Economic Center Blog
Welcome to the First American Economic Center Blog, a top source for the latest housing market research and analysis driven by Chief Economist Mark Fleming.

Recent Posts by Ksenia Potapov

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For Single Women, Housing Remains Largest Component of Wealth Creation

By Ksenia Potapov on March 10, 2023

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, it’s important to reflect on the progress that women, and single wom... Read More›

Housing Homeownership

Why Mortgage Rates Hold the Key to Improved Affordability in 2023

By Ksenia Potapov on February 3, 2023

By all respects, 2022 was a tumultuous year for the housing market. Annual house price appreciation remained at a double-digit pace for most of the year, mortgage rates increased by nearly 4 percentage points in less than 12 months and, as a result, af... Read More›

Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

Will Foreclosures Rise as the Housing and Labor Markets Cool?

By Ksenia Potapov on November 15, 2022

The pandemic brought about both policies to protect homeowners from losing their homes – foreclosure moratoriums and forbearance programs – and concerns that a wave of foreclosures would crash upon the housing market once the protections ended. The wav... Read More›

Interest Rates Homeownership

Fewer Affordable Options for Potential First-Time Home Buyers as Mortgage Rates Rise

By Ksenia Potapov on October 5, 2022

As mortgage rates have steadily risen, affordability has decreased significantly for home buyers across income levels. However, affordability for the potential first-time home buyer – those currently renting – has faced the most pressure. Nationally, a... Read More›

Homeownership First-Time Home Buyer Outlook Report Renter Affordability

Where Potential First-Time Home Buyers Can Find Relief from the Affordability Shock

By Ksenia Potapov on August 10, 2022

Following two years of red-hot activity accelerated by pandemic-era dynamics, the housing market is cooling as demand falls in response to a significant decline in affordability. Double-digit house-price appreciation chipped away at affordability as th... Read More›

Homeownership First-Time Home Buyer Outlook Report Renter Affordability

It Doesn’t Take Much House Price Appreciation to Make Owning a Better Choice than Renting

By Ksenia Potapov on April 15, 2022

In August 2021, our analysis found that owning a home was cheaper than renting in all 50 of the top U.S. markets, largely due to Read More›

First-Time Homebuyer Homeownership Renter Affordability