Recent Posts by Odeta Kushi

Where Rent-Burdened Households Declined the Most

By Odeta Kushi on March 11, 2020
Beginning in 2011 and continuing through 2018, the share of rent-burdened households declined nationally – a trend reversal from the decade between 2000 and 2010. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, rent-burdened households spend over 30 percent of their income on rent. However, as the old adage goes, it’s all about ... Read More

Affordability Renter Affordability

Why the Share of Rent-Burdened Households Has Declined in the Post-Recession Era

By Odeta Kushi on March 2, 2020
After nearly 20 years of rising rents, renter affordability, or the lack thereof, is a hot topic in housing. The long-running increase in rents has fueled a rise in the share of rent-burdened households, defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as households that spend over 30 percent of their income on rent. Read More

Affordability Renter Affordability

Why Today’s Housing Market May Be a Recession Buster

By Odeta Kushi on February 4, 2020
In the third quarter of 2019, the United States reached its longest economic expansion in history, which caused some people to wonder whether we were overdue for a correction. Additionally, global uncertainty resulted in a flight to safety of U.S. Treasury bonds, prompting the dreaded inversion of the yield curve. When that happened, we discussed ... Read More

Housing Interest Rates Wage Growth

Where Lower-Income Renters Can Pursue the Dream of Homeownership

By Odeta Kushi on December 12, 2019
In 2019, the growth in consumer house-buying power outpaced house price appreciation for the median renter trying to buy the median priced home. But, there are many renters with household incomes below the median income in their cities. We can measure affordability for all renter households based on their household income and the share of homes ... Read More

Housing Affordability Homeownership First-Time Home Buyer Outlook Report

What Cities Are the Most Affordability Friendly for First-Time Home Buyers?

By Odeta Kushi on December 10, 2019
Housing affordability, or the lack thereof, continued to generate discussion and headlines in 2019. That’s unlikely to change in 2020, as strong demand, driven by low mortgage rates and wage growth, collides with limited housing supply. However, it’s easy to overlook that nearly two-thirds of Americans already own homes so, generally speaking, ... Read More

Housing Affordability Homeownership First-Time Home Buyer Outlook Report

What Do the Top 10 Cities for Entry-Level New Home Construction Have in Common?

By Odeta Kushi on November 22, 2019
The dominant theme in the housing market nationally in 2019 has been the ongoing challenge of a dearth of housing supply amid rising demand. A natural solution to the challenge is to build more homes. Yet, nationally, supply headwinds still make it hard for builders to ramp up new construction, especially at the entry-level, where first-time home ... Read More

Millennials First-Time Homebuyer Wage Growth