The REconomy Podcast™: Why Labor Market Trends May Keep Mortgage Rates Near Record Lows Longer

By FirstAm Editor on September 23, 2021
In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™ from First American, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi explain why important labor market trends may influence the Federal Reserve’s decision to reverse its easy-money policies. Read More

Housing Interest Rates Affordability REconomy

Will Housing Market Seasonality Return to Normal?

By Odeta Kushi on September 17, 2021
September is commonly associated with the beginning of the school year, but it also signals the end of the peak home buying season. The tapering of the housing market in September is part of its normal annual cycle, which follows the same general pattern of peaks and troughs every year, with one big exception. In 2020, the pandemic was the ... Read More

Housing Housing supply

Interviews with CNBC and Yahoo! Finance: Is the Housing Market Cooling?

By FirstAm Editor on August 24, 2021
First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi was interviewed on CNBC and Yahoo! Finance last week, discussing potential moderation of the housing market and affordability challenges with CNBC and providing perspective on July housing starts data and the implications for the housing market with Yahoo! Finance. Read More

Housing In The News Affordability

Pandemic Accelerated 'Roaring 20s' of Millennial Homeownership Demand

By Odeta Kushi on June 29, 2021
National Homeownership Month takes on a new meaning this year, as the pandemic has redefined the role of a home. A home is not just a dwelling or even just a vehicle for wealth creation, but also an office, a classroom, a daycare and even a gym. A home, now more than ever, has become a top priority for American households. The broadening role of ... Read More

Housing Millennials Homeownership Progress Index Homeownership

Housing Inflation is Not What You Think It Is

By Mark Fleming on June 9, 2021
One of the most closely watched indicators of inflation, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), jumped 4.2 percent year over year this April. This is a faster pace than most economists anticipated, and was a result of base effects, combined with the numerous supply chain bottlenecks driving up prices as the economy reopens. One of the most important ... Read More

Housing Interest Rates Real House Price Index

Has the Great Housing Supply Crash Bottomed Out?

By Mark Fleming on May 19, 2021
More than a year into the pandemic, the housing market continues to run hot. The supply and demand imbalance brewing before the pandemic boiled over in the past year, resulting in record low levels of housing inventory and, consequently, the fastest pace of annual house price appreciation since 2005. With the arrival of the spring home-buying ... Read More

Housing Housing supply