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Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 27, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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That link shows mortgage rates going from 1500 (approx) in 2020 to 2500+ in 2023, while in the same time frame wages rose from 45k (approx) to 48k (approx). In order to restore affordability some combination of the following would have to happen:

  • Home prices fall
  • Mortgage rates fall
  • Wages rise faster than home prices

So when you say you don't think that home ownership won't remain unaffordable for long how do you think the affordability will be restored and how long will that take to happen?

It depends. If mortgage rates remain high, I expect real home prices to fall eventually, at least relative to income. Because home prices are in part a function of mortgage rates, and we have already seen some evidence of that happening.