Cheapest Places to Buy a House in the US 2023 (2024)

FAQs

Will house prices go down in 2023 usa? ›

Although home prices are expected to improve in the second half of the year, the California median home price is projected to decrease by 5.6 percent to $776,600 in 2023, down from the median price of $822,300 recorded in 2022.

Homebuyer.com data analysis indicates that, for first-time home buyers, June 2023 is a good time to buy a house relative to later in the year. This article provides an unbiased look at current mortgage rates, housing market conditions, and market sentiment.

That said, the cheapest states to buy real estate in are often those experiencing economic or population declines. Rust Belt states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana all have markets with affordable housing, as do many Southern states, like Alabama and Mississippi.

Despite what some may think, 2023 is still a good year to invest in real estate, thanks to advantages like long-term appreciation, steady rental income, and the opportunity to hedge against inflation. Mortgage rates are expected to decline, but the housing market is likely to remain competitive due to low supply.

With mortgage rates declining faster than expected, home prices are likely to remain mostly flat throughout 2024. This will be good news for buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines for a good time to enter the market.

Fannie Mae, Mortgage Bankers Association and National Association of Realtors expect mortgage rates to drop through the first quarter of 2024, by half a percentage point to about nine-tenths of a percentage point. Figures are the predicted quarterly average rates for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.

Buying a home during a recession can sometimes be a good idea — but only for people who are lucky enough to remain financially stable. If you're thinking about buying during an economic downturn, be sure to enlist the help of an experienced local real estate agent.

Overall, the Florida housing market is likely to remain strong in 2023, with continued demand for homes and steady price growth.

So far in 2023, the Fed raised rates 0.25 percentage points twice. If they hike rates at the May meeting, it is likely to be another 0.25% jump, meaning interest rates will have increased by 0.75% in 2023, up to 5.25%.

Mississippi

Mississippi, “The Magnolia State,” is the birthplace of Elvis Presley and the delta blues. It's also the cheapest state to buy a house in 2023. As of 2020, the total state population was 2,961,279, making it the 32nd most populated state. The most populated city is Jackson, with 153,701 residents.

What is the cheapest state to live in 2023? ›

1. Mississippi. Coming in as the cheapest state to live in in the United States is Mississippi with a cost of living index score of 83.3. It also has the lowest average housing costs in the nation at 33.7% below the national average.

1. West Virginia. With a Zillow Home Value Index of $146,578, West Virginia is the most affordable state to buy a house in the US. Despite its low home prices, the state boasts natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities, making it an attractive option for homebuyers on a budget.

Along those lines, organizations like Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Association forecast that the average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages will decline throughout 2023, continuing into the first quarter of 2024.

Is House Flipping Profitable in 2023? Yes! If you get the basics right, flipping homes in California is easier in 2023 than flipping homes in 2021's competitive market. You Make Money When You Buy Your Flip: Stick to the home flipper's 70% rule.

“Returning to mortgage rates of 3% or 4% is not going to happen, in my view,” says Yun, who points out that historically rates have been higher. The low rates of 2020 and 2021 were “unique” and those that got them were “lucky,” he says.

Key Takeaways. The best age to buy is when you can comfortably afford the payments, tackle any unexpected repairs, and live in the home long enough to cover the costs of buying and selling a home. Legally, you must be at least 18 in most states to buy a home.

The central bank has targeted getting inflation down to 2% by the end of 2024 – it is currently at a “higher than expected” 8.7%. BoE forecasts predict that interest rates will peak at 4.75% at the end of 2023 before falling to around 3.5% by 2025.

'I believe by the end of 2023 we will see rates start to fall with a target of between 2.5 to 3 per cent in 2024. 'I believe if the base rate can get back to circa 2.5 per cent, then we will see rates hovering around that mark with a return to products that have not been seen in the mortgage industry for some time.'

What will 30 year mortgage rates be in 2024? ›

Fannie Mae: Economists at Fannie Mae, which was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1938 to provide affordable mortgage financing, project that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate will average 6.5% in 2023 and 5.9% in 2024.

Key Takeaways

Real estate is a great asset to own when the economy is in freefall. A rental property typically acts as a natural hedge in a volatile market. People lose their jobs, earnings, and sometimes their homes when a great recession happens.

Recessions and housing market crashes may cause your house's value to decrease. However, your set mortgage rates won't lower, meaning your monthly payments will be higher than your home's worth. While many may dip into their savings to help pay the steep bills, others may need outside assistance.

Delving Into 2008's Recession

Home prices fully recovered by late 2012. If someone bought a house at the very peak of the recession in 2007 and held the property for 5 years, they made money in appreciation after 2012. It took 3.5 years for the recovery to begin after the recession began.

If you need to be occupying your home by a certain date to save on rent, it's a much better deal to close at the end of the previous month (for example, January 30) instead of the beginning of the current month (February 1).

Based on recent data from Zillow, the Sarasota housing market is forecasted to continue its upward trend in 2023, with an average home value of $451,038, up 16.4% over the past year.

The Georgia housing market continues to be robust in 2023 by a combination of high demand, limited supply, and steadily increasing house selling prices. A study finds that Georgia has the most overpriced housing market in America.

Both estimates are largely in line with fresh projections from officials in March. The Fed penciled in a 5-5.25 percent peak interest rate for 2023, after which officials see rates falling to 4.25-4.5 percent by the end of 2024.

A “good” mortgage rate is different for everyone. In today's market, a good rate could be 6% for one borrower and 8% for another on the same day. To understand what a good mortgage rate looks like for you, get quotes from a few different lenders and compare them.

Which state is cheapest to live? ›

In its report, Niche also ranked the cheapest places to live in the U.S. At the top of the list this year is Brownsville, Texas. Brownsville has been steadily rising in Niche's Lowest Cost of Living ranking over the past few years, placing number six in 2021, number three in 2022 and finally, number one in 2023.

States With Lowest Cost of Living

Mississippi is the state with the lowest cost of living in the US, with a cost of living index of 85. This means that the cost of living in Mississippi is 15% lower than the national average. The state has a low cost of housing, groceries, and utilities.

Based on migration data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans are moving to Austin, Texas; Raleigh, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; Dallas, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona. The most moved-to cities are based on percentage increases in population since 2010.

Key points. Inflation seems to be slowing, and some things could start to get cheaper in 2023. The cost of real estate, rental, cars, and gas could fall, at least a little. Don't get too excited about potential price drops, as there's still a lot of uncertainty about the economy.

1. Detroit, Michigan. The Motor City tops the list of most affordable places to buy a home.

In a bit of good news for potential buyers, home prices continue to drop — slightly. The median existing-home price for all housing types in April was $388,800, down 1.7% from April 2022. That's the biggest drop in home prices since January 2012.

Interest rates typically fall once the economy is in a recession, as the Fed attempts to spur growth. Refinancing debt and making more significant purchases are ways to take advantage of lower interest rates.

What will mortgage rates be in 2024? ›

Mortgage Interest Rate predictions for May 2024. Maximum interest rate 5.66%, minimum 5.16%. The average for the month 5.45%. The 30-Year Mortgage Rate forecast at the end of the month 5.32%.

So to summarize, mortgage rates are going up because the Fed has been raising the base interest rate. A higher base rate means banks pay more in interest, which they then need to pass on to their customers to maintain their margins.

According to the CoreLogic HPI Forecast, home prices are projected to continue their upward trajectory. The forecast indicates an expected month-over-month increase of 0.8% from March 2023 to April 2023 and a year-over-year increase of 4.6% from March 2023 to March 2024.

In my opinion, real estate is one intelligent option to consider in 2023, as it often has excellent returns, tax advantages and provides diversification even in the face of a challenging economic climate. Real estate also has the potential to compound your investment.

Utah and Missouri establish themselves as the best places to flip houses in terms of low remodeling costs. New Jersey, meanwhile, has the lowest rental vacancy rate. West Virginia boasts the highest homeownership rate in the US and the lowest housing costs.

ATTOM has measured house flipping activity since 2005 and found that the practice was most profitable, in pure dollars, in 2021 — when investors pocketed an average $70,000 per property.

Average home price in the United States: $436,800

The median home sales price is $436,800 as of the first quarter of 2023. That's a 32% increase from 2020, when the median was $329,000.

Mortgage Bankers Association: The trade group's latest forecast has U.S. home prices, as measured by the FHFA US House Price Index, falling 0.6% in 2023 and another 1.4% dip in 2024. It then expects national home prices to rise 2.1% in 2025. (Forecast updated on April 17, 2023).

Overall, the Florida housing market is likely to remain strong in 2023, with continued demand for homes and steady price growth.

What state has the highest average home value? ›

Depending on the state you call home, the typical three-bedroom house can list at anywhere from about $125,000 to more than $740,000. That's why GOBankingRates compiled a study to track the affordability of the three-bedroom house across America.

The current exchange rate in Mexico is 18 to the US dollar — so with that in mind — the average house in Mexico can range anywhere from 1.3-million pesos to 18-million pesos, depending on its location, size and amenities.

If you are considering flipping houses in California, HomeLight always encourages you to reach out to an advisor regarding your own situation. Like many other areas in the U.S., the California housing market is seeing a decline in prices, and that decline will likely continue in 2023.

Inflation concerns, slowing job gains and wage growth, the potential for a recession, and elevated interest rates are causing some buyers to be cautious. The market is likely to experience a decline in annual home price growth during the spring and early summer months, with a potential rebound later in 2023.

Stick to the 28/36 Rule. No matter how you finance your home purchase, most experts agree that people should not spend more than 28% of their gross income on housing expenses, and no more than 36% on debt. For example, if you earn $5,000 each month, your ideal mortgage payment should be no more than $1,400 per month.

Moody's Sees More Price Drops

But values have held up better in several Florida markets and some other Southeast states. “On a national basis, we expect home prices to decline about 4% both in 2023 and in 2024,” the analysts said.

According to Norada Real Estate Investments, Florida home values have risen by an eye-popping 80% over the last five years — and GOBankingRates spoke with several experts who expect the upward trend to continue for at least another half-decade.

As of Q4 2022, the number of closed sales for single-family homes decreased by 33.1% from the previous year and the number of new listings was down 17.1% from the year before, according to Florida Realtors. That doesn't mean it's a bad time to buy, though.