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The yearly decline in market potential was the smallest since February 2022. The steep decline in sales driven by the rapid rise in mortgage rates seems to be behind us, as the initial shock of higher mortgage rates has worn off.

Housing Market Potential Increases, Despite Strengthening Rate Lock-In Effect First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming shares his proprietary Potential Home Sales Model, examining the housing market's performance against its potential.

We love when old friends pop by the office to say hi. ❤️ It was great seeing you Mark Gatermann

Mark and Odeta debut their new housing recession model, defining what a housing recession is, looking back at the history of housing recessions, and sharing whether or not we’re in a housing recession today.

The REconomy Podcast™: What is a Housing Recession and is the U.S. in One Now? (Part 2) REconomy Podcast™ economists Mark and Odeta share their new housing recession model.

June and July data is still trickling in, but early signs point to a double-dip recession that began to take form in March of this year.

Are we Flirting with a Double-Dip Housing Recession? First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi debuts a proprietary, data-driven definition of a housing recession, examining whether or not the U.S. housing market is in a recession today.

Social media sites are a great way to connect and share with others; however, they can also be a great way for bad actors to learn about you. Check out our Security and Privacy Center to learn about the trail of information your online activities leave behind and what you can do to help reduce your digital footprint.

Your Digital Footprint | First American Your Digital Footprint

While many expected that a higher mortgage rate environment would prompt house prices to adjust downward, the lack of housing inventory amid a resilient economy is keeping a floor on how low prices can go.

Does Resurgent House Price Growth signal A Bottom in the Housing Market? First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming shares his proprietary Real House Price Index, examining the resurgence in house price appreciation and what it means for the housing market.

💙 We are doing this right. It feels good to get texts like this from our clients.

Over the past 50 years, we’ve tracked 12 rising mortgage-rate eras and existing-home sales declined in only half of them.

Have Existing-Home Sales Bottomed Out? First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming shares his proprietary Potential Home Sales Model, examining the housing market's performance against its potential.

We’ve been at the forefront of real estate innovation for decades. Today, we’re one of the top 100 global leaders recognized for encouraging and developing innovation at all levels.

Best Workplaces For Innovators 2023 These companies demonstrate a commitment to capturing great ideas, wherever they originate.

Please keep pushing for us when you write up your contracts. We really appreciate it. Where you close your transactions matters and you know you’re in good hands with First American Title-Kingwood! ❤️

Please be advised our offices will be closed Monday July 3rd and Tuesday July 4th in observance of the Independence Day Holiday. We will reopen for normal business hours Wednesday July 5th at 8:30am.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!

We know higher educational attainment increases earning potential, which in turn boosts house-buying power, and increases the likelihood of purchasing a home. Indeed, Millennials pursuit of higher education may have delayed their transition to homeownership, but it gives them a boost now that many are finally making that transition.

The REconomy Podcast™: Why it Matters That Millennials Have Closed the Homeownership Gap REconomy Podcast™ - economists Mark and Odeta discuss the history of homeownership in the U.S. and the impact of homeownership on wealth creation.

Nominal house prices need to adjust to the reality of higher mortgage rates to allow for the housing market to become more affordable and balanced, but a fundamental housing supply shortage is keeping a floor on how low house prices can go.

Why Higher Mortgage Rates Don't Always Lead to Declining House Prices First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming shares his proprietary Real House Price Index, examining previous rising mortgage eras for insights into how house prices may react in today’s higher rate environment.

Historically speaking, new-home construction inventory has made up just 10% of the total inventory of homes for sale. In today's market, it's nearly 30% of all homes for sale. So why is the new-home market outperforming the resale market?

The REconomy Podcast™: Why Homebuilders Have an Advantage in Today’s Housing Market REconomy Podcast™ - economists Mark, Odeta, and Ksenia discuss the differences between the existing-home market and the new-home market.

Here goes Holly being amazing again and getting recognized for being Employee of the month for the entire State of Texas. We love having her on our team.

Thanks for all that you do to help our office shine. 🦅 🇺🇸 💙

We are thrilled to announce that Holly DeMaster has been promoted to Escrow Assistant. She has been with our team for two years as the receptionist. Holly is a skilled multitasker who is known for her outstanding customer service skills and exceptional attention to detail. With her positive attitude and commitment to excellence, Holly is sure to be a huge success in this new role, so please join us in congratulating her on this well-deserved promotion!

Now that the Federal Reserve has signaled that they might pause interest rate hikes, we may see easing in mortgage rate volatility, which would give potential home buyers some relief.

The REconomy Podcast™: Where is Housing Affordability for First-Time Home Buyers Headed? REconomy Podcast™ - economists Mark, Odeta, and Ksenia discuss the economic forces influencing housing affordability trends and what that means for first-time home buyers.

Housing supply remains so restricted, that any uptick in demand will put upward pressure on prices. This is the dynamic that played out in March, as the spring home-buying season ushered in more demand for homes, while insufficient supply prompted buyers to compete and bid up prices.

Seasonal Demand Drives Resurgent House Price Growth and Decline in Affordability First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming shares his proprietary Real House Price Index, examining that the market dynamics that snapped a four-month streak of improving affordability.

End of month can get a little crazy… but our escrow team is here to help you get through it with a smile!

The affordability outlook is mixed, but there are markets that remain affordable for the potential first-time home buyer, like Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Detroit, despite the turbulence of today’s housing market.

Outlook for First-Time Home Buyer Affordability is Mixed, but Affordable Markets Remain First American Economist Ksenia Potapov examines first-time home buyer affordability and explains why the outlook for affordability remains mixed.

It’s reasonable to assume that the spread and, therefore, mortgage rates will retreat in the second half of the year if the Fed takes its foot off the monetary tightening pedal and provides investors with more certainty. However, it’s unlikely that the spread will return to its historical average of 170 basis points, as some risks are here to stay.

Mind the Gap Between Mortgage Rates and the 10-Year Treasury Yield First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi shares her analysis of the gap between mortgage rates and the 10-year Treasury yield and explains how it might shift in the months ahead.

Our offices will be closed on Monday, May 29th in observance of Memorial Day.

Let your neighborhood know you’re the local expert with our local neighborhood series of postcards and social media posts.

It’s always nice to get sweet surprises!!! Great job Lorraine Cianciotto Charlton!!! 🎉💙 🦅

Since 1972, the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage has, on average, remained 170 basis points higher than the 10-year treasury bond yield. That spread in the month of April was about 290 basis points. In other words, mortgage rates are very high, abnormally high, relative to treasuries.

The REconomy Podcast™: Where are mortgage rates headed and what makes them so hard to forecast? REconomy Podcast™ - economists Mark and Odeta discuss why mortgage rates are difficult to forecast and the direction of mortgage rates in 2023.

There are plenty of potential buyers sitting on the sidelines, but they are likely waiting for housing supply and affordability to improve before entering the market.

Two Dynamics Locking Existing Homeowners into their Homes First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming shares his proprietary Potential Home Sales Model, examining the housing market's performance against its potential.

What a nice surprise! Everyone loves cookies! 💙 🎸 🦅

When buying a home, you can work with many people—agents, lenders, assistants, coordinators—all asking for your personal information. Unfortunately, cybercriminals are asking for that information, too. Visit our new Security & Privacy Center to learn about how, working together, we can help secure your transaction from start to finish.

Security and Privacy | First American Security and Privacy

Happy birthday Lorraine!!! We all wore cheetah for you. 🐆 🩷🎂

We’re excited to announce the launch of the American Data & Analytics Online Store. The self-service online store lets customers quickly purchase their most popular data reports and document images. Learn more about how to gain instant access to industry-leading, nationwide property data: https://firstam.us/3LZue4A

We're still spending a little more than we used to on goods relative to services, which makes sense since we underspent on services and overspent on goods due to the pandemic conditions. Those pandemic patterns affected the overall economy and also, more importantly, the labor force relative to goods and services.

The REconomy Podcast™: What Would the Economy and Housing Market Look Like if the Pandemic Never Happened? REconomy Podcast™ - economists Mark and Odeta discuss what may have happened to the economy and the housing market if the pandemic had never occurred.

Phishing is more than just emails; scammers will use voice calls, text messages, and even social media to trick you into sharing your personal information. Don’t take the bait and visit our Security & Privacy Center to learn how to ‘catch a phish’.

Social Engineering and Phishing | First American Social Engineering and Phishing

In theory, office conversions are a great idea. In practice, it's one of those situations where it's much easier said than done. Office conversions are happening, and they are currently happening at a faster rate than they were before the pandemic. But they're still not widespread.

The REconomy Podcast™: Underutilized Office Buildings Pose Challenge to Commercial Real Estate Sector Economists Mark and Odeta discuss how underutilized office space may impact the commercial real estate industry with special guest economist Xander Snyder