Recent Posts by Mark Fleming

Mark Fleming is the chief economist for First American Financial Corporation and leads First American’s Decision Sciences team.

How Will Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Impact Housing Market Potential?

By Mark Fleming on September 19, 2017
First American’s proprietary Potential Home Sales model examines August 2017 data and includes analysis from First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming on how the real estate market is performing versus its potential. Read More

Housing Interest Rates

We Crowd-Sourced the Reason for Housing Supply Shortages

By Mark Fleming on September 15, 2017
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – the shortage of houses on the market is making it difficult for Americans to find homes to buy, which is especially concerning for the Millennial first-time home buyer. There are many possible reasons for the housing supply shortage, ranging from fear of paying a higher mortgage rate to insufficient ... Read More

Housing Real Estate Sentiment Index

What the Post-Katrina Real Estate Market Can Tell us About Hurricane Harvey’s Impact on Houston

By Mark Fleming on September 8, 2017
As Hurricane Harvey’s flood waters finally recede, the degree of damage is becoming more apparent. The most recent estimates indicate that flood damage could be assessed as high as $37 billion and that 70 percent of that damage is to property that is uninsured. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), more than 30 counties and ... Read More

Housing

The Struggle is Real for First-Time Homebuyers

By Mark Fleming on August 23, 2017
First American’s proprietary Potential Home Sales model examines July 2017 data and includes analysis from First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming on how the real estate market is performing versus its potential. Read More

Housing Interest Rates

What Are the Prospects for Future Homeownership Demand?

By Mark Fleming on August 17, 2017
We’ve posted the annual First American Homeownership Progress Index (HPRI), which measures how a variety of lifestyle, societal and economic factors influence homeownership rates over time at national, state and market levels. The HPRI declined 0.4 percent year-over-year, and is down 6 percent from the pre-recession peak. Potential homeownership ... Read More

Millennials Homeownership Progress Index

The Persistent Force Behind Lower Affordability

By Mark Fleming on July 20, 2017
First American’s proprietary Potential Home Sales model examines June 2017 data and includes analysis from First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming on how the real estate market is performing versus its potential. Read More

Housing