Housing Market Trends

From the First American Economic Center

The First American Economic Center has you covered with in-depth analysis and expert insights on the latest data and trends in the industry.

How Do Rapidly Rising Mortgage Rates Impact Affordability?

By Mark Fleming on April 22, 2022
In February 2022, the Real House Price Index (RHPI) jumped up by nearly 31 percent. That’s the fastest growth in the more than 30-year history of the series. This rapid annual decline in affordability was driven by two factors: a 21.7 percent annual increase in nominal house prices and a nearly full percentage point increase in the 30-year, fixed ... Read More

Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

Why the 2022 Housing Market is Very 2019

By Mark Fleming on April 19, 2022
Since the start of the global pandemic in March 2020, we have weathered unprecedented pandemic-induced changes and the housing market has been no exception. The typically hot spring home-buying season in 2020 was initially frozen by the pandemic’s impacts and shelter-in-place orders. As potential home buyers emerged from the stay-at-home orders, ... Read More

Interest Rates Potential Home Sales Tenure

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 the ownership benefit of house price appreciation. Given house price appreciation nationally was historically strong in 2021, it’s unsurprising that owning a home made more financial sense than renting last year. Looking ... Read More

First-Time Homebuyer Homeownership Renter Affordability

Is Affordability Worse Than the 2006 Housing Boom Peak?

By Mark Fleming on March 29, 2022
In the first report with 2022 data, the Real House Price Index (RHPI) jumped up by nearly 27 percent, the fastest growth in the RHPI since 2004. This rapid annual decline in affordability was driven by a 21.7 percent annual increase in nominal house prices and a 0.7 percentage point increase in the 30-year, fixed mortgage rate compared with one ... Read More

Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

What is Driving Housing Market Potential as the Spring Home-Buying Season Begins?

By Mark Fleming on March 18, 2022
Following nearly two years of a soaring housing market, the 2022 spring home-buying season will be watched closely for signs that more balance may be returning to the housing market. Our Potential Home Sales Model estimates the expected level of existing-home sales based on market fundamentals, providing a helpful tool to assess the state of the ... Read More

Interest Rates Potential Home Sales Tenure

Single Women Skip the Spouse to Buy a House

By Odeta Kushi on March 8, 2022
As we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, growing numbers of women, specifically single women, have become homeowners, achieving one of the main tenets of the American Dream. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, the overall homeownership rate reached a low point of 63 percent in 2016, but has since rebounded to 65.5 ... Read More

Housing Homeownership