Rents Flat Year-Over-Year for First Time Since 2012 (August 2018 Market Report)
Annual rent appreciation has slowed for six straight months and remained below 3 percent for the past 27 months.
Mortgage Rates Continue September Surge, Approach Five-Year High
A relatively quiet end to August has given way to a September in which rates have flown out of the gate — a surge that many analysts view as past due.
The Decade-Long Growth in Rentership Is Reversing
A decade-long surge in rentership came to an abrupt end in 2016, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Homeownership and Housing Vacancy Survey.
August Housing Starts: Rapid Reaction
August housing starts were up 9.2 percent from July and 9.4 percent from a year ago, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Forecast for New and Existing Home Sales (August 2018)
Summer 2018 is poised to post a weak string of existing and new home sales when August data are released over the next two weeks: We expect both series to show month-over-month declines for the third month in a row.
There Are Fewer New Homes Being Built, and Their Size and Lots Are Smaller
The square footage of the typical new home decreased slightly in 2017 from 2016 – from 2400 square feet to 2300 square feet – continuing a gradual decline that has lasted for much of this decade.
A Decade After Housing Bust, Recovery Is a Story of Location
Twenty-one of the top 35 metros have more than recovered from the bust. San Jose and Denver lead the recovery with huge gains, while Las Vegas, Orlando and Chicago have been the slowest to recover.
Robust Jobs Data Push Mortgage Rates to Highest Levels in More Than a Month
Mortgage rates rose for the third consecutive week, riding an exceptionally strong jobs report to their highest levels in over a month.
Lower-Income Renters Pay Almost 2/3 of Their Income on Even Modest Apartments
Mortgage affordability – the share of median household income needed to afford a typical U.S. home – reached 17.5 percent in the second quarter 2018, higher than it’s been in nine years.
Strong Economy, Tax Cut News Push Mortgage Rates to Highest Levels in Weeks
Mortgage rates rode strong manufacturing data and news of potential tax cuts to their second straight week of gradual gains, reaching their highest levels in almost a month.
