US Housing Market Update Foreclosure backlog to unwind in final quarter The foreclosure process ground to a halt in the second quarter, as lenders were banned from foreclosing on federally-backed mortgages and the court system largely closed. While we expect most of those... 20th August 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Mortgage credit scores jump, and will stay high The median credit score on mortgages originated in the second quarter surged to a 21-year high, as lenders tightened standards in response to uncertainty over the labour market. While unemployment is... 13th August 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Homeownership has not been given a COVID boost The unprecedented surge in household formation and the homeownership rate in the second quarter is not a sign that Americans are fleeing rental apartments in the city to buy homes in the suburbs... 29th July 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Property after the pandemic Global property markets are expected to see a lasting impact from the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Over the coming weeks, we will publish a series of pieces looking at the post-pandemic future... 15th July 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Second wave argues against rapid home sales recovery As COVID infections have surged, the slowdown or reversal of reopening across the South will weigh on home sales. Given sellers and buyers now have more experience in transacting during the pandemic... 14th July 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Larger mortgages won’t necessarily boost price growth The average value of a home purchase mortgage application hit a record high $359,000 at the end of June. But that doesn’t mean house price growth is set to take-off. An increase in the share of new... 6th July 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Will a flood of new apartments boost vacancies? The hit to apartment absorption from the coronavirus has occurred at the same time as a large number of new units are set to enter the market. Even with current tenants staying put, that raises the... 1st July 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Inventory outlook worsens A drop in house price expectations has helped boost demand from some looking to pick up a bargain, but it has also encouraged sellers to delay listing until the price outlook improves. Indeed, selling... 18th June 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Will the rental market bounce back? The factors that drove the resurgence in home purchase mortgage demand, including record low mortgage rates, the need for more space and the anticipation of finding a bargain, will not give a similar... 11th June 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Why have new home sales shrugged off COVID? An incentive to sell to support cash-flow, relatively affluent buyers and a streamlined selling process help explain why new home sales increased in April even as the unemployment rate hit a record... 28th May 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Starts well-placed to recover as country reopens In April, single-family housing starts saw their largest month-on-month drop since records began in 1970. However, we are relatively optimistic that starts will recover as more builders are able to... 20th May 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update House price expectations turn negative Consumers now expect house prices to fall 2% over the next 12-months, the first negative reading since 2011. That will cut the amount buyers are willing to pay and, alongside a drop in rents, supports... 14th May 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Forbearance not a path to foreclosure The surge in mortgage borrowers seeking forbearance stands in contrast to a more modest rise in missed rental payments and suggests many have requested mortgage holidays as an insurance policy, rather... 7th May 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update COVID to halt rise in homeownership Strong new home sales in 2019 helped the under-35 homeownership rate jump to a nine-year high in the first quarter. But, with the disruption from COVID set to cut home sales in half in the second... 30th April 2020 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Update Are HELOC draws set to surge? Uptake of home equity lines of credit surged during the financial crisis, as households made use of existing facilities to replace lost income. But, even as the unemployment rate reaches a record high... 29th April 2020 · 3 mins read
Global Economics Update House prices to fall, but not crash Unlike in previous downturns, residential property has not been the root cause this time. Even so, house prices will not escape this recession unscathed. If policy support proves effective, if... 29th April 2020 · 4 mins read