Welcome to the Center for Housing and Tax Research
As of May 18, 2023, actions by the Federal Reserve to slow the economy have pushed the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate up to 6.39%. At the end of Nov-21 it was 3.07%. This is an increase of 332 bps. The Case-Shiller 20 city home price index increased by only 0.4% YOY for Feb-23. Zillow.com reported that home values in Mar-23 tumbled (MOM), in several formerly hot markets, most noticeably, Los Angeles, CA (-0.8%), Las Vegas (-0.7%), and Phoenix (-0.4%). What drives rent inflation? Will rents follow home prices? The causality is not clear as rental rate appreciation for apartments in multi-unit buildings continue to climb.
Single Family Rental Market
CBSA Rental Update:
Recent Research:
Investor Impact on the MKT:
Do Investors Compete Against Home Buyers Who Intend to Live in the Property and Thus Raise Prices?
Recent research shows that investor purchases impact owner occupied purchase prices at time t – the time when the investor purchase the property. The CHTR research shows that each one unit higher share of investor purchases in a CBSA raises HPA on owner occupied properties by 2.5 bps. In a city like Chicago, IL with an investor share during Mar-21 of 32 percent, potential homebuyers paid 80 bps more to own their home had investors not participated. This would have added an extra $1,600 to house that was selling in 2020 for $200k and sold for $211.4k in 2021 but might have sold for $209.8k.
The Impact Of A 1% Increase In State Income Tax Rates On Net-outmigration Of High-Income Taxpayers In The Initial Year:
TCJA is a national law which does not change a state’s stated marginal tax rate. The impact, however, is to raise taxpayer’s income tax burdens in high SALT states. This negative financial change could motivate some high-income taxpayers to leave the state. We look at the experience of three states which raised their marginal income tax rate during some point in the years 2012 – 2018 to guage the impact of a 1% tax rate increase on net-outmigration.
Rental Markets:
Will Slowing Rent Appreciation Filter Into CPI in 2023?
Section 1: Introduction
Renters generally enter a contract with a landlord for one year. In this sense, it is only when the tenant leaves the property, or when 12 months after a contract has been signed, the landlord is able to raise (or lower) the rent. It is widely perceived in 2023 that the U.S. has a housing shortage and that rental vacancies are at historic lows. Renters have very little pricing power when vacancies are low (they either pay what the landlord asks, or they try to leave and find other forms of shelter).
The Impact Of Interest Rate Changes On the Rent/Income Ratio of a City
Since Dec-18, the Federal Reserve initiated a series of interest rate changes to bolster economic activity. In response, the 30-year mortgage rate fell from 4.87% on Nov-18 to 2.87% on Jul-21. This 200 bps decline in mortgage rates made homebuying cheaper, and caused home prices to rise. All of these rate declines kept businesses strong which had a positive impact on income. Rents also increased in many cities over this time. Did the interest rate changes cause incomes to increase more than rents? In other words, are renters better off in 2022 than they were in 2018?