The impact of the new tax code on the housing market has been heavily studied and debated in academic, policy and political circles, with most agreeing that the changes remove any significant tax differences between homeowners and renters for the majority of U.S. households. But, what do the people handling real estate transactions every day think? Read More ›

As the March Federal Reserve (Fed) meeting approaches, overall positive economic conditions are troubling those who follow the Fed closely. Many might pose the question, why would positive economic conditions be troubling? Read More ›

First American’s proprietary Loan Application Defect Index examines January 2018 data on the frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications. Read More ›

Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that average hourly earnings increased in January by 2.9 percent compared with a year ago. This was a big splash of economic news that had ripple effects on the housing market, as the 2.9 percent increase in wages surpassed expectations. Read More ›

This month, the market potential for existing-home sales increased to a 6.1 million seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR), a 0.4 percent month-over-month increase, and a gain of 210,000 (SAAR) sales from January 2017. The gap between actual market performance (existing-home sales) and market potential (potential home sales) has significantly ... Read More ›

As we analyze yesterday’s housing starts data, it’s important to also consider the impact of construction labor on the velocity of new home construction. The employment situation report, released earlier this month, reported an increase of 5,000 residential construction jobs between December 2017 and January 2018. The number of residential ... Read More ›