7 Real Estate Investing Trends To Watch In 2022

by William Huston, AIF®, AIFA® in Real EstatePublished on July 12, 2022

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To invest or not to invest in real estate?

This is a question that lingers in many people's minds, as they begin or continue with their investment journey.

For real estate investors and homeowners, it is estimated that real estate appreciates 3% – 5% every year with proper maintenance.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the real estate industry has experienced some shifts due to emerging trends. Here are 7 that you should watch out for.

1. Digital House Hunting

The pandemic brought with it a lot of negatives but one of the positive outcomes was increased digitization in a lot of sectors. From e-commerce, to remote working to online shopping, a lot of industries switched things up in order to be able to provide digital services to their clients.

The real estate market was not left behind. Case in point, a lot of home buyers in 2020 purchased their homes without having to physically see or go inside the home.

Thanks to virtual tours, buyers could be taken on 3D tours or view drone videos of homes that they were interested in.

Some companies like Zillow provided clients with 3D home tour options as well as allowed sellers of homes to browse listings, connect with real estate agents and research mortgage options during the pandemic.

Online mortgage lending also became a popular searched for service, as home buyers tried to get the best mortgages for their desired homes.

Many millennials who rely on social media for different things, have also leveraged technology to connect more with their neighbors as well as learn more about their neighborhoods.

If you're looking to work with a qualified real estate agent to buy or sell property, get in touch with us here.

2. Relocation From Cities To The Suburbs

The pandemic caused a lot of people to migrate from major cities to the suburbs. This was caused by a number of factors which include:

The high cost of living in the cities which resulted in people moving to the suburbs in search of more affordable housing options. Suburbs can be a great choice as home prices and rent are cheaper. The taxes charged are also lower.
There is also another demographic of wealthy people who did not necessarily relocate because of the high cost of living, but rather by choice. Some did this in search of a new experience.

Among the key things that people put into consideration when moving away from big cities to suburbs include: efficient public transport, functional shopping centers, restaurants and multifunctional housing options.

The bigger cities like New York, Washington DC and San Francisco will most likely fully recover as people continue to learn of better ways to cope in the pandemic.

Industry experts predict that the shift from major cities to suburbs will remain constant till 2025.

3. Increased Popularity of The Sun Belt

As more people in the U.S. move away from major cities and into the suburbs, one destination continues to grow in popularity. That's the Sun Belt.

The Sun Belt is that part in the U.S. that comprises of 15 states in the South and Southwest region, stretching from California to South Carolina. These areas are characterized by warm, sunny weather. These areas are being regarded as areas where there's rapid population and economic growth.

It is approximated that 75% of the country's population growth over the last 10 years has majorly been concentrated in the Sun Belt states.

Millennials and younger professionals are attracted to the Sun Belt because of affordable housing prices, cheaper rent prices and lower taxes. More often than not, you'll get more space living in such areas as opposed to the top metro areas in the U.S. like New York.

As a result of this movement, the real estate markets in these areas have also boomed. Growth has been experienced in single-family, multifamily and commercial real estate.

According to Zillow, these are the areas in which homes are most likely to appreciate in value faster than other areas in the U.S. in 2022.

Tampa
Jacksonville
Raleigh
San Antonio
Charlotte
Nashville
Atlanta
Phoenix
Orlando
Austin

Shortage of Single-Family Housing

With the migration from cities to the suburbs, the demand for single-family homes has gone up.

According to a report from Arbor, 43% of the Gen Z generation are interested in renting a single-family home after graduating from university.

According to PwC, the demand for single-family homes has gone up because of a couple of factors:

They attract lower interest rates
Millennials are getting into the home ownership phase of their lives and some are planning to start their own families
As a result of measures like social distancing and quarantine during the pandemic, more people spent time at home

With the rising demand, it is projected that the market will eventually stabilize as the rate of construction of new homes will catch up with the growing demand. The housing market is projected to eventually stabilize.

Home Prices Continue To Rise

The price of homes will most likely continue to rise due to the increase in demand for single family homes. In 2020 and 2021, the prices of single-family homes shot up and it's expected that the prices will keep increasing.

In 2020, the median list price for a single-family home reached $350,000. This was an increase of approximately 11% from 2019.

Despite the high home prices, home buyers are still willing to secure their purchases. This is because, with the high demand that's in the housing market, home equity (the overall value of the home minus the amount owed on it) also goes up.

Mixed-use Properties

In both cities and suburbs, the growth of mixed-use properties is on the rise. Concepts like co-working spaces have become very popular due to the convenience, flexibility and affordability that they offer.

Nowadays, it is very common to see an office block that includes other amenities like a gym, restaurant, shopping center and retail shops. Such properties tend to attract more clients as they have a couple of essential amenities in close proximity. This makes it more convenient for some clients who may need to access similar services conveniently.

It has also become very common to find residential blocks that also have facilities like storage, restaurants, retail shops and a gym all in one property. Such real estate is more likely to attract a large number of consumers, especially if the services being offered are affordable.

Unique Vacation Rentals

With more flexibility in work places and remote working arrangements, more people are able to travel and explore new places. Some are doing this due to more free space on their hands while others are trying to make up for lost time.

As more people go on vacations or opt to work from different environments, vacation rentals that are unique and interesting are sparking more interest in consumers.

From tree houses, to properties in the desert, to buses that have been converted to cozy living spaces, homes with unique and extraordinary features are gaining more traction as compared to normal houses.

If you're in Venice, California and are looking for an incredible vacation home to stay at, here's one that you should check out.

Resthaven

Resthaven is a group of luxury vacation rentals that anyone can rent. In addition, you can become a member by paying the traditional way or using NFTs.

The first home is located in Venice, California and it's the perfect spot for people looking to experience luxury travel, on company retreats, on their honeymoon or simply looking for a new adventure.

This home sits on 3,400 sq. ft., has 4 beds and 4.5 baths. Its close proximity to popular tourist attractions such as Muscle Beach, Ocean Front Walk and the Venice Fishing Pier makes it the perfect home for those looking to explore the city.

Resthaven is a luxurious, safe and private vacation rental where you can just relax and unwind.

For more information on the property, get in touch with us today!

In Summary

As the real estate sector continues to stabilize due to the effects caused by the pandemic, it would be interesting to see which real estate trends were only as a result of the pandemic and which ones stick long-term.

Investing in real estate can prove to be a very profitable venture. However, before you do so, do your due diligence and consult a qualified real estate practitioner. Don't be too quick to invest in a vacation home or real estate investment trusts (REITs) without understanding how these concepts work.

If you're looking to get into real estate investing and you'd like to partner with us, then get in touch with us here!

Bay Street Capital Holdings

Bay Street Capital Holdings is an independent investment advisory, wealth management, and financial planning firm headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. They manage portfolios with the goal of maintaining and increasing total assets and income with a high priority on managing total risk and volatility. Although many advisors may focus on maximizing returns, they place a higher priority on managing total risk and volatility.

Our founder, William Huston founded Bay Street after 13 years of supporting the United States' largest retirement plan ($650B) Thrift Savings Plan. He is recognized as Investopedia’s Top 100 Financial Advisors for 2021. In California, only two black-owned firms out of nineteen firms received this recognition. In Scottsdale Arizona, Ekenna Anya-Gafu CFP, AAMS is recognized among the Best Financial Advisors for his responsiveness, friendliness, helpfulness, and detail. Bay Street was founded to advocate for diverse and emerging fund managers and entrepreneurs. In 2021, Bay Street was selected as a finalist out of over 900 firms across the US in the category of Asset Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).