Recent Posts by Odeta Kushi

Why Owning a Home was Cheaper than Renting in All 50 Top U.S. Markets

By Odeta Kushi on August 16, 2021
When potential first-time home buyers consider making the transition to homeownership, they ask themselves whether it makes more financial sense to keep renting, or to buy. The pandemic has undoubtedly impacted that calculation. Annual house price appreciation skyrocketed during the pandemic, reaching an average of 17.5 percent annual growth in ... Read More

Affordability Homeownership Renter Affordability

Pandemic Accelerated 'Roaring 20s' of Millennial Homeownership Demand

By Odeta Kushi on June 29, 2021
National Homeownership Month takes on a new meaning this year, as the pandemic has redefined the role of a home. A home is not just a dwelling or even just a vehicle for wealth creation, but also an office, a classroom, a daycare and even a gym. A home, now more than ever, has become a top priority for American households. The broadening role of ... Read More

Housing Millennials Homeownership Progress Index Homeownership

Will the End of Forbearance Trigger a Wave of Foreclosures?

By Odeta Kushi on May 4, 2021
Following the rapid contraction in U.S. economic activity because of the outbreak of COVID-19, millions of Americans took advantage of payment suspension and mortgage forbearance programs. At the peak in June 2020, approximately 4.3 million homeowners were in forbearance plans. A year into the pandemic, and that number has declined to ... Read More

Housing Homeownership

Top Five Cities for Lower-Income Renters to Pursue the Dream of Homeownership

By Odeta Kushi on April 14, 2021
In the fourth quarter of 2020, the median renter experienced a 10 percent boost to their house-buying power relative to one year ago, but the share of homes they could afford to buy declined by 4 percentage points due to rising house prices, according to the First-Time Home Buyer Outlook Report. However, while we recently examined affordability ... Read More

Homeownership First-Time Home Buyer Outlook Report Renter Affordability

Where Can Potential First-Time Home Buyers Find the Largest Supply of Affordable Homes?

By Odeta Kushi on March 23, 2021
In 2020, a combination of record low mortgage rates and millennials aging into homeownership boosted demand against a very limited supply of homes for sale, resulting in rapid house price appreciation. The nearly two-thirds of American households who already own homes saw their equity increase, while potential first-time home buyers, who are ... Read More

First-Time Home Buyer Outlook Report Renter Affordability

Will the Pandemic “She-cession” Derail Growth in Homeownership Among Single Women?

By Odeta Kushi on March 11, 2021
During Women’s History Month, it’s important to reflect on the progress that single women have made in achieving one of the main tenets of the American Dream - homeownership. According to our analysis of anonymized household-level survey data, following an overall decline in the homeownership rate among single women in the aftermath of the Great ... Read More

Housing Homeownership