• Research Note | July 12, 2021

    Has An Urban Exodus Occurred? Residential Environment Trends Shaping the Future of Where We Live

    As we noted in a previous report, there was an observed shift of home purchases in the last decade, even before the onset of COVID-19, from urban areas to suburbs and rural towns. We went on to link several possible socioeconomic factors driving the ongoing trend of household migration away from urban areas. More

    Line graph showing year-over-year inventory change of homes for sale by neighborhood type
  • Consumer Research | July 12, 2021

    Credit Reporting Perceptions

    According to a recent Freddie Mac survey of homeowners and renters, many Americans are confused about the impact of debt on their credit profile. More

    Credit Reporting Perceptions
  • Research Note | June 2, 2021

    Rural Home Purchases Outpaced Urban Purchases Through the 2010s

    The COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in homeowner mobility. There has been a growing trend of moving away from urban areas as housing preferences have shifted towards larger homes that are more conducive to remote work and virtual learning. More

    Exhibit 1a: Showing color bar graphs showing home purchases increasing most in rural areas between 2010 and 2019
  • Research Note | May 12, 2021

    Almost 50% of Black and Hispanic Borrowers Could Save $1,200 Annually by Refinancing

    The recent record low mortgage interest rates provide many borrowers with an opportunity to save thousands of dollars by lowering their mortgage rate through refinancing. But a closer look at who is refinancing demonstrates that many borrowers who could benefit from refinancing still aren’t pursuing the option. More

    Table chart showing mortgage rates for older versus newer loans
  • Research Note | May 7, 2021

    Housing Supply: A Growing Deficit

    In a recent "Perspectives" piece about the housing supply shortage, Freddie Mac's Chief Economist, Sam Khater highlighted the growing deficit that the industry has been facing, not only during the pandemic but even before the pandemic hit. More

    Exhibit 1: Showing updated target housing stock
  • Forecast | April 14, 2021

    Quarterly Forecast: As the Economy Recovers, the Housing Market Remains Healthy While Mortgage Rates Move Up

    Availability of the vaccine continues to improve, and COVID-19 restrictions are easing therefore sparking economic growth. With the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which included payments of up to $1,400 for individuals, $2,800 for married couples plus $1,400 for each dependent, consumer confidence in March reached the highest level since the start of the pandemic. More

    Table chart of Forecast: April 2021 Snapshot

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