Recent Posts by FirstAm Editor

U.S. News & World Report - Are We Headed for Another Housing Crisis?

By FirstAm Editor on May 12, 2016
First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming is quoted in an article in U.S. News & World Report examining why we’re not headed for another housing crisis. Read More

In The News

Relationship Between Educational Attainment and Homeownership Becoming More Important

By FirstAm Editor on May 5, 2016
We’ve posted the annual First American Homeownership Progress Index (HPRI), which measures the level of homeownership and the underlying demographic and economic factors that influence the probability of homeownership over time and geography based on IPUMS Census Data. The HPRI declined 1.8 percent year-over-year, and is down 7.6 percent from the ... Read More

Education Homeownership Progress Index

Loan Defect and Fraud Risk Emerging in Southern States

By FirstAm Editor on April 28, 2016
We’ve posted the March First American Loan Application Defect Index, which estimates the frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications. The Defect Index increased 1.3 percent in March as compared with February and decreased by 2.6 percent as compared with March 2015. The Defect ... Read More

Loan Application Defect Index

Discussing the duality dilemma keeping home sales below potential - TheStreet.com interview

By FirstAm Editor on April 21, 2016
Rhonda Schaffler at TheStreet.com interviews First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming regarding the duality dilemma keeping home sales below potential. The interview offers additional insight into the findings in this month’s Potential Home Sales model. You can watch TheStreet.com interview here. Read More

Housing In The News Interest Rates

Loan Defect and Fraud Risk Declining Due to Compliance-Related Investments

By FirstAm Editor on March 31, 2016
We’ve posted the February First American Loan Application Defect Index, which estimates the frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications. The Defect Index decreased 1.3 percent in February as compared with January and decreased by 5.1 percent as compared with February 2015. The ... Read More

Loan Application Defect Index

Title agent expectations for real estate market transactions weaken in the first quarter, according to Q1 2016 Real Estate Sentiment Index

By FirstAm Editor on March 22, 2016
We’ve posted the first quarter 2016 First American Real Estate Sentiment Index, which measures title agent sentiment on a variety of key market metrics and industry issues. It’s based on a quarterly survey of independent title agents that do business with First American. More than 4,000 title agents from 50 states have participated in the first ... Read More

Real Estate Sentiment Index