Category Archives: Housing Finance

The mortgage rate lock-in effect is exacerbating housing affordability challenges. Median home prices have risen to $419,000 in May, up from $270,000 pre-pandemic. Two thirds of outstanding U.S. mortgages have an interest rate below 4%,...

New residential construction slowed 5.5% in May, as interest rates remain elevated for both prospective homebuyers and builders. Building permits also dipped 3.8% signaling less future construction and potentially limiting future housing inventory.  Read More

U.S. house prices rose 0.2% in April 2024, with prices up 6.3% year-over-year. However, these growth rates varied significantly across regions of the country both monthly (-0.2% to 1.4%) and annually (3.0% - 8.5%). Read More

While asking rents for new apartment leases have been flat over the past year, they are expected to rise modestly this year, according to the Wall Street Journal.  As shelter costs feed into inflation, this could potentially...

The FHFA released the latest House Price Index, which found that U.S. home prices increased 1.1% during Q1 2024 and 6.6% year-over-year. The FHFA highlights that U.S. home prices have appreciated every quarter since the...

A record 93,000 single-family rental homes were constructed in 2023, with rental developers capitalizing on low levels of housing affordability. High home prices are forcing would-be homebuyers to continue renting. 99,000 new rental homes are...

A recent Financial Times article highlights a prevalent dynamic in the U.S. mortgage market where borrowers have ‘locked-in’ lower interest rates on mortgages than are currently available within the market, making it unattractive to move. FT highlights a recent FHFA...

On April 16, the FHFA announced a new product proposal for Freddie Mac to purchase closed-end second mortgages, aimed at offering borrowers more affordable options to leverage home equity than obtaining a cash-out refinance. The...

The Wall Street Journal reports that most Americans aged 60 and older are not planning to move from their current homes. Citing data from real estate firm Redfin, homeowners in this demographic own 28% of...

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested on Tuesday that strong first-quarter inflation figures have prompted uncertainty regarding potential interest rate cuts beginning this summer. Powell stressed the necessity for additional data to bolster confidence in...