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.

Interview with CNBC: How Rising Rates May Impact Housing Affordability As Spring Home-Buying Season Ramps Up

By FirstAm Editor on April 8, 2021
First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi was interviewed on CNBC yesterday, discussing the outlook for housing affordability amid rising mortgage rates and expectations for the spring home-buying season. Read More

Housing In The News Interest Rates Affordability

Why Affordability Improved Amid Soaring House Prices

By Mark Fleming on March 31, 2021
Soaring nominal house prices dominate recent headlines and for good reason. It is true that nominal house prices are the highest they have ever been, over 22 percent higher than the housing boom peak in 2006, according to the First American Data & Analytics House Price Index. The acceleration in the pace of annual house price growth began in ... Read More

Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

Interview with Yahoo! Finance: “Single Women are Clearly Embracing Wealth Creation Through Home Buying”

By FirstAm Editor on March 8, 2021
First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi was interviewed on Yahoo! Finance earlier this month, explaining why women homeownership rates are on the rise and the outlook for the housing market in the year ahead. Read More

Housing In The News Interest Rates Affordability Homeownership

House Prices Are Hot, But Is Housing Overvalued?

By Mark Fleming on February 23, 2021
Punxsutawney Phil may have signaled six more weeks of winter, but in housing, it looks like spring (home buying) has already arrived. Typically, the housing market winds down a bit in the winter, but America’s housing market is booming, even in the colder months. The First American Data & Analytics nominal house price index indicates ... Read More

Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

Why the Housing Market Can Thrive if a New Rising-Rate Era Begins

By Mark Fleming on January 26, 2021
Even though nominal house prices continued to surge, affordability improved in November as two of the three key drivers of the Real House Price Index (RHPI), household income and mortgage rates, swung in favor of increased affordability. Real house prices declined by 6.2 percent relative to one year ago, thanks to the benefit of increased buying ... Read More

Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

Don’t Overlook the Benefit of Equity When Considering Whether to Rent or Own

By Odeta Kushi on January 25, 2021
As nominal house prices have soared over the last year, many potential first-time home buyers may be reconsidering whether to buy or to continue renting. Weighing the monthly cost of renting versus owning a home is a key factor in determining if it makes financial sense to buy a home. This update to a 2019 analysis, which found that owning was ... Read More

Affordability Homeownership Renter Affordability