Tag Archives: Affordability constraints

The Census Bureau and HUD report that single-family housing completions rose month-over-month in December, boosting housing supply nationwide.

"The good news is that home affordability has stopped getting tougher around the U.S., at least for the moment. The bad news is that owning a home remains more of a financial stretch than it's been for many years," said Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM Data.

“When remote work is coupled with the reported rise in the importance of affordability, it's not surprising that respondents expressed a greater willingness to live farther from their current location,” noted a Fannie Mae report. “Of course, renters indicated the greatest affordability concerns, as well as a willingness to consider areas farther away from their current location.”

While the “if” and “when” of a recession remain uncertain, the Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research Group does forecast one to occur, expected to begin in the first half of 2024—despite increased chances of a “soft landing.”

According to a new report from Zillow, renters of color are more likely to pay higher upfront costs when applying for a rental compared to white renters, while Black and Latinx renters were nearly twice as likely to submit multiple rental applications before securing a lease.

"It seems straightforward: We need to build more homes," said Dr. Skylar Olsen, Zillow's Chief Economist.

“Now that home prices have plateaued and even declined in some markets, buyers are faced with mortgage rates that have doubled, making home purchases even less affordable,” said Rick Sharga, EVP of Market Intelligence at ATTOM.

Homebuyer affordability plummeted again in September according to the latest MBA analysis, with scarce supply, affordability constraints, and economic uncertainty continuing to hinder potential homebuyers.