Housing Revival is Real; Sustained Recovery Depends on Affordability and the Economy

摘要

The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies put a confirmation stamp on the notion that the current housing market recovery is real with its "State of the Nation's Housing 2013" report. How long that recovery can be sustained, however, is open to debate as the Center also noted the share of U.S. households owning homes is at its lowest point since the Census Bureau began keeping such records in 1976. Even though low interest rates have rendered homeownership more affordable than at any time since the 1970s, the ownership rate during 2012 fell for the eighth consecutive year to 65.4 percent from 66.1 percent, representing a net loss of 161,000 homeowners.