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Inflation Watch and Interest Rates

The inflationary hit on household saving accounts should start to ease for the second half of 2023. The Wall Street Journal 7/13/23 article points to a general decline in inflation over a broad array of consumer goods, led by the...
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Interest Rates Have Room for Adjustment

Mortgage interest rates have a larger than normal cushion over the 10 year treasury bond. First American Title’s Odeta Kushi pointed out in the May 18 REconomy Podcast that the historic gap since 1972 has been 170 basis points (1.7%)....
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Inflation Watch

The Consumer Price Index moved up 0.1% in May. This represents a 3.2% year/year rate, but is only 1.2% if annualized. The biggest decrease was 11.5% for energy prices, countered somewhat by a 5% rise in food prices. Shelter prices...
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Real Estate Builds Wealth

There is greater proof that many of our parents were right when they impressed upon us the value of homeownership. The controlled housing expense established with a purchase, sense of security over the long term, and forced savings created with...
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Inflation and GDP Watch

A national look at inflation shows a continued slow descent from our June 2022 peak of 9.1% annualize rate. The mid-May report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the Los Angeles – Long Beach – Anaheim region at...
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Home Services Part in the Gross Domestic Product…

An indicator of housing strenth, 15-18% of the Gross Domestic Product is supported by the housing industry. This is brought about through two main categories that were pointed out in a First American Title REconomy Podcast (March 9, 2023).  Odeta...
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Three Drivers of Housing Affordability…

Prices, rates, and incomes. We know that incomes will drive housing prices quicker during recessionary times as incomes will decline quicker than they will rise. Inflation can act as a decelerator on wage increases. We have seen the impact of...
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Waiting For Home Price Crash?

We have heard people say that they’ll wait for the elevated home prices to crash before they re-enter the market. A couple of factors work against this happening in reality and psychologically. 1. Home equity is too substantial for most...
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