Home Depot slides, house prices stabilize, consumers will keep spending

Home Depot slides, house prices stabilize, consumers will keep spending

  Interesting times we are in.  Consumers keep spending big on services like travel and eating out, but on the flip side Home Depot just reported its first drop since the pandemic.  On the other hand Target tops earnings estimates.  What is driving the continued...
Consumer debt passes $17 trillion for the first time despite slide in mortgage demand

Consumer debt passes $17 trillion for the first time despite slide in mortgage demand

  Households added $148 billion in overall debt, bringing the total to $17.05 trillion, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday. Balances are now $2.9 trillion higher than just before the pandemic.  What categories are...
2023 real estate predictions update: Mortgage rates decline, banks fail, impact on real estate prices

2023 real estate predictions update: Mortgage rates decline, banks fail, impact on real estate prices

A lot has changed since my year end update, four major banks have collapsed, and the market is now signaling a recession with interest rates beginning to fall.  What does this mean for real estate in the second half of the year?  Are there any big changes to my...
Real Estate Market continues outperforming, what time period are we beginning to resemble?

Real Estate Market continues outperforming, what time period are we beginning to resemble?

  Although the spring real estate market has slowed drastically from the pandemic days, the bottom has not fallen out.  Quite the opposite has occurred, in suburban markets and sunbelt cities, real estate keeps charging higher.  A good example is Boulder, CO, a...
Higher credit score borrowers pay more under new government rule

Higher credit score borrowers pay more under new government rule

No this is not a joke, I had to read the recent Fannie Mae press release multiple times to actually believe what I was reading.  Who would have ever thought that someone with a high credit score above 740 would be penalized for having a high score.  Under a new rule...
Inflation remains sticky, will interest rates remain high, can the fed achieve a soft landing?

Inflation remains sticky, will interest rates remain high, can the fed achieve a soft landing?

Inflation continues to stick around with core CPI running near record highs.   This will keep the federal reserve on a likely path to hike rates once again in May.  What does this mean for interest rates and real estate?  What happens when interest rates finally...