October 15, 2021

Housing market potential strengthened modestly in September, increasing a 0.4 percent compared with August, according to our Potential Home Sales Model. The slight increase means that on a year-over-year basis, housing market potential is now nearly 9 percent higher than in September 2020, when the housing market’s summer rebound was accelerating, following the initial pandemic-driven […]

Mark Fleming

October 14, 2021

We’re often told that education is the key to a more secure financial future. Most people spend at least 12 years of their lives as students and even more if they pursue higher education. But does more education equate to increased earning potential? And, if so, does the increased earning potential translate to a greater […]

Odeta Kushi

October 7, 2021

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™ from First American, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi share their expert perspective on the three most important housing market statistics to follow.

September 28, 2021

In July, housing affordability continued its decline as year-over-year nominal house price appreciation reached a record 20 percent, vastly outpacing the increase in house-buying power compared with a year ago. The Real House Price Index (RHPI) measures affordability in the context of changes in consumer house-buying power, incorporating changes in household income, mortgage rates and […]

Mark Fleming

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.

September 22, 2021

Housing market potential continued to strengthen in August, according to our Potential Home Sales Model, increasing 0.05 percent compared with July. The market potential for existing-home sales is now nearly 10 percent higher than in August of 2020, when the housing market’s summer rebound was ramping up following the initial pandemic-driven decline in the spring.

Mark Fleming

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 […]

Odeta Kushi

September 9, 2021

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™ from First American, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi explain why falling mortgage rates and rising income levels mean today’s soaring house prices are still significantly more affordable than they were at the peak of the housing boom in 2006.

August 30, 2021

The Real House Price Index (RHPI) measures affordability in the context of changes in consumer house-buying power, incorporating fluctuations in household income, mortgage rates and nominal house prices. In June, housing affordability declined on a year-over-year basis for the fourth month in a row, following two years of increasing affordability. The decline in June occurred […]

Mark Fleming

August 26, 2021

In this episode of the REconomy Podcast™ from First American, Chief Economist Mark Fleming and Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi explain what causes mortgage rates to move up or down, and offers a mortgage rate forecast for the end of 2021.