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The Zelman Buzz

Exclusive insights and analyses from our industry-leading research team

How Big Could the Next Housing Downturn Be?

June 29, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

While economic activity appears to have accelerated so far in 2018, some prominent economic forecasters have become more cautious about growth prospects for 2019 and 2020. For instance, in early June, former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke ...

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Filed Under
macro housing

Homebuyers Increasingly Choosing Mortgage Companies Over Local Bank

June 15, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

In 2005, we estimate that there were 6.6 million purchase mortgages originated, proving to be an all-time peak. At that time, even with the excessive level of subprime and low-quality loans that are often associated with non-banks, 66% of originations ...

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Filed Under
mortgage

Student Debt Fears are Overblown – Here’s Why

June 15, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

According to our analysis of Census Bureau data, in 2016, 35% of 25-39 year olds had earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher, continuing a multi-decade increase. For comparison, the share stood at 31% in 2010, 27% in 2000, 24% in 1990, 23% in ...

Is Trump to Blame for Lack of Baby Bump?

June 01, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

From 2007-16, national births declined 9% in total and 1.0% per year, a drag that has been unmatched over the last four decades, which can be attributed to slower adult population growth, shifting age cohorts, secular changes in young adult ...

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Filed Under
demographics

An Underappreciated Shift of Young Adults to Single-Family Living on Horizon

May 18, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

The importance of demographics to the overall housing market is widely understood and discussed, but is also often misinterpreted in our opinion. One area of heavy demographic focus today is on the “Millennial” generation and how its size, ...

Zelman Closest to the Pin for Key National Mortgage Statistics

May 18, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

Last week, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released preliminary Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data for 2017 mortgage originations. Released earlier than ...

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Filed Under
mortgage

Forget About Tax Changes – Homeownership Edges Higher Again

May 04, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

When tax reform became a meaningful conversation in late-2017, there was widespread concern that de-emphasizing itemized deductions for property taxes and mortgage interest would serve as a marginal headwind to the desire for homeownership ...

The Most Important Residential Construction Metric Never Discussed

April 20, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

There are many data points that are referenced by executives, investors and reporters to interpret the direction and position of the housing market, including existing home sales, new home sales, housing starts, the homeownership rate, home ...

An Indirect Benefit from Tax Reform to Entry-Level Buyers as Insurance Rates are Cut

April 20, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

Earlier this year, we dissected the impact of tax cuts on net income for different income cohorts, noting that the average individual tax filer would experience an approximate 1.5% increase in after-tax cash flow in ...

Sorting Through Noise to Identify Trend in Dual-Income Homes, Affordability Impact

April 06, 2018 by Zelman & Associates

From 2011-17, the median existing home price appreciated by 5.9% per year and the median multi-family rental rate climbed by 3.5% annually. Both figures outstripped our calculation of entry-level income growth at 2.2% per year. Naturally, the ...