Eye On Housing
Recent Posts - page 2
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High Home Prices Is Main Reason Active Buyers Can’t Seal the Deal
An earlier post revealed that 63% of buyers who were actively engaged in the process of finding a home in the 2nd quarter of 2022 have spent 3+ months searching for a home without success. The most common reason these long-term searchers cite for not having bought by now is their inability to find an affordable home (43%). In second… Read More ›
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Housing Share of GDP Edges Lower in the Second Quarter of 2022
Housing’s share of the economy edged lower at the end of the first half of 2022. For the second quarter of 2022, overall GDP declined at a 0.9% annual rate, following a 1.6% decrease in the first quarter. Housing’s share of GDP decreased to 16.6%, slightly below the first quarter share of 16.7%. In the second quarter, the more cyclical home… Read More ›
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Banks Report Unchanged Home Lending Standards
In the second quarter iteration of the Federal Reserve Board’s Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS) on Bank Lending Practices, banks reported largely unchanged lending standards across all residential real estate (RRE) loans. Major net shares of banks reported weaker demand for most RRE loans except for home equity lines of credit, for which a significant net share of banks… Read More ›
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More Prospective Buyers Are Actively Searching for a Home
The share of prospective home buyers who are actively engaged in the process to buy a home rose to 49% in the second quarter of 2022, after declining for three straight quarters. The pivot is likely driven by less competition from buyers who have exited the market, which has encouraged many of those remaining to become active buyers. Except for… Read More ›
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Second Quarter of 2022 Homeownership Rate at 65.8%
The Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey (CPS/HVS) reported the U.S. homeownership rate at 65.8% in the second quarter of 2022, which is statistically unchanged from the last quarter reading (65.4%). The national rental vacancy rate slipped to 5.6%, while the homeowner vacancy rate stayed at 0.8%. Both rental and homeowner vacancy rates are hovering near historical lows, reflecting tight housing… Read More ›
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The Mix of Home Buyers Is Changing, Leading to Improved Affordability
For the first time since 2020, affordability expectations improved in the second quarter of 2022. After rising steadily for five straight quarters, the share of buyers who can only afford a minority of the homes for sale in their markets declined to 77%, down from 81% a quarter earlier. Conversely, the share able to afford at least half the homes… Read More ›
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Private Residential Spending Declines in June
As mortgage rates reached 3-year high, private residential construction spending decreased 1.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $923.7 billion in June, according to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Construction Spending data. It was the first decline since May 2020. On a year-over-year basis, total private construction spending was 15.6% higher. The monthly declines are largely attributed to… Read More ›
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Buyers’ Expectations of Housing Availability Improve
For the first time since 2020, prospective buyers expect housing availability to improve. After falling steadily for five quarters, the share expecting the home search to get easier in the months ahead grew from 17% to 22% between the first and second quarters of 2022. Less competition from buyers priced-out of the market by recent increases in mortgage rates is… Read More ›
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Inflation Causes Real Disposable Income to Slip in June
The most recent data release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed that personal income increased 0.6% in June, making its ninth monthly increase in the past 12 months. Gains in personal income are largely driven by increases in compensation of employees and proprietors’ income. Real disposable income, income remaining after adjusted for taxes and inflation, decreased 0.3% in… Read More ›
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Some Buyers Turning to New Construction
After falling steadily for five quarters, the popularity of new homes rebounded in the second quarter of 2022, as 21% of prospective buyers reported looking for a newly-built home – up from 19% a quarter earlier. A possible reason for this pivot is the recent growth in the inventory of new homes for-sale, while the supply of existing homes on… Read More ›