Office of the Chief Economist

Blog

CoreLogic’s Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) employs some of the brightest minds and most often quoted professionals in the housing ecosystem, including Molly Boesel, Selma Hepp and other experts who know how to best interpret data trends and tell you what they mean. The OCE authors CoreLogic’s regular monthly economic reports: The Home Price Index (HPI), the Loan Performance Index (LPI), the Single-Family Rent Index (SFRI) and the S&P Case-Shiller Index (CSI). Our economists also routinely weigh in on other key housing topics on our blog, podcasts and videos. Read previous blog posts from CoreLogic's economists.
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November 23, 2022

Why Is the US Not Experiencing the Price Declines Seen in Other Cou...

Following an unprecedented boom in global housing prices, countries are experiencing pricing corrections.

November 9, 2022

Higher Mortgage Rates Lead to Strong Lock-In Effect

With current mortgage rates at over 6%, the vast majority (99%) of outstanding mortgage debt has a lower mortgage rate locked in.

November 7, 2022

Does the Housing Recession Tell Us Anything About the Prospects of ...

Housing declines are historically a harbinger for recessions, but does this mean that it a recession is imminent?

November 3, 2022

How Much Did US Home Prices Actually Fall in July?

Home price appreciation dropped in July for the first time since December 2018, ending a 40-month streak of growth.

October 14, 2022

The Return of Home Equity Line of Credit Activity

Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and home equity loans are gaining popularity as homeowners seek to tap their accumulated equity.

October 6, 2022

Piggyback Lending Shrinks During the Pandemic Housing Boom

At a time when record-low interest rates prompted home-buying frenzies, surging property values and mortgage lending, piggyback financing has missed out in the current pandemic housing boom.

September 5, 2022

Small Investors Chose to Sell Properties Rather than Rent Them Duri...

Fueled by the housing supply shortage and historically low mortgage rates during the pandemic, both home prices and rents hit new highs. With home price growth at record levels, some single-family investors sold their rental portfolios to extract the equity gains.

August 24, 2022

The Beginning of the End? Single-Family Investor Activity Takes a S...

The share of single-family home purchases made by investors dropped by 8 percentage points from Q1 to Q2, suggesting that these buyers may be more sensitive to interest rate increases than owner-occupied buyers

August 18, 2022

Returns from Price Appreciation Surpass Returns from Rent, But Not ...

Looking at appreciation alone does not convey the full benefits of owning a home. This is more accurately measured by the sum of price appreciation and rental income flows—the total appreciation.

April 5, 2022

Record Home Price Appreciation Led by Sun Belt States in February

National home prices increased 20% year over year in February 2022, according to the latest CoreLogic Home Price Index Report.

April 4, 2022

Single-Family Investor Activity Stalls in the Fourth Quarter of 2021

Investors’ recent acquisition spree showed its first signs of slowing down in the fourth quarter of 2021. After hitting historical peaks in the second and third quarters of 2021, the share of homes purchased by investors reached its zenith last October at 26.9% of total home sales

March 31, 2022

Young Homebuyer Share Declines After Peaking in 2020

The slim supply of homes for sale is pushing up home prices, and there is a notable difference between young homebuyers, those aged 30 and below and older millennial homebuyers ages 31 and 40.