What’s Behind September’s Surprise Increase in Affordability?
By
FirstAm Editor on November 27, 2017
First American’s proprietary Real House Price Index (RHPI) looks at September 2017 data and includes analysis from First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming on the market forces that sparked a surprising increase in affordability in September.
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What's Keeping the Market Below Potential?
By
Mark Fleming on November 20, 2017
First American’s proprietary Potential Home Sales model examines October 2017 data and includes analysis from First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming on how the real estate market is performing versus its potential.
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Five Best Cities for Economic Opportunity
By
Mark Fleming on November 16, 2017
Amazon’s very public search to identify the best location for its second headquarters made me wonder - what criteria would be helpful for young professionals when making their personal decision on where to live and work? Affordable housing would be important. For example, you can buy so much more home in Texas or Ohio than you can in California. ...
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Many Experts Miss the Point on Mortgage Rates and Affordability for First-Time Home Buyers
By
Mark Fleming on November 6, 2017
Last week, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) met for the second to last time this year. As most prognosticators expected, the FOMC decided to leave the short-term Federal Funds rate unchanged. While good news for those with credit card debt, car loans and adjustable rate mortgages, the impact of FOMC inaction, or action for that matter, is ...
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Will Post-Disaster Mortgage Fraud Risk Trends Play Out in Florida and Texas?
By
FirstAm Editor on October 31, 2017
We’ve posted the September First American Loan Application Defect Index, which estimates the frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications. The Defect Index decreased 1.2 percent as compared with the previous month, and increased 20.3 percent as compared to September 2016. The ...
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Will August Uptick in Affordability Continue?
By
FirstAm Editor on October 30, 2017
First American’s proprietary Real House Price Index (RHPI) looks at August 2017 data and includes analysis from First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming on what’s behind the surprising increase in affordability in August and whether or not that trend will continue.
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