Will the End of Forbearance Trigger a Wave of Foreclosures?

By Odeta Kushi on May 4, 2021
Following the rapid contraction in U.S. economic activity because of the outbreak of COVID-19, millions of Americans took advantage of payment suspension and mortgage forbearance programs. At the peak in June 2020, approximately 4.3 million homeowners were in forbearance plans. A year into the pandemic, and that number has declined to ... Read More

Housing Homeownership

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

Will the Pandemic “She-cession” Derail Growth in Homeownership Among Single Women?

By Odeta Kushi on March 11, 2021
During Women’s History Month, it’s important to reflect on the progress that single women have made in achieving one of the main tenets of the American Dream - homeownership. According to our analysis of anonymized household-level survey data, following an overall decline in the homeownership rate among single women in the aftermath of the Great ... Read More

Housing Homeownership

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

What a Pandemic-Driven Shift in the Labor Market Could Mean for Housing

By Mark Fleming on November 12, 2020
The October jobs report exceeded consensus expectations for job growth, yet the labor market’s rebound continues to slow. Higher frequency data from weekly jobless claims confirm the slowdown, as the level of new jobless filings is not falling as quickly in recent months. COVID-19 cases are on the rise and there is increasing likelihood of a ... Read More

Housing Homeownership

Interview with Yahoo! Finance: Explaining the Housing Market’s Resilience in the COVID-19 Era

By FirstAm Editor on November 9, 2020
First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi was interviewed on Yahoo! Finance earlier this month, discussing why the housing market is better positioned in this recession than it was heading into the Great Recession, and how low rates and millennials are driving demand. Read More

Housing In The News Interest Rates Affordability