Housing Equality & Policy
All Policy & Current Issues
July 15, 2022
Nationwide, energy costs are taking up a smaller portion of homeowner expenses because they’re not surging nearly as quickly as housing prices. The typical U.S. household spent an estimated $2,127 on energy utility bills in 2021, equal to 14.8% of the annual mortgage payment for homebuyers. That compares with $1,986 (15.8%) a year earlier and […]
July 5, 2022
Purchases of second homes with high flood, storm and/or heat risk surged roughly 40% over the past two years. Many pandemic homebuyers purchased vacation homes, which are frequently vulnerable to natural disasters. In 2020 and 2021, purchases of second homes with high flood risk rose 45% from the prior two-year period (2018-2019), according to a […]
June 6, 2022
The typical high-fire-risk home sold for $550,500 in April, while the typical low-risk home sold for $431,300. That’s the biggest premium since at least 2017. The median sale price of high-risk homes jumped 52% during the pandemic, while the median sale price of low-risk homes rose 41%. High-risk homes sell for more in part because […]
May 19, 2022
It all comes down to supply and demand. For the first time since the 1980s, Americans are dealing with 8%+ inflation in consumer prices. American homebuyers, however, have been dealing with inflation since 2012. The typical home costs double what it did in 2012, but the typical worker is only earning 35% more. There are […]
April 26, 2022
The two Sun Belt states—which have gained more residents than any other state during the pandemic—are getting hit hardest by FEMA’s price hikes. By comparison, 81% of FEMA policyholders overall are seeing costs increase as a result of the agency’s insurance overhaul. Texas and Florida face substantial flood risk, and have in the past had […]
