The hottest Housing Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

2023 Was the Year 3D Printed Homes Hit the Mainstream

The New Urban Order • 99 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
🕹 Technology 3D Printing Construction Sustainability Housing Innovation
  1. 3D printed homes have become mainstream in 2023, with various projects and collaborations showcasing their potential.
  2. There is optimism that 3D printed homes could help solve the affordable housing crisis due to potential cost reduction, sustainability, and efficiency benefits.
  3. However, skepticism exists around whether the popularity of 3D printed homes will be lasting, similar to the limited uptake of traditional 3D printing technology for everyday use.

Inflation Adjusted House Prices 2.4% Below Peak

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
💰 Finance Real Estate Inflation Affordability Indexes Housing
  1. Real house prices in the US are currently 2.4% below the recent peak, indicating a slight decline in prices adjusted for inflation.
  2. It's important to consider the price-to-rent ratio to understand the affordability of housing markets.
  3. National house prices are historically high after being 10.2% above the bubble peak level, despite the market's ups and downs over 17 years.

Humanity's Housing Future: Five Families to One House With Four Empty Airbnbs In Between

Surviving Tomorrow • 393 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Housing Economics Inequality Homelessness Policy
  1. When working people can't afford to stay alive, society is dead.
  2. House prices are rising due to economic corruptions like inflation, constricted supply, and investor demand.
  3. To fix the broken housing market, democratic inflation-free money, proper supply, and the end of parasitic investor demand are necessary.
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Can America Admit It's Lonely?

The New Urban Order • 199 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Loneliness Housing Policy Community Connection
  1. Loneliness and social isolation in America are serious issues that can lead to mental health challenges and premature death. Building social connections should be a priority like other public health issues.
  2. In the past, there were more housing options that naturally fostered community and connection. Policy decisions made privacy a priority over connection in the last century.
  3. Private sector initiatives like apps promoting living near friends or co-living spaces are addressing the need for more socially connected housing, while policymakers have not yet prioritized this issue.

Mexican Housing Crunch

Mindset Value • 196 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23
💼 Business Housing Investment Market Analysis
  1. Mexico is not building enough homes, with production expected to be 50% lower than in 2013.
  2. Record home price appreciation in Mexico due to the housing shortage.
  3. Investing in Mexican homebuilders like Consorcio Ara can present opportunities for growth and capital returns.

Think the city is a museum? Wait until you hear about the suburbs

Urben Field Notes • 43 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Urbanism Architecture Housing
  1. The housing crisis is not just in cities, but also in suburbs where banal cityscapes are treated as architectural gems.
  2. Historic preservation policies in expensive cities like New York often benefit elite areas while ignoring the suburbs and banal neighborhoods.
  3. Efforts to address housing shortages in major cities like New York require redeveloping existing structures and involving suburbs in housing solutions.

95% of Bay Area Cities Lost Zoning Authority

The Discourse Lounge • 257 HN points • 14 Feb 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Housing Zoning California
  1. 95% of Bay Area Cities lost zoning authority, allowing for more flexible residential construction rules.
  2. Bay Area cities need to have their housing elements checked on specific deadlines to avoid zoning restrictions being lifted.
  3. The Builder's Remedy eliminates discretionary subjective approval processes, allowing for more streamlined approval based on objective standards.

Housing Inventory and Demographics: The Next Big Shift

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 157 implied HN points • 03 Jul 23
💼 Business Housing Demographics Inventory
  1. Existing home inventory trends are not following predictions based on baby boomers downsizing.
  2. Some experts predicted a surge in housing inventory from 2015 to 2025 due to baby boomers downsizing, but that did not happen.
  3. It's important to stay informed about trends in housing inventory and demographics to understand the market shifts.

Forecast: Multifamily Starts will Decline Sharply

CalculatedRisk Newsletter • 105 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
💰 Finance Real Estate Economics Housing
  1. Due to household formation slowing down, multifamily starts are expected to decrease significantly.
  2. Freddie Mac reports that multifamily delinquencies have tripled year-over-year, indicating a potential decline in multifamily construction.
  3. Data points show that factors like softening asking rents, increased vacancy rates, tighter lending, and higher interest rates are contributing to the decline in multifamily starts.

Progressives Declare San Francisco Unworthy of Progressivism

I Might Be Wrong • 7 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism Voting Media Crime Housing
  1. Progressives in San Francisco faced a setback when voters passed non-progressive propositions, such as strengthening the police and teaching algebra in 8th grade.
  2. San Francisco Chronicle writers criticized the progressives for their inability to address important issues like crime, housing, and education effectively.
  3. The response to the city's changes showed a lack of adaptability from some progressives, focusing more on opposition than practical solutions.

One Big Way to Boost Housing Supply and Reduce Investor-Owned Housing

The New Urban Order • 119 implied HN points • 12 Jun 23
💰 Finance Housing Investing Taxation Government programs Real Estate
  1. The housing market is facing challenges with low supply and high demand, keeping housing prices inflated despite high mortgage rates.
  2. Creating a time-sensitive incentive program can push real estate investors to sell to homeowners, potentially boosting housing supply and lowering prices.
  3. Offering a one-year tax amnesty on capital gains taxes for investors who sell to homeowners could help unlock housing stock, shift ownership, and improve market dynamics.

The Outlook for Home Sales

Home Economics • 98 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
💰 Finance Housing Economics Real Estate
  1. Mortgage rates are high and home prices have not dropped, leading to decreased affordability and a decline in home sales.
  2. This post discusses the impact of economic factors on the housing market.
  3. The newsletter focuses on using data visualization to analyze economic news, particularly in the housing sector.

Dub Housing

Kneeling Bus • 156 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Housing Urbanization Luxury goods Globalization
  1. Housing shortages are common in desirable areas like Lake Tahoe due to a surplus of people and limited housing supply.
  2. The demand for housing in luxury tourist destinations can outstrip supply, turning basic human needs into luxury goods.
  3. There is a growing need to balance market forces with regulatory incentives to ensure fair resource allocation in areas like Lake Tahoe.

The Best Way to Build Affordable Housing is to Buy It

The New Urban Order • 59 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
💼 Business Housing Government Affordable Housing Real Estate
  1. The cost of building affordable housing can be extremely high due to labor, land, materials, and debt, making it unaffordable to produce housing units.
  2. Buying existing housing may be a more cost-effective solution than building from scratch, especially when considering the high costs associated with new construction in major cities.
  3. An emerging trend in the housing sector is for governments and nonprofits to consider purchasing housing rather than solely relying on building new construction, as the current model centered on tax credits may not be sustainable in the long run.

"We need 'affordable' housing, not market rate housing" is much worse than it seems.

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 105 implied HN points • 03 May 23
💼 Business Housing Affordability Displacement Urban Development
  1. The cost of housing in a city with ample supply is determined by resident incomes and allows for comfortable spending.
  2. In cities with housing shortages, the cost of housing is determined by other residents' incomes, leading to displacement and competition.
  3. Constructing new market rate housing can help flatten the cost of housing for all income levels and break the chain of displacement.

A New Atlantis

Model Thinking • 2 HN points • 01 Apr 24
💼 Business Housing Construction Economics Infrastructure Development
  1. Housing in Britain is currently unaffordable due to bloated planning restrictions, costing residents in terms of space, age of homes, and financial burden.
  2. The proposal to reclaim land from Dogger Bank for housing development comes with an estimated cost of £97.5bn, with potential present value benefits of £622bn, showing a promising cost-benefit ratio.
  3. The development of a new city on Dogger Bank has the potential to significantly impact economic activity, urban infrastructure, land prices, and GDP gains, making it a complex but potentially beneficial endeavor.

How to choose an apartment

Penelope Trunk's Substack • 19 implied HN points • 09 Dec 23
🏝 Travel Housing
  1. The author shares her personal struggles with managing finances and facing eviction from an expensive apartment.
  2. Despite challenges, the author maintains a sense of humor and self-awareness in dealing with the situation.
  3. The author emphasizes the importance of perspective in decision-making, reflecting on a criteria she used when choosing her apartment.

The Most Important New Disinflation Indicator

Apricitas Economics • 63 implied HN points • 15 Jul 23
💰 Finance Inflation Housing Economic Analysis Monetary Policy Labor Market
  1. The New Tenant Repeat Rent Index provides a more accurate measure of current housing market conditions and predicts future disinflation.
  2. Housing inflation is currently the main driving force behind overall inflation, with non-housing inflation remaining relatively stable.
  3. The 'speed limit' theory of inflation suggests that the growth rate of the labor market, rather than its level, is a key determinant of rent inflation and overall price stability.

No, Biden isn't punishing you for your high credit score.

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 84 implied HN points • 02 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Media Economy Housing Partisanship
  1. There was misinformation spread about Biden increasing fees for good credit homebuyers to subsidize those with risky credit scores.
  2. The misinformation was fueled by cherry-picked data and politically charged language in articles from various news sources.
  3. The real issue at hand is an actuarial decision about fee structures, and the impact on mortgage access post-Great Recession.

Are housing expenditures stable over time?

Erdmann Housing Tracker • 84 implied HN points • 29 Apr 23
💰 Finance Housing Analysis Trends Ownership
  1. Housing expenditures have not been stable over time, with renters seeing a 25% rise in relative spending over 40 years.
  2. Owner expenses in data are overstated, and assessing true housing costs involves factors like inflation, real returns, and leverage.
  3. Americans are spending more on housing, leading to real compromises and budget constraints, with a net increase in spending despite attempts to cut back on real consumption.

Chapter 8: Think And Talk About Opponents As Little As Possible | Building YIMBYs of NoVA

Cornerstone • 59 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Advocacy Housing Public Discourse
  1. Think and talk about opponents as little as possible to avoid validating them and looking threatened.
  2. Focus on staying positive and productive despite attacks or intimidation. Do not take the bait.
  3. Respect opponents by understanding their motivations and where they are coming from, aiming to outmaneuver rather than dehumanize them.