Uncertain Mortgage Rate Outlook Clouds Affordability Heading into 2025

By Mark Fleming on November 27, 2024
Key Points: Affordability fell by 2.6 percent on a month-over-month basis, snapping a four-month streak of improving affordability. House-buying power declined by more than $14,000 due to the increase in mortgage rates since October. If the average mortgage rate decreases to the year-end consensus industry forecast of 6.2 percent and annual house ... Read More

Housing Real House Price Index Affordability Mortgage Rates

Housing Affordability Improves Nationally for Second Straight Month

By Mark Fleming on October 29, 2024
Key Points: National affordability improved on an annual basis for the second consecutive month yet remains low historically. In deciding whether to rent or own, it’s important to remember the wealth-building power of equity accumulation. Even homeowners who bought at the height of the housing boom in 2006 have gained $169,000 in equity, while ... Read More

Housing Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

National Housing Affordability Improves Annually for First Time in Post-Pandemic Era

By Mark Fleming on September 30, 2024
Key Points: National affordability improved on an annual basis for the first time since 2021. If mortgage rates ease further to 6 percent by the end of the year, income growth trends towards historical average, and nominal house price growth slows but remains positive, affordability will improve by over 7 percent by the end of the year. Industry ... Read More

Housing Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

Affordability Improves for Second Straight Month, but Home Buyers Shrug

By Mark Fleming on August 26, 2024
Key Points: In July, affordability improved annually in 12 markets for the first time since 2021. Despite the improvement in affordability, the only 17 percent of consumers indicated that it’s a good time to buy a home, down from 19 percent in June, according to the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI). Affordability nationally remains ... Read More

Housing Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

Housing Supply Surge Improves Affordability in Some Markets

By Mark Fleming on July 29, 2024
Nationally, affordability improved modestly on a monthly basis in June, driven by slightly lower mortgage rates and positive income growth. However, on an annual basis, affordability nationally remains approximately 4 percent lower than one year ago. Two factors drove the annualized drop in affordability – a 5.6 percent annual increase in nominal ... Read More

Housing Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

Affordability Crunch Likely Unchanged Through End of the Year

By Mark Fleming on July 3, 2024
Apart from the fall of 2023, affordability in May reached its lowest level in over three decades. On a year-over-year basis, affordability declined by nearly 9 percent. Two factors drove the sharp annualized drop in affordability – a 5.9 percent annual increase in nominal house prices, according to our First American Data & Analytics House ... Read More

Housing Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability