Housing Recovery Trend Disrupted by Wildfire in San Francisco Bay Area

Last May, the Brookings Institution wrote about the post-Covid19 recovery as having several possible shapes of recovery (Z-shaped, V-shaped, U-shaped, W-shaped, L-shaped, and even the Nike Swoosh) but here are four major financial institutions predictions for recovery (below image).

In a Realtor.com study-  we have seen a similar V-Shape recovery, but recently there’s been a deceleration as potential sellers found it harder to list and show their home as wildfires spread through the West coast.

Housing Market Recovery Index Highlights – Week Ending September 12

California has shown that social distancing and economic resilience continue to be key factors driving local differences in the housing recovery. Per Realtor.com’s research, the spread of COVID-19 is closely linked to the housing slowdown, with markets with higher cases per capita more likely to see a bigger impact on supply and the pace of sales. The speed and sustainability of the reopening, and each market’s ability to contain COVID-19, are dictating the speed of recovery across the regions. Finally, resilient economies may have an edge in the housing recovery, and areas with strong job markets before COVID-19, especially those with thriving tech sectors (such as in the SF Bay Area), are seeing buyers and sellers reconnect faster than the rest of the country.

Below are the V-shaped curved found in the northern California communities. Notice the downward trend in Aug – Sept due to the numerous wildfires.

The higher the index value, the higher the level of recovery. The lower the index value, the lower the level of recovery.

Recovery of Roseville, Sacramento, Arden, Arcada, California from Feb 1, 2020 – Sept 1, 2020

Recovery of San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward California from Feb 1, 2020 – Sept 1, 2020

These are photos taken as my husband and our Chihuahua, Angel, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Sept 9th, 2020 –  11AM Smoke and fog

Recovery of Recovery of SJ, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara California from Feb 1, 2020 – Sept 1, 2020

Thank you to the brave California Fire Department for coordinating a fantastic job containing many of the fires in California, we applaud their heroic service as many sacrificed their time, energy away from their families to protect people and properties throughout California.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/california-fire-map/

https://www.fire.ca.gov/

How is your family and how are you handling the aftermath of the fires? I hope you and your family are doing well, but just know that it has effected everyone. It’s been a very rough few weeks here in northern California and the housing market certainly has been effected by the enormity and tragedies around us. Be safe & let me know if there’s anything we can do to assist.