Quantifying Higher Mortgage Rates’ Effect on Housing Affordability

Over the past few years, historically low mortgage rates have played a major role in boosting both home sales and refinance activity in Texas. In a short time, however, those rates climbed quickly and took a big bite out of housing affordability.   Data collected by the Consumer Finance Protection B

Rugs I Love & Others I Don’t

It took me almost 20 years and 12 houses before I believed in the power of a large rug.Before that I thought rugs were just decor or just something soft. If I thought my floors were pretty then I didn’t use a rug. Or, if my floors were already soft–with carpet I also saw no need for a rug. It litera

Housing Affordability In Limbo 

Texas housing affordability has improved as both average home prices and average mortgage rates decreased. In the third quarter of this year, the Texas Home Affordability Index (THAI) increased to 1.11 from 1.04 the quarter before (Figure 1). This time last year, the index was at 1.03.  While the in

Notes from a Windshield Surveyor 

TRERC's Gary Maler has always been drawn to small towns. In his new blog series, he hits the road to chronicle how population growth, changing values, and technology are altering the economic landscape in rural Texas. Read his inaugural post today.The post Notes from a Windshield Surveyor  appeared