Category Archives: Housing

Are Interest Rates Too Low?

Posted on December 11, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Should home buyers worry about the record-low interest rates in the near or distant future? Because interest rates are at post-World War II lows, the super cheap money is helping to drive up annual home price rates into … Continue reading →

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How Do We Build More Housing?

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Calculated Risk The housing market is cooling as is the fall weather. It’s not good news for those needing to live somewhere, given the low for sale inventory. But interest rates still remain at record lows, with … Continue reading →

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California’s NIMBY Problem

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Calculated Risk It’s no secret that California has a housing problem. Its bias for single-family, ‘not-in-my-backyard’ (NIMBY) zoning since the 1960s has finally caught up with reality—in the form of more than 150,000 residents homeless and some 700,000 … Continue reading →

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July Housing Sales Stay Strong

Posted on August 25, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Calculated Risk WASHINGTON (August 23, 2021) – Existing-home sales rose in July, marking two consecutive months of increases, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Three of the four major U.S. regions recorded modest month-over-month gains, and … Continue reading →

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Consumer Confidence, Home Prices Soar For How Long?

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Conference Board Consumer confidence is at record highs, as growing numbers of consumers believe the roaring 2020’s recovery is here to stay. And it’s also sending home price increases to record highs. But this isn’t another housing bubble. … Continue reading →

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Can We Fix the Housing Shortage?

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Calculated Risk Existing-home sales of single-family, condos and apartments were down slightly from their recent highs for a number of reasons. This is while demand for housing is skyrocketing with home prices up 20 percent year-over-year, but … Continue reading →

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When the Return to Normal Activity?

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Calculated Risk When will most American workers return to work, and the U.S. economy return to normal activity? The Calculated Risk-FRED graph since 1992 tells us that retail sales have historically never varied substantially from a 5 percent … Continue reading →

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March Employment Augers A Roaring 2020’s

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly MarketWatch.com It may be difficult for the naysayers that believe too much aid is going into social programs to find fault with the March unemployment report that added 916,000 new nonfarm payroll jobs. It looks like March … Continue reading →

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January Home Sales Exceed Expectations

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Calculated Risk The Calculated Risk/FRED graph shows that new-home sales are approaching the 2000 level at the start of the last housing bubble that ultimately resulted in the Great Recession (blue bars are recessions). But that doesn’t … Continue reading →

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Housing Construction Soars

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Calculated Risk As much housing is being built today as in 2006 at the height of the housing bubble. What is going on? People want to move away from cities, where fear of COVID-19 contagion is highest, … Continue reading →

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