Housing Affordability Improving

Housing Affordability Is Showing Signs of Improvement in Long Beach & Lakewood

For the past few years, affordability has been a major hurdle for buyers in Long Beach and Lakewood. Rising home prices and higher interest rates made it difficult for many families to enter the market. But recently, we’ve started to see encouraging shifts that may give both buyers and sellers more opportunities.

Interest Rates Are Settling

Mortgage rates have eased slightly from their peaks, and even small drops can mean big savings on monthly payments. For Long Beach and Lakewood buyers, this can be the difference between stretching their budget and comfortably affording a home.

More Homes Coming on the Market

In popular neighborhoods like Belmont Shore, Los Altos, Bixby Knolls, and El Dorado Park, we’re beginning to see more listings compared to last year. In Lakewood, family-friendly areas near parks and schools are also offering buyers more choices. This increase in inventory gives buyers a little more breathing room and reduces the fierce bidding wars that were so common not long ago.

Price Growth Has Calmed

While home values remain strong, price appreciation in our area has slowed. This is giving buyers who may have been priced out before a chance to re-enter the market without facing the extreme jumps we saw in past years.

What This Means for You

For Buyers: Improved affordability means now may be a great time to explore your options. Whether you’re looking for a condo near the beach or a single-family home in Lakewood, you may find more possibilities within your budget.

For Sellers: A more affordable market attracts more qualified buyers. Pricing your home competitively could help you sell faster while still benefiting from today’s strong property values.

The Bottom Line

Long Beach and Lakewood are showing early signs of becoming more buyer-friendly. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to make your move—whether that’s buying your first home, moving up, or downsizing—this could be your window of opportunity.

As your local real estate resource, I’m here to help you navigate today’s market with confidence. Let’s talk about your goals and create a strategy that works for you.