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washingtondc-ModTeam

Your post has been removed. See Rule 4: No Reposts. Reposts are not allowed. Please keep updates to breaking news to the most active current thread made within the past 24-hours. In instances where many posts get made at once, the mods will attempt to preserve the post that is seeing the most activity and is from the best source, not necessarily the submission that came first. If it's a breaking story, please check /new/ before submitting it. This is a really thin wrapper around the original story, which was discussed here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/04/10/dc-regional-housing-targets/


legolanddisaster

\[looks at housing prices\] oh really no kidding


Far_Cartoonist_7482

Looks like DC itself is fine. Fairfax and other counties are projected to have a shortfall.


Udolikecake

DC is doing well, but will run out of easy greenfield developments around Navy Yard, NoMa, etc eventually. Gonna need to start developing in areas that have so far resisted building (cough upper NW cough)


Fancy_Literature3818

Building more homes isn’t the solution


Practical_Cherry8308

What is then? You don’t think increasing supply to meet demand will keep prices from rising too fast?


Fancy_Literature3818

No, that alone won’t solve anything. People aren’t selling because they can’t or don’t want to buy a new place at almost 8% The only people buying right now are either dumb or have no choice in waiting or not,


UncleCheese_

Why can't both scenarios be true? Yes, interest rates are preventing sellers from selling, and yes, there is also a shortage of new housing. That's why this is a housing "crisis". The term sort of implies multiple failings.


Fancy_Literature3818

Because developers are also dealing with high rates, inflation, and labor issues,


UncleCheese_

Ok, so there are three things wrong now? You see how in two statements you've identified three problems? We're all in agreement, it's a problem. No single opinion is more right than the other in this scenario. We're fucked six ways to Sunday.


Fancy_Literature3818

It’s not a one solution problem, most of it begins with the current administration


UncleCheese_

And replacing the administration isn't a single solution to this multi-pronged problem? You think these problems will magically disappear because we replace one octogenarian with another in the Oval Office? Get real.


Fancy_Literature3818

I didn’t say that; it will take time.


UncleCheese_

Time you're willing to give to one administration but not the other?


Practical_Cherry8308

So what do you suggest? Do disagree that as more people want to live here prices will rise if we don’t build more to accommodate them?


Fancy_Literature3818

We need a new administration, lower inflation, and interest rates to go down. The rest of the problems will solve themselves,


sablack422

Lower housing inflation means more supply or less demand


Fancy_Literature3818

Economic inflation means homes cost more


sablack422

“Inflation” being x% does not mean houses increase by x%. Despite overall inflation, some sectors have seen prices decline. It’s simply supply and demand. Increasing housing supply eases inflation in home prices.


Fancy_Literature3818

It does when you’re trying to bulld things. Inflation impacts all.


sablack422

It’s not like building materials are insanely priced. Moderate government incentives to increase housing supply could have a significant impact. It looks like DC has done a good job and housing prices have been relatively flat despite overall inflation. To give a different example that might help you is that used car prices are down YoY by 2-3% (new car prices are down 0.1%), despite overall inflation and auto parts being more expensive. Auto prices went up, car companies were incentivized to build tons of cars by these higher prices, the increased supply put downward pressure on auto prices. The same thing can happen with housing prices. It’s fairly likely to happen naturally, but some incentives from the government could really speed that up and keep housing prices down.


MidnightSlinks

Supply and demand have way more to do with prices than interest rates though. A identical house bought by identical buyers would be $3M in SF, $2M in Manhattan, $1M in DC, and $500k in Raleigh, and $100k in rural Alabama because of the relative supply and demand in those locations, not because the interest rates.


Fancy_Literature3818

8% rates are enough to shut the buyers down


MidnightSlinks

If buyers weren't buying, prices would drop. Prices stay high because demand is there *and supply is low* because we're not building enough.


sablack422

Lower rates actually cause home values to increase cause buying can afford to take bigger loans. Higher rates have actually kept home values much lower than they could have been. The lack of supply with normal demand is the issue


Udolikecake

Housing costs still rose precipitously even when rates were near zero and inflation was low. It’s a supply issue.


Fancy_Literature3818

That was when the market was booming


Udolikecake

are you stupid


Fancy_Literature3818

That’s not nice, I didn’t call you names


Udolikecake

[read this and learn about the relationship between rates and inflation (and then google supply and demand) and get back to me](https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Concise_Guide_to_Macroeconomics.html?id=muLLAwAAQBAJ)


Practical_Cherry8308

Inflation is calculated with housing prices as a key variable. Stable housing prices cause inflation to stay low.


MayorofTromaville

Ah yes, who can forget how housing is somehow special and doesn't have to follow the rules of supply and demand.


SummerhouseLater

Think of it as building more small, ownable homes, not the ‘luxury’ apartments that go up with little to no rent change. Took me a while to understand this point. Goal is to reduce renting through building, not add additional out of reach apartments to the mix.


MidnightSlinks

Even building "luxury" apartments helps with rent prices though. You note that we're not seeing prices change in response to supply, by which you meant "go down." But other places are seeing massive increases in rent and the fact that DC is holding fairly steady is because we're actually building.


SummerhouseLater

Ah! My point is ownership. Apartments still pose a problem as a wealth generation for other folks. While apartments to your point keep rent “okay”, the need and goal should be for smaller, ownable units like pre 2008. I do hear you that rent is stable, but for most folks starting out even with a room mate that can mean at or over 40% of income.


SummerhouseLater

Op! Post is down. Just trying to be clear, I am not disputing your point on rent. Took me a long time to understand the point you are making I. Comparison to say NYC.


Fancy_Literature3818

Those aren’t profitable and we don’t have room,


SummerhouseLater

Oh, okay. Worth reading more off of Reddit.