The hottest Housing Prices Substack posts right now

Defining median income, median home prices, and considering mortgage rates are crucial for assessing housing affordability over time.
Analyzing mortgage payments as a percentage of family income reveals that 2022 is not the worst year historically for homebuyers needing a mortgage.
When comparing price-to-income ratios, it's evident that 2022 is the worst year for all-cash homebuyers, but not as dramatic as some claims suggest.

Housing inventory dropped a lot during the pandemic, hitting record lows. Even now, inventory is still not back to pre-pandemic levels.
In 2024, there was a significant increase in housing inventory, which is a positive sign for the market. This increase could indicate stability in home prices as more homes become available.
Monitoring housing inventory trends has been important in the past for predicting when home prices will rise or fall, making it a key factor to watch moving into 2025.

The Freddie Mac House Price Index went up by 4.0% in December compared to last year. This shows that home prices are rising again after a period of decline.
Most of the cities with the biggest price drops are in Florida, with Austin being the worst performer overall. This indicates that some areas are struggling much more than others.
As more homes become available for sale in 2025, the growth in house prices might slow down. So even though prices are rising now, that might change in the near future.

New home sales dropped sharply to an annual rate of 610,000 in October, which is a significant decrease from previous months. This decline might be linked to recent hurricanes affecting certain areas.
The median price of new homes has decreased by 5% from its peak, which is partly due to the types of homes being sold. This suggests a shift in the market's composition.
There is a notable increase in the months of supply for new homes, now at 9.5 months, indicating a bigger inventory than usual. More completed homes are available compared to recent years, especially since the pandemic.

Single-earner households are becoming rarer, with data showing that median male worker income as a percentage of household income has decreased from 93% in 1963 to 73% in 2022.
While the median home might be more affordable in 2022 compared to 1981, the affordability in popular metro areas like Seattle, Miami, and Santa Clara County in California varies significantly due to factors like income, mortgage rates, and regional price differences.
High prices in 2022 pose challenges for affordability, especially for those needing to save up large deposits for mortgages, with the number of months of income required for a deposit increasing from 2.9 months in 1970 to 5.6 months in 2022.

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House prices are expected to rise by about 3% to 4% in 2024. This prediction is based on the current trends in housing inventory and sales.
The future of house prices in 2025 will largely depend on supply and demand in the market. A shortage or surplus of homes can greatly influence prices.
There are significant differences in home supply across different regions, with areas like Florida and Texas seeing more inventory. This suggests that while national trends matter, local conditions can lead to very different outcomes.

Existing-home sales rose to 4.24 million in December, showing a 2.2% increase from November. This marks a positive trend after several months of decline.
The median house price reached a record high of $407,500, reflecting a 6% increase from the previous year. This indicates that homes are becoming more expensive.
Total housing inventory decreased to 1.15 million units, suggesting a tighter market. While inventory is down from last month, it has gone up 16.2% compared to last year.