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Surging House Prices Expected to Propel Rent Increases, Push Up Inflation
The inflation rates of rent and owners’ equivalent rent (OER)—the amount of rent equivalent to the cost of ownership—have declined sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic began in February 2020. However, we expect rent inflation and OER inflation to accelerate in the years to come.
Real-Time Market Monitoring Finds Signs of Brewing U.S. Housing Bubble
There is growing cause for concern that U.S. house prices are again becoming unhinged from fundamentals.
Newsletter
Higher Home Prices and Higher Rates Mean Bigger Affordability Hurdles for the U.S. Consumer
In the U.S., homeownership is often described as part of the “American dream,” a way for consumers to accumulate wealth and gain other economic benefits. Almost two out of three U.S. households own the home they live in, a relatively stable amount over the last decade. Buying a home is usually the largest investment that a consumer will make, and the purchase price usually far exceeds what most can afford out of their current savings. In 2022, roughly 70% of home purchases were made with the help of mortgage financing.
Fed’s Mortgage-Backed Securities Purchases Sought Calm, Accommodation During Pandemic
We explore the Federal Reserve’s purchases of agency MBS—mortgage bonds guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—and related market dynamics during the pandemic, including why mortgage rates fell to historic lows.
Journal Article
Banking Trends: The Growing Role of CRE Lending
Commercial real estate has grown dramatically as a share of U.S. economic activity and is banks? largest lending category, particularly for small and midsize banks. It is also the riskiest part of bank portfolios. James DiSalvo and Ryan Johnston provide a primer. First in a series.
Private Subprime Mortgages Challenged FHA During 2000s Housing Boom
Considerable research has been devoted to better understanding the meteoric rise of the PLS subprime mortgage market in the early-to-mid 2000s. But an important aspect has been largely ignored: The simultaneous decline in mortgage originations with Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insurance.
Ability to Repay a Mortgage: Assessing the Relationship Between Default, Debt-to-Income
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has announced that it intends to change the definition of a “qualified mortgage.” Specifically, the CFPB proposes to reconsider the use of a borrower's debt-to-income ratio as a measure of the ability to repay a loan.
COVID-19 Exposes Mortgage Market Vulnerabilities that Led to Volatility, Fed Intervention
The COVID-19-induced financial market shock in March 2020 significantly disrupted the market for agency mortgage-backed securities.
Inflation in Services Likely to Rise Further Despite Slowing Goods Prices
Given rising demand for in-person services, the slow pass-through of surging house prices to rent and owners’ equivalent rent (OER), and higher health care worker wages, services inflation is likely to increase further.
COVID-19 Mortgage Relief—The Role of Income Support
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a large number of furloughs, layoffs, reductions in hours worked, and wage cuts. Anticipating that many homeowners would consequently have problems paying their monthly mortgage bill, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ordered all mortgage servicers of federally backed debt to provide forbearance to any homeowners affected by the crisis. In addition, bank regulators encouraged lenders to forbear and restructure mortgages for borrowers affected by the shutdown, actions that staved off an immediate wave of foreclosures. At the end of the ...