Despite the unaffordability of the U.S. housing market pushing young people to the sidelines, millennials are finding innovative ways to enter the real estate market.
A popular method is “house hacking,” where a home is purchased, lived in, and then partially or wholly rented out for additional income.
Recent data from Zillow shows a surge in this practice among younger generations, with 55% of millennial homebuyers prioritizing the ability to house hack.
This trend indicates that young people are accepting the reality of high housing prices and are using creative and pragmatic methods to acquire properties. The demand for homes remains high, even in the face of prohibitive mortgage rates.
This resilience is reflected in the stock market, with real estate stocks recently passing a critical support level, suggesting potential growth in the sector.
The real estate sector has experienced a volatile year, particularly for companies that conceive, design, manage, and operate America’s buildings. These businesses are vital to the American economy, and their stocks have seen significant fluctuations.
This volatility can be observed through the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE), an exchange-traded fund that tracks a broad selection of real estate companies.
Investors have been moving in and out of XLRE since January, causing the price of real estate stocks to fluctuate throughout the year.
However, a more durable uptrend is underway for these companies, as XLRE just broke above its 200-day moving average (200-DMA). This indicator serves as a line of “support,” as investors often buy assets when they cross their moving averages.
Historically, XLRE’s breakouts above its 200-DMA have been rare but typically indicate a positive future for real estate stocks.
Despite a volatile year, the high demand for housing persists, with even those priced out of the market finding ways to enter. The stock market is beginning to reprice real estate companies based on this demand, suggesting that XLRE’s recent jump could signal the start of a longer rally.
In other news, several companies reached new highs last week, including Visa, Gartner, Amazon, Intel, IBM, Adobe, Palo Alto Networks, Salesforce, Intuit, Uber Technologies, Spotify Technology, UnitedHealth, Boston Scientific, Lululemon Athletica, General Electric, Stellantis, Cheniere Energy, Phillips 66, and Cameco.
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