The Loan Application Defect Index for purchase transactions continued its downward trend, declining 1.3 percent in July compared with the month before, the seventh consecutive month defect risk in purchase transactions have fallen. Yet, is declining loan application misrepresentation, defect and fraud risk isolated to a few markets or is the trend ... Read More ›

House price appreciation remains on a tear, as unadjusted home prices nationwide increased by 7.3 percent compared with a year ago and are now 1.3 percent above the housing boom peak in 2006, according to DataTree by First American. The U.S. economy continues to perform well, as the current economic expansion reaches record levels, prompting some ... Read More ›

First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming was interviewed on CNBC earlier today as well as last Friday, August 17 and discussed how rising mortgage rates, house price appreciation, millennial demand and a lack of new homes may be squeezing affordability. Read More ›

The U.S. economy remains on an impressive growth streak. Last month, the Commerce Department reported that the gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced in the economy, grew at a 4.1 percent annualized rate in the second quarter, the strongest pace of growth since 2014. The economy has added jobs every month for ... Read More ›

Limited housing supply and growing millennial demand continue to drive home prices higher across the country. Even when adjusted for income growth and mortgage rates, prices are 11.4 percent higher than a year ago, according to our Real House Price Index. Unless income growth accelerates and begins to outpace house price appreciation, or housing ... Read More ›

The short answer is yes. Home buyers looking for more housing supply to choose from can take heart, as Thursday’s Census Bureau report on housing construction showed builders are starting work on additional housing, inching closer to balancing inventory with demand. Read More ›