Divergent Fortunes and Trends – Housing Market Review (June, 2020)

Housing Market Intro and Summary I asked in my last Housing Market Review whether the housing downturn could already be coming to a swift end. The stocks of home builders delivered that message and more and more earnings reports from home builders are apparently delivering messages of a sharp recovery. A widening divergence between existing … Read more

Warren Buffett Welcomes More Discussion On Diversity

“We are a very young country. What we’ve accomplished is miraculous… We have made progress. And we are a better society… You would think that with the level of prosperity that we have, we would do better taking care of people…We’ve been going in the right direction in the country, but it’s been awfully slow.” … Read more

Housing Market Review – A Growing Rift Between the Data and the Stocks (September, 2017)

The last Housing Market Review covered data reported in August, 2017 for July, 2017. At the time, I described a change in tone that made me wary and even got me anticipating a larger pullback. The iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) was struggling below its 50-day moving average (DMA) since a 2-month period starting … Read more

The Future of Housing: The Senior Sell-Off Still Gives Way to Aging In Place

A month ago, Trulia published an article on the potential for renting out the spare rooms of Baby Boomers to millennials called “Boom-mates: How Empty Nesters Could Help Ease a Housing Shortage.” It was an interesting twist on the concept of multi-generational housing that generated a lot of related headlines. I took interest in the … Read more

U.S. Migration Patterns and California Housing Migraines

In past Housing Market Reviews, I observed a notable shift in housing activity from the West to the South. I have wondered aloud whether this disparity comes from economic choices moving households from relatively expensive markets in the West to relatively more affordable ones in the South. It turns out the IRS has some of … Read more

Warren Buffett Is Tone Deaf on Diversity

{edited June 17, 2016 to add more commentary and clarity} Warren Buffett, CEO of the legendary Berkshire Hathaway, rightfully sits among the most respected and highly regarded business leaders in American history. When Buffett talks, his words matter: his opinions can shape minds and drive business practices. Buffett’s influence and potential for tremendous good turn … Read more

A Potentially Important Shift In Income Demographics for Home Loans

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 29, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) I have written before that home builders have focused on building for higher income buyers and mortgage financing has been restricted to the well-off. It turns out things are not quite … Read more

Millennials Are Poised to Deliver the Next Critical Juncture for the Housing Market

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 3, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) Demographic shifts can be key drivers of housing trends. To date I have spent more time examining the impact of aging Baby Boomers on the housing market than aging millennials, defined … Read more

Baby Boomers Are Not Likely To Cause the Next Housing Crisis (Part 1)

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on May 29, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) Back in March, 2013, an intriguing article appeared in The Atlantic Cities called “The Great Senior Sell-Off Could Cause the Next Housing Crisis.” Author Emily Badger interviewed demographer Arthur C. Nelson, … Read more