s a chance to teach our children where we’ve been and inspire them about where we can go.
And it’s a reminder that strong communities are built when everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
At Hinton Real Estate, we believe homeownership should be accessible, understandable, and achievable.
We’re committed to:
✔ Promoting fair housing
✔ Educating buyers and sellers
✔ Connecting families with resources
✔ Helping create pathways to homeownership
Because every family deserves the opportunity to build equity, stability, and a legacy.
Juneteenth celebrates freedom.
Homeownership creates opportunity.
Together, they tell a story about building a better future.
As we gather with family, friends, and neighbors this Juneteenth, let’s remember that freedom is not just about what was won in the past.
It’s about what we’re building today.
A stronger community.
A brighter future.
And more doors opened for the generations that follow.
Because at Hinton Real Estate, we believe keys unlock more than homes.
They unlock possibilities.
Let’s keep building together.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC)
Brookings Institution
Urban Institute
History.com
Ypsilanti Juneteenth Celebration
As buyers switch from wanting new construction to wanting existing homes. Homeowners have the advantage when it comes to catching the attention of potential buyers!
Read MoreIn a recent article, National Housing Inventory Crisis Reaches Inflection Point, realtor.com reported that:
New listings jumped 8% year-over-year nationally, the largest increase since 2013
Total listings in the 45 largest markets are now up 6% on average over last year
This increase in housing inventory has sparked two different reactions. Some are saying this is the first sign of a potential collapse while others are saying it is a welcomed reprieve from the lack of inventory that has stalled the market recently. As Zelman & Associates reported in a recent ‘Z Report’:
“With the rate of home price appreciation starting to decelerate alongside the uptick in inventory, we expect significant debate whether this is a bullish or bearish sign.”
There are those who look at the increase in inventory as a sign that we are returning to the market we saw last decade. However, a closer look shows that we are nowhere near the levels of inventory we reached before the crash in 2008.
A normal market would have about 6-months inventory, but the latest Existing Home Sales Report issued by the National Association of Realtors revealed that:
“Unsold inventory is at a 4.3-month supply at the current sales pace up from 4.1 months a year ago.”
A decade ago, prices began to rapidly depreciate in June 2007. At that time, we had a 9.1-month supply (more than double what it is today) and inventory kept rising until it hit a peak of 11.1 months in April of 2008.
With the current levels of buyer demand, any such increase in months supply is highly unlikely. As Danielle Hale, realtor.com’s Chief Economist explains:
“After years of record-breaking inventory declines, September’s almost flat inventory signals a big change in the real estate market. Would-be buyers who had been waiting for a bigger selection of homes for sale may finally see more listings materialize. But don’t expect the level to jump dramatically.
Plenty of buyers in the market are scooping up homes as soon as they’re listed, which will keep national increases relatively small for the time being.”
The increase in inventory will allow many families who had been unable to find a home to finally become homeowners. Again, we quote from the ‘Z Report’:
“In our view, the short-term narrative will probably be confusing, but more sustainable growth and affordability will likely be the end result.”
If you are either a first-time or second-time buyer who has given up, let’s get together discuss the inventory available in our market.