Top of Mind

The Housing Market Game with Redfin’s Daryl Fairweather

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Dr. Daryl Fairweather, the chief economist for Redfin, to discuss the life and economic lessons in her new book, Hate the Game, and also dive into the latest data in the US housing market with Redfin’s unique point of view.

About Daryl Fairweather

Dr. Daryl Fairweather is the chief economist at Redfin and the author of the new book Hate the Game. At Redfin, she analyzes US housing markets and consumer behavior. She is a member of the advisory council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and was a former senior economist at Amazon. She is a regular contributor to Forbes, and she has been featured in 60 Minutes, Today, The New York Times, and Bloomberg, among other outlets. She has a degree from MIT and a PhD from the University of Chicago.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What Beyoncé teaches us about game theory.
What young buyers should know about buying a home
Why the 2025 housing market theme is “disappointment”
Why she thinks rents will start growing more expensive in 2026.
Which homeowners and housing markets are facing the most distress now
What Redfin’s “Buyer Demand Index” tells us about home sales for the rest of the summer
Which signals to watch for a coming downturn
What to know about millennial home buyers
What happens to the housing market after 2030

Related to this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos

A true data geek, Mike founded Altos in 2006 to bring data and insight on the U.S. housing market to those who need it most. The company now serves the largest Wall Street investment firms, banks, and tens of thousands of real estate professionals around the country. Mike's insights on the market have been featured in Forbes, New York Times, Bloomberg, Dallas Morning News, Seattle PI, and many other national media outlets.

About Altos

Each week, Altos tracks every home for sale in the country - all the pricing, and all the changes in pricing - and synthesizes those analytics to make them available before becoming visible through traditional channels.

⁠⁠⁠Schedule a demo⁠⁠⁠ to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: ⁠⁠⁠How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business⁠⁠⁠.

The Top of Mind podcast features top real estate industry insiders and experts to unpack the most important housing, real estate, mortgage data and trends that are shaping the housing market. Hosted by Altos founder Mike Simonsen and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

Lessons in Single-Family Rental with Amherst’s Sean Dobson

Wed, 21 May 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Sean Dobson, the CEO and CIO of Amherst, to learn about the single-family rental business from a true market leader. Amherst is a vertically integrated real estate investment, development, and operating company with single-family residential, mortgage-backed securities, and commercial real estate. Amherst has $15B under management and owns 50,000 homes across 33 metropolitan areas in the US.

About Sean Dobson

Sean Dobson is the Chairman, CEO, and CIO of Amherst, where he leverages his 30+ years of expertise in U.S. real estate, mortgage, and securitized products to lead the firm’s investment strategy and oversee day-to-day strategic direction for the platform.

Sean has been leading Amherst for over 20 years, transforming the firm from regional broker dealer into a market-leading real estate investment, management, and operating platform. Sean and Amherst had an active role in educating the White House, Congress, and the Federal Reserve as they navigated a historic market during the great financial crisis.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

In this episode, Sean shares a candid and data-rich perspective on what’s really happening in the single-family rental market, how institutional capital has reshaped housing dynamics, and what it will take to solve the affordability crisis in the years ahead.

How Amherst transitioned from a mortgage data platform to one of the largest single-family rental investors in the U.S.
The surprising stats behind institutional investing and homeownership
Why 85% of Amherst rental applicants can't qualify for a mortgage—and what that reveals about today’s affordability landscape.
Learn the special indicators Amherst watches to understand local housing markets.
Why institutional buyers now act as shock absorbers in market downturns What owning 50,000 homes taught Amherst about maintenance, neighborhoods, and the hidden complexity of renting.
The long-term stability strategy: why Amherst doesn’t flinch when the market softens.
The compelling new areas of the housing industry that Amherst is aiming for in the next decade.

If you want to understand the housing market not just from headlines, but from the ground level and the capital stack, this conversation is essential.

Related to this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos

About Altos

⁠⁠Schedule a demo⁠⁠ to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: ⁠⁠How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business⁠⁠.

Inventory is back to 2019 levels. Here’s what that means for 2025 (5/19/2025 Market Update)

Tue, 20 May 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/altosresearch⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos. A true data geek, Mike founded Altos in 2006 to bring data and insight on the U.S. housing market to those who need it most. Altos provides national and local real estate data to financial institutions, real estate professionals, and investors across the country, and the company is now part of HW Media, publisher of HousingWire and RealTrends. Mike uses Altos data to identify trends in the real estate market well before the headlines, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Fortune, Forbes and other publications.

More Home Sellers and More Home Sales in May (5/12/25 Market Update)

Tue, 13 May 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/altosresearch⁠⁠⁠.

Tackling the Affordability Crisis with Dr. Arpit Gupta

Wed, 07 May 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Dr. Arpit Gupta of NYU’s Stern School of Business. The two discuss Dr. Gupta’s important research on housing affordability, and the causes and cures of our unaffordable housing market. They uncover insights about which local regulations are the most negative for affordable housing, surprising data about how property taxes impact families and the market, and how home equity will impact future economic downturns.

About Arpit Gupta

Arpit Gupta is a professor of finance at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Professor Gupta's research interests focus on using large datasets to understand default dynamics real estate and household finance. He received his B.S. in math and econ at the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. in Finance and econ from Columbia Business School. Dr. Gupta has done really useful research on housing affordability. He’s studied the impact of housing regulation and taxation on affordability.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The ways in which regulation contributes to unaffordability in the housing market
Which types of local regulations are the most negative for housing affordability
Why low property taxes hurt young families
One surprising reason that Texas real estate is more affordable than California
What California does well and what it does poorly in the battle for affordability
Why New York’s AirBnB ban didn’t help affordability
How remote work has changed the housing market and what’s next

Related to this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos

About Altos

⁠Schedule a demo⁠ to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: ⁠How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business⁠.

Home Sales Disappoint at the End of April (5/5/2025 Market Update)

Tue, 06 May 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/altosresearch⁠⁠.

Easter Driven Home Sales Dip Masks Recent Growth (4/28/25 Market Update)

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at ⁠https://youtube.com/altosresearch⁠.

Why April home sales are ahead of last year (4/21/25 Market Update)

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Home sales continue to improve over last year, can it hold up? (4/14/25 Market Update)

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

The Next Chapter: Data is your license to think bigger with HousingWire's Clayton Collins

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike gets time with HW Media CEO and HousingWire publisher Clayton Collins to talk about the latest HousingWire Data company announcements, and explores the most important trends, people, and ideas driving our industry in 2025.

About Clayton Collins

Clayton Collins is the Chief Executive Officer of HW Media, the leading media and information services company for housing and real estate professionals. As Publisher of HousingWire, he drives the company’s mission to empower housing leaders with trusted journalism, proprietary data, and industry-leading events.

Since acquiring HousingWire in 2016, Clayton has led HW Media’s transformation into a multi-brand platform, expanding its reach through the acquisitions of RealTrends and Altos Research. Under his leadership, HW Media delivers critical market intelligence, data-driven insights, and high-impact events that inform and connect professionals across housing finance and real estate.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What is HousingWire Data, and what does it mean for our clients
The three big themes shaping the industry in 2025
Who’s making the biggest moves in the industry—and why it matters
How the mortgage and housing landscape has evolved over the past decade (and where it’s heading next)
Which topics get the most attention on HousingWire.com each day and why.

Related to this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos

About Altos.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

How quickly does financial turmoil impact the housing market? (4/7/25 Market Update)

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Real Solutions to the Homeless Crisis with DignityMoves’ Elizabeth Funk

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Elizabeth Funk, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of DignityMoves, to talk about real progress being made with the crisis of homelessness in America.

Elizabeth shares DignityMove’s innovative interim housing solutions, deep insights about the American system of housing and homelessness, and dramatic success stories from cities all over California that are reaching functional zero unsheltered homelessness.

About Elizabeth Funk

Elizabeth is the founder & chief executive officer of DignityMoves, a nonprofit developer that works with municipalities to bring people indoors quickly, safely, and at scale.

Elizabeth is a pioneer of impact investing and microfinance. Her career blends Silicon Valley high-growth start-up entrepreneurship with innovative impact initiatives that align for-profit and nonprofit approaches to accelerate positive social impact outcomes.

Elizabeth has been actively involved in homelessness in California for nearly two decades. She served on the board and chaired Glide Memorial’s Community Housing initiative, on the board of LifeMoves, a leading homelessness services organization in Silicon Valley, and on the real estate advisory board of HomeRise, a permanent supportive housing developer in San Francisco.

Elizabeth holds an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Economics from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What is “Functional Zero Unsheltered Homeless” and why does it matter?
How costs, building standards, zoning laws contribute to homelessness and what we can do about it
Why tackling homelessness in the first few weeks of displacement is critical
What is interim housing, how it can solve the unsheltered crisis, and why it costs half as much as we’re currently spending
Why many local governments still object and resist to new approaches to tackling the crisis
The new political leaders committed to fixing the problem
Why the “Aha!” moment is upon us with homelessness

Related to this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos

About Altos.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Home price signals continue to weaken for 2025 (3/31/2025 Market Update)

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Weekly Pending Home Sales Are Finally Above Last Year (3/24/25 Market Update)

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Are we seeing the first “bad economy sellers” in 15 years? (3/17/25 Market Update)

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research.A true data geek, Mike founded Altos Research in 2006 to bring data and insight on the U.S. housing market to those who need it most. Altos provides national and local real estate data to financial institutions, real estate professionals, and investors across the country, and the company is now part of HW Media, publisher of HousingWire and RealTrends. Mike uses Altos data to identify trends in the real estate market well before the headlines, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Fortune, Forbes and other publications.

Mortgage Tech Insights with Adam Carmel

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Adam Carmel, CEO and founder of Polly, to talk about mortgage technology and the mortgage markets.

About Adam Carmel

Adam Carmel is the founder and CEO of Polly, a true mortgage technology trailblazer. Adam founded Polly in 2019 to build a vertically integrated mortgage platform.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The remarkable story of why and how he started Polly
His leadership strategies in these volatile markets
How he leads a mortgage technology company and doesn’t let mortgage rates into the decision process
Why the cost of loans has risen from $2,000 to $12,000 and how Polly aims to bring it all the way back down
The incredible opportunity for AI and how consumer and mortgage cost wins are already here with AI in the mortgage process
What the Polly data says about the opportunity for lenders in 2025
Scenarios of what could happen to the mortgage market if we privatize Fannie and Freddie
How to think about America’s 30-year fixed rate mortgage market and how it might evolve

Related to this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

A true data geek, Mike founded Altos Research in 2006 to bring data and insight on the U.S. housing market to those who need it most. The company now serves the largest Wall Street investment firms, banks, and tens of thousands of real estate professionals around the country. Mike's insights on the market have been featured in Forbes, New York Times, Bloomberg, Dallas Morning News, Seattle PI, and many other national media outlets.

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Could homebuyers find bargains this spring? (3/10/25 Market Update)

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Will falling mortgage rates finally help the housing market? (3/3/25 Market Update)

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

How the Brokerage Business is Changing

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Jason Waugh, president of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, to talk about how the real estate brokerage business is changing in 2025. Jason shares insights from CB’s 100,000 agents, the latest findings from CB’s Global Luxury Trends report, and how the agent-consumer relationship is changing after the dramatic real estate commissions settlements of 2024.

About Jason Waugh

Jason Waugh is president of Coldwell Banker Affiliates for Coldwell Banker Real Estate. where he runs the brand’s marketing, franchise sales and operations teams for 100,000 real estate sales professionals in more than 2,700 offices across 39 countries.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What it’s like running an iconic real estate brand in 2025
The latest findings from CB’s Global Luxury Trends report
Notable demographic trends for luxury real estate buyers
How agent/homebuyer relationships are changing after the commission lawsuits
Which consumers continue to choose full-service/full-price real estate services
Which markets are noticing commission compression
Insights on today’s unique commercial real estate trends

Related to this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

2025 could be the last year of inventory shortage (2/24/25 Market Update)

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Could Home Prices Turn Negative This Year? (2/17/25 Market Update)

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

What’s Happening with Home Renovations

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Julie Kheyfets, CEO of Block Renovation, to talk about what’s happening with home renovations this year and beyond.

About Julie Kheyfets

Julie Kheyfets is the CEO of Block Renovation, the AI renovation platform empowering

homeowners and contractors to build better together. Block’s AI delivers instant cost, scope, and design guidance tailored to each homeowner, powered by proprietary data from thousands of projects. By accessing Block’s vetted network of contractors, homeowners can discover the right professionals for their projects, rapidly receive easy-to-compare proposals, and hire with confidence, backed by Block’s project protections.

Before being appointed CEO, Julie served as Block’s COO, steering Block’s operations as the company evolved from a one-stop shop for renovations to an AI marketplace platform. Julie brings a strong track record of scaling AI to help consumers in complex industries. Before joining Block, she built and led the North America business for Tractable, the AI platform for accident and disaster recovery. During Julie's tenure, Tractable became the world’s first computer vision unicorn for financial services.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How to match consumers with contractors
Why so much of the difficulty in remodeling are “problems of information”
The surprising relationship between interest rates and remodeling
Block’s unique demand renovation demand data and what it’s telling us about the market right now
How changes to the immigration system will impact the remodeling industry
Why productivity in construction has not improved in 50 years and why that is about to change
Trends in AI that homeowners should pay attention to
Why AI and information have the potential to dramatically improve the consumer relationship with the contractor
The most important demographic trends and what they tell us about the home renovation market over the rest of the decade
Which local markets are the leaders and laggards in renovation

Related to this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Has seller growth lost momentum? (2/10/25 Market Update)

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Weak demand is forcing more home sellers to reduce their asking price (2/3/25 Market Update)

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Zillow’s Take on the 2025 Housing Market

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Dr. Orphe Divounguy, senior economist with Zillow's Economic Research team, to talk about what’s on the horizon for the housing market this year. Orphe shares the latest findings from Zillow’s 2025 forecasts, offers some surprising insights from Zillow’s rental data, gives us a framework for understanding mortgage rates and affordability in the U.S., and much more.

About Dr. Orphe Divounguy

Orphe Divounguy is a senior economist with Zillow's Economic Research team where he analyzes economic data to try and identify emerging trends in the housing market. In the past, Orphe’s work focused on quanÏtitative methods for evaluating the impact of economic policy. Orphe earned a doctorate in economics from England’s University of Southampton.

Orphe is also the founder of the Quantitative Research Group and the co-host of the Everyday Economics podcast.

The team’s research can be found at zillow.com/research and includes analyses about for-sale and rental market dynamics, fair housing, and other topics. Zillow also provides dozens of housing market datasets freely available for download at zillow.com/data.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Details from Zillow’s 2025 housing market forecasts: mortgage rates, home sales and home prices
How American homeowner wealth helped stave off recession and what it means for the housing market in 2025
The most important macro economic trends to watch now and what they mean for real estate this year
Surprising insights from Zillow’s rental data on trends in apartments and single family rentals, and what to expect in the near future.
Which local markets to watch in 2025 and why
Smart thinking on the affordability crisis, how it’s changing and how we might find our way out

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Will we see home price declines in 2025? (1/27/25 Market Update)

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Home sales are stalled with 7% mortgages (1/20/25 Market Update)

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Decoding the 2025 Housing Market with Bill McBride

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Bill McBride from Calculated Risk to talk about what to expect in the housing market in 2025 and beyond.

About Bill McBride

Bill McBride is a housing market expert and the author of the popular economics blog and newsletter “Calculated Risk”, which Nobel laureate economists have cited as a “go-to website for housing matters.” Bill may be best known for accurately predicting the housing bubble in 2005, and the bottom in housing prices in early 2012.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why the US housing market faces “seven years of purgatory”
Why inventory is more important than sales numbers for understanding the housing market
The market stat that Bill is watching this year and what it tells us to expect
Why mortgage rates will be stuck above 6% for a while
What’s on the horizon for recessions, inflation, and employment in 2025 and what it all means for the real estate market
How to measure home prices and what to expect for 2025
Why investors are less impactful in 2025 than they were a few years ago
How to spot a brewing financial crisis
The longer-term impact of changing demographics
How to view the affordability crisis and what’s likely to happen
A look at the 2030 housing market

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

More Home Sellers, Fewer Sales (1/13/25 Market Update)

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Did home sales momentum fizzle in December? (1/6/25 Market Update)

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

The two big housing market trends to watch in 2025 (12/30/24 Market Update)

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

A true data geek, Mike founded Altos Research in 2006 to bring data and insight on the U.S. housing market to those who need it most. Altos provides national and local real estate data to financial institutions, real estate professionals, and investors across the country, and the company is now part of HW Media, publisher of HousingWire and RealTrends. Mike uses Altos data to identify trends in the real estate market well before the headlines, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Fortune, Forbes and other publications.

“The Great Stay” Economy with Guy Berger

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Guy Berger, Director of Economic Research at the Burning Glass Institute, to talk about “The Great Stay”: how the lack of mobility in an otherwise strong labor market is impacting the housing market

About Guy Berger

Guy Berger is a macroeconomist with expertise in US labor markets, and currently serves as the Director of Economic Research at the Burning Glass Institute. He was previously the Principal Economist at LinkedIn, and has also worked as an economist at Bank of America and the Royal Bank of Scotland. His work includes the creation of novel economic indicators, the development of models linking the macroeconomy to business performance, and the design of economic reports. His commentary has been featured frequently in the media, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNBC, Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance and Axios. Guy holds a doctorate in economics from Yale University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What is “The Great Stay” economy with the labor market and housing?
Why stagnation in jobs means fewer home sales and why fewer home sales means fewer job openings
How companies are hoarding labor like Americans are hoarding real estate
When will this Great Stay era end?
How the labor market will change with reduced immigration and which sectors will be hit the hardest
Will the Fed pivot in 2025 to growing employment or will we still be fighting inflation?
The most important demographic trends to consider in the next few years
Outlook for the future of jobs in America with big trends like AI and remote work

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

What rising inventory means for the 2025 housing market (12/16/24 Market Update)

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Will 2025 finally be a normal housing market? (12/9/24 Market Update)

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

The Latest on the Distressed Housing Market with Daren Blomquist

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Daren Blomquist from Auction.com to talk about the state of the distressed housing market.

About Daren Blomquist

Daren Blomquist is vice president of market economics at Auction.com. In this role, Blomquist analyzes and forecasts complex macro and microeconomic data trends within the marketplace and industry to provide value to both buyers and sellers using the Auction.com platform.

Daren’s reports and analysis have been cited by thousands of media outlets — including all the major news networks and leading publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and USA TODAY. Daren has been quoted in hundreds of publications and has appeared on many national network broadcasts, including CBS, ABC, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business and Bloomberg.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What their investor activity tells us about housing demand right now
What their leading indicators say about home sales in 2025
The surprising trends with distressed borrowers in 2024
Which states have distressed and foreclosure levels approaching 2019 (it’s not what you’d think)
Which states have 80% fewer foreclosures now than in 2019
The notable new demand trends for distressed property buyers in 2024
The #1 reason their clients aren’t buying homes
The leading indicators in their data and what it tells us about 2025
The new phenomenon of “Foreclosure Spin Cycle” and what it means for American homeowners
Daren’s bearish forecast for home prices in 2025 and 2026

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

How migration is dividing the housing market in two (12/2/24 Market Update)

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Buying a home is growing even less affordable (11/25/24 Market Update)

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Insights into the 2025 housing market (11/18/24 Market Update)

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

The Housing Market Outlook for 2025 with HousingWire’s Logan Mohtashami

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst at HousingWire, to talk about his predictions for 2025. Logan looks at inventory challenges, offers his take on what to expect with mortgage rates, and gives his forecast for prices, home sales, and more. He also shares which signals we should be watching for shifts in the market in the coming year.

About Logan Mohtashami

Logan Mohtashami is a renowned expert in the mortgage and housing ecosystem, recognized for his insightful analysis and commentary on the U.S. economy and real estate market. Mohtashami is a lead analyst for HousingWire and is a regular contributor on the HousingWire Daily podcast. With a background spanning over two decades in the mortgage industry, Mohtashami — nicknamed “The Chart Guy” — has the remarkable ability to decipher complex economic data and translate it into understandable, actionable insights. This knowledge has made Mohtashami a sought-after commentator and his expertise has been featured extensively in news outlets, including CNBC, where he is a frequent guest.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How the housing market at the end of 2024 has fundamentally changed
Where his forecasts for 2024 missed and where he got it right
Logan’s forecasts for mortgage rates, home sales, inventory, and home prices in 2025
Which macroeconomic factors are the most important to watch for housing in 2025
What to watch for with the Fed in the coming year
Who is at risk and who has strength in today’s housing economy
One insightful factor buoying home buyers today
What’s on the horizon for real estate in the second half of the decade

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Housing market pauses for the election, be ready for more inventory later in November (11/11/24 Market Update)

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:52:26 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home Sales Are Up Over Last Year (11/4/24 Market Update)

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

2025 Housing Market Trends with First American’s Mark Fleming

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American Financial Corporation, to talk about the major market dynamics that will shape the real estate market in 2025.

About Mark Fleming

Mark Fleming serves as the chief economist for First American Financial Corporation, a premier provider of title, settlement and risk solutions for real estate transactions and the leader in the digital transformation of its industry. In his role, he leads an economics team responsible for analysis, commentary and forecasting trends in the real estate and mortgage markets.

Fleming's research expertise primarily includes real estate and urban economics, applied econometrics, and mortgage risk. As a trusted and influential voice with 20 years of experience in the mortgage and property information business, Fleming is frequently quoted by national news outlets and industry trade publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Housing Wire, and he is a regular guest on a high-profile broadcast news channels, including CBS, CNBC, Fox Business News and NPR.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Are we at the end of “the long cold winter” in the housing market
Are we poised for a rebound in 2025?
Why home sales fell but not home prices in the post-pandemic era
His expectation for where mortgage rates will settle
How he measures affordability, and what it teaches us about the US right now
The most and least affordable markets in the country, and how that’s changing
Whether first time homebuyers in 2025 will finally catch a break
How to estimate home price appreciation
Why the biggest trends in the housing market are not poised to change in 2025
What the election means for housing (and what it doesn’t)
Surprising stats about how much we (don’t) build homes anymore

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

The Surprising Resilience of Home Prices in 2024 (10/28/24 Market Update)

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Which metros are seeing a surge in home sellers? (10/21/24 Market Update)

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

The Great Stay: Why Homeowners Are Staying Put (10/14/24 Market Update)

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:47:11 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Housing market recovery threatened by mortgage rate pop (10/7/24 Market Update)

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Homes Sales Are Climbing With Lower Mortgage Rates (9/30/24 Market Update)

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Why aren’t home prices falling? (9/23/24 Market Update)

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Housing Demographics with John Burns’ Eric Finnigan

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Eric Finnigan, Vice President of Demographics Research at John Burns, to talk about the biggest themes and trends in American housing demographics today.

About Eric Finnigan

Eric Finnigan leads demographics research at John Burns Research and Consulting, where he helps clients plan around demographic shifts that impact real estate and the housing market. Eric has covered the housing market as a researcher since 2007, and before joining John Burns, he held research roles at Clarion Partners in New York and a boutique advisory firm in Berkeley, California. Finally, Eric is an elder millennial and, along with many of his peers, hit some adult milestones a little later than his parents, including getting married in his late 30s and recently buying his first home at 40.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The biggest themes in American demographics right now
What the demographic trends tell us about the next 20 years of housing demand
The most important demographic data to track, and what’s happening with it now
What’s going to happen with all the new apartment construction
The net impact of immigration on housing costs
Why dramatically limited immigration or mass deportation would be catastrophic to housing market and cause greater unaffordability
Some shocking new trends in intra-country migration
How many homes we really need to build over the next 10 years
The #1 thing that we can do to improve housing construction and alleviate our shortage
What the US will look like in 2033 and why that matters

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

More home sellers are withdrawing listings (9/9/24 Market Update)

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Will homebuyers come back this fall? (9/3/24 Market Update)

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Deep Dive on Rentals with Zumper’s Anthemos Georgiades

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Anthemos Georgiades from online rental marketplace Zumper to talk about the biggest trends in the rental market today.

About Anthemos Georgiades

Anthemos Georgiades is the Co-Founder & CEO of Zumper. At Zumper, Anth leads the company in its mission to make renting a home as easy as booking a hotel. Since 2012, Anth has grown Zumper into one of the largest online rental marketplaces with tens of millions of annual users, and has raised $180 million in venture capital for the company.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The biggest trends in rentals in the country today
What “normal” looks like in the rental market after the pandemic craziness
Where rents are falling, where they’re rising, and why
How renters’ perceptions of the economy impact their behavior, and how these perceptions are changing
Whether the market will get easier or harder for landlords in the coming year
How purchase and interest rate affordability challenges are felt in the rental market
How the demographics of renters have changed over the last decade, and what’s coming next
How AI is already changing how we find and rent homes, and where we need to be careful
The big policy changes happening in housing across the country, and where should we focus our efforts

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Inventory is now declining in key markets (8/26/24 Market Update)

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Is inventory growth finally slowing? (8/19/24 Market Update)

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Tackling America’s Housing Crisis with Mercatus Center’s Salim Furth

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Salim Furth from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University to explore America’s housing affordability and supply crisis and the optimistic changes that are under way.

About Salim Furth

Salim Furth is a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Urbanity project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His research focuses on housing production and land use regulation. He frequently advises local governments and testifies before state and federal legislatures. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Rochester.

Furth previously worked at the Heritage Foundation, at Amherst College, and as a contractor to HUD. His research has been published in Housing Policy Debate, Critical Housing Analysis, and the IZA Journal of Labor Policy. He serves as an advisor to the board of Texans for Reasonable Solutions and a Better Cities Project Fellow.served as lead independent trustee and eventually board chairman overseeing a multibillion-dollar ETF trust until its sale in early 2024.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why an esoteric domain like housing policy and zoning is suddenly in the spotlight in the US
What the “Housing Theory of Everything” is and why it’s important
Why the housing shortage isn’t confined to the United States and which countries are tackling it
Why NIMBYism is a universal human (or at least Anglophile) value
The shocking extent of our under-construction
Which simple zoning and regulation changes are making impact around the country
Which cities and states are doing the best work in housing
Whether increased immigration helps or hurts housing affordability
Which tax law changes are most effective
What will happen if the population declines
The optimistic and pessimistic scenarios for residential real estate, affordability and supply in the longer term future
Conclusions and insights from his recent “Laying Foundations” paper about the 50 most recent legislative efforts around the country

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Mortgage rates are down. Do buyers care? (8/12/24 Market Update)

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Will home buyers jump at cheaper mortgage rates? (8/5/24 Market Update)

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Is the 2024 housing market beyond saving? (7/29/24 Market Update)

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Housing demand stalls as homebuyers wait for lower rates (7/22/24 Market Update)

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

What happens to the housing market when rates finally drop? (7/15/24 Market Update)

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Forecasting Home Prices with Pulsenomics’ Terry Loebs

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Terry Loebs from Pulsenomics for a deep dive into forecasting home prices and the housing market. Terry has been at the forefront of measuring and projecting home prices for decades.

About Terry Loebs

Terry Loebs possesses more than 35 years of experience in the capital markets and in developing innovative data-driven products and services. He started his career on Wall Street evaluating and trading mortgage whole loans and servicing rights portfolios while earning his MBA at The New York University Stern School of Business.

After joining the Case Shiller Weiss, Inc. (CSW) in 1996, Terry led the commercial development of the Case-Shiller Indexes®, the subsequent effort to establish their reputation as a premier home price performance benchmark, and the launch of the first AVM for both consumers and lenders. After the 2002 acquisition of CSW by Fiserv, Terry managed the property data analytics team at the merged organization for three years before reuniting with Robert Shiller at MacroMarkets LLC.

In 2011, Terry founded Pulsenomics®, an independent research and index product development firm that leverages expertise in data analytics, opinion research, financial markets, and economics to deliver unique insight and market intelligence to institutional clients, partners, and the public at large. Since 2010, Terry has managed an expert survey panel comprised of over 150 leading economists, investment strategists, portfolio managers, and real estate market analysts to produce the quarterly Home Price Expectations Survey™, which is currently sponsored by Fannie Mae.

For nearly a decade, Terry also served as lead independent trustee and eventually board chairman overseeing a multibillion-dollar ETF trust until its sale in early 2024.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Can people really forecast the housing market? Or home prices?
Can we better understand how housing wealth impacts the broader economy?
Why legacy macroeconomic confidence indicators don’t include housing and why that matters
What the Fannie Mae Home Price Expectations Survey tells us about the housing market for 2024 and beyond
The surprising way that forecasters’ views for housing in 2024 are different than they have been for the last 15 years
Why home prices have “downward stickiness”
How forecasting long-term home prices is different from forecasting the next year and what to look for long term
The one housing market indicator that 84% of expert panelists agree on
Which risks are not yet priced into the housing market expectations
The big macro economic trends that are potentially the most impactful for the housing market in the coming years.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Housing market sees more price cuts as inventory continues to grow.

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

What to expect in the real estate market for the rest of the year

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Real Talk on Rates with Mortgage News Daily’s Matt Graham

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Matt Graham from MBS Live and Mortgage News Daily. A former loan originator, Matt is one of the foremost technology innovators and market commentators in the mortgage industry. Matt talks about what to expect with mortgage rates for the rest of the year and into 2025, and offers keen insights into a variety of other economic indicators.

About Matt Graham

A former originator, Matt fell into the rabbit hole of following the bond market in order to better understand mortgage rate movement. While the systems available at the time were useful, they barely scratched the surface. They also ran the risk of teaching originators to focus on things that didn't really matter.

So Matt set out to build something that solved both problems. In the 20 years that followed, Matt has proven to be the industry's foremost innovator in market data services designed specifically for mortgage originators. MBS Live continues to be the most trusted, most accurate, and most timely source of streaming bond prices, data and dialogue.

Matt is routinely featured in the media as a mortgage rate expert and is responsible for helping several major media outlets modernize their mortgage rate reporting. He currently lives in the Pacific Northwest where he enjoys skiing, fishing, hunting, coaching youth sports, playing in the old guy league, and most of all, spending time with his family.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why everyone was fooled about rates for 2024
What to look for with mortgage rates for the rest of the year and into 2025
What to look for in the inflation data for the next few months
Which other macroeconomic measures we should be watching
How the Fed communicates, and how markets react to the Fed
The latest dynamics of mortgage pricing, fees and points
Why the last two years has been “tougher than the Great Financial Crisis” for mortgage lenders
Why the 8% interest rate in September 2023 was probably “defensive panic” and unlikely to repeat
How the post-Covid stimulus money is still reverberating in the economy and the markets today
Whether there’s a threshold rate for where consumers start to buy homes
His view of the imperative to “spread the wealth” of real estate in the US to more people, including those who are long term renters

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Inventory growth is slowing. Are sellers backing off? (6/24/24 Market Update)

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Inventory Inches Up While Prices Hold Steady (6/17/24 Market Update)

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Building a Rental Business with Michael Zuber from One Rental at a Time

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Michael Zuber from One Rental at a Time to talk about how he built a thriving rental business and the big market trends for people who are building now.

About Michael Zuber

Michael Zuber is Author of One Rental at a Time, a story of working full time and building a real estate portfolio that eventually replaced two six-figure incomes. Having successfully made the leap from W2 to Financial Freedom 5+ years ago he now spends his time helping others see what is possible with a little focus and daily discipline.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Home prices have started to slip in a few states (6/3/24)

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Unsold inventory is rising across the country (5/28/24 Market Update)

Wed, 29 May 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Getting Smart on ADUs with Samara’s Mike McNamara

Wed, 22 May 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Mike McNamara, co-founder and CEO of Samara, to talk about all things ADUs. ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, are small, self-contained residential units located on the same lot as an existing single-family home. You might know them as “granny flats” or “in-laws” or even “casitas.” And given the housing affordability crisis in our country, ADUs are starting to really gain traction as a potential solution for this. Mike gives us a primer on ADUs and why they hold so much promise for solving many of America’s housing challenges.

About Mike McNamara

Mike McNamara is the co-founder and CEO of Samara, a company that aims to improve the way we live, starting by holistically reimagining the home. Samara aspires to a brighter future through beautifully-designed products that balance comfort, sustainability, and simplicity.

In 2020, McNamara was tapped by Joe Gebbia to lead an innovation team inside Airbnb. In 2022, the innovation team was moved out of Airbnb and reborn as Samara.

Prior to Airbnb, McNamara spent 13 years as the CEO of Flex, a Fortune 500 company in the electronics manufacturing industry. Alongside the executive team, he grew the company to over 200,000 employees in 30 countries and generated over $25B in revenue.

McNamara served as a Board member of MEMC (energy), Delphi (automotive), Flex (manufacturing and technology) and Slack (enterprise software). He currently serves on two public boards - Carrier and Workday. He also serves as an advisor to New Legacy which operates multiple investment funds.

McNamara received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in business administration from Santa Clara University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

As more homes take a price cut, will list prices drop? (5/20/24 Market Update)

Tue, 21 May 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Mixed signals for peak home buying season (5/13/24 Market Update)

Tue, 14 May 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Growing an Iconic Real Estate Brand with Ginger Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

Wed, 08 May 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, recorded live at HousingWire’s The Gathering conference, Mike Simonsen sits down with Ginger Wilcox, President of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, to talk about her plans to grow the iconic international brokerage in a challenging market. Ginger shares insights into how they’re preparing their agents for what the future holds, why their size and scale helps them weather storms in the market, and the recommendations they’re giving home buyers to help them navigate and succeed. She also weighs in on AI and how technology is changing the consumer experience in real estate.

About Ginger Wilcox

Ginger Wilcox is the President of Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate and is responsible for the strategic growth and operations for the BHGRE global network of more than 12,000 affiliated brokers and independent sales associates and approximately 420 offices across the United States, Canada, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Australia, and Turkey.

Ginger has held prominent leadership roles spanning real estate technology, brokerage, and transaction services. She has a proven track record of developing and growing unique brands in the industry, having served as Head of Industry Marketing and Relations for Trulia, an online real estate marketplace, where she focused on go-to-market strategies, marketing innovation and digital engagement.

Before stepping into her current role, Ginger served as CEO of RealSure, the joint venture between Anywhere and Home Partners of America that developed innovative solutions to reduce friction in residential real estate transactions. Before RealSure, Ginger was Chief Experience Officer at Homepoint, a leading mortgage lender that, under Ginger’s strategic direction and brand building efforts, grew into the third largest wholesale mortgage lender and the tenth largest non-bank mortgage lender in the United States with over 400,000 customers.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Home price signals point to flat growth (5/6/24 Market Update)

Tue, 07 May 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home sellers are coming back to the market (4/29/24 Market Update)

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Pending Home Sales Prices Hit All-Time High (4/22/24 Market Update)

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

High mortgage rates are fueling strong inventory growth (4/15/24 Market Update)

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

The Lock-In Effect of Rising Mortgage Rates with FHFA’s Jonah Coste

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Jonah Coste from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to talk about the impact of the mortgage rate “lock-in” effect: where homeowners with low mortgage rates are unwilling to sell and purchase another home at much higher rates. Jonah shares the findings from FHFA’s recent study on this phenomenon - including the fact that for every percentage point that mortgage rates exceed the origination interest rate, the probability of sale is decreased by 18.1% - and details how this impacts home prices, affordability, and mobility. He also gives his take on whether the lock-in effect has already peaked, and how quickly it may recede from here.

About Jonah Coste

Jonah Coste conducts research on housing and mortgage markets at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and is especially interested in topics related to household decision-making and housing supply. He also has experience working on consumer finance topics at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from George Washington University and his B.S. in Computational Finance from Carnegie Mellon University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What the mortgage rate lock-in effect is, how it’s measured, and why it’s important
Key findings from the FHFA report, including how the lock-in effect decreases home sales and leads to higher prices
The impact of the lock-in effect on mobility, choice, and affordability
How California’s Prop 13 and other lock-in mechanisms prevent home sales
How low rates created $3 trillion of net benefit to homeowners, and why we only get that benefit if we stay in our homes
Whether the lock-in effect has already peaked, and how quickly it recedes from here
Reasons why 2024 and 2025 may see expanding sales rates despite this lock-in effect
Some reasons to be optimistic about affordability in the coming years

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

As housing inventory grows, what will happen to prices? (4/8/24 Market Update)

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home sales are finally climbing (4/1/24 Market Update)

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home sales are growing, prices will stay flat (3/25/24 Market Update)

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

How this week’s Fed meeting could impact the housing market (3/18/24 Market Update)

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Data-Driven Housing Policy with AEI’s Ed Pinto

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Ed Pinto, senior fellow and co-director of the AEI Housing Center at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), for a fascinating look at how housing policy shapes the market and the world we live in. Tapping into his decades of experience in the housing and mortgage markets, Ed shares lessons from the 2008 bubble we can apply to today, uses data to examine the relative merits of different housing policies over the years, and gives his take on how to tackle affordability and homelessness. He also talks about why he’s optimistic about the housing market in the years to come.

About Ed Pinto

Edward J. Pinto is a senior fellow and co-director of the AEI Housing Center at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). A focus of his work continues to be the role of federal housing policy in the 2008 mortgage and financial crisis and how federal housing policy continues to create unwelcome distortions in the housing markets. More recently his research has focused on using light touch density to increase the supply of naturally affordable and inclusionary housing.

Before joining AEI, Mr. Pinto was an executive vice president and chief credit officer for Fannie Mae until the late 1980s. Today, he is frequently interviewed on radio and television and often testifies before Congress. His writings have been published in trade publications and the popular press, including in the American Banker, The Hill, RealClearPolitics, and The Wall Street Journal. In addition, as the director of the AEI Housing Center, he oversees the monthly publication of the AEI Housing Market Indicators, which has replaced AEI’s monthly Housing Risk Watch and AEI’s FHA Watch.

Mr. Pinto has a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a BA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What data is best to use for understanding housing in the U.S.
The biggest lessons of the 2008 bubble and what they tell us about today
The real impacts of over a decade of low-interest rates
Whether there’s a correction in home prices on the horizon
How Federal government policy from 100 years ago seeded the affordability crisis of today
Why affordability is so difficult for the government to solve
When the government should stimulate housing demand, and when they shouldn’t
What today’s mortgage environment tells us about the risks of mortgage defaults
Why the McMansion boom is the result of poor city planning
What cities should know about fixing homelessness
What he’s optimistic about in American housing in the next decade

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Why inventory could grow by 40% this year (3/11/24 Market Update)

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Inventory is 19% higher than a year ago (3/4/24 Market Update)

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Economic Trendspotting with Bloomberg’s Conor Sen

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Bloomberg’s Conor Sen to talk about the big economic trends shaping the housing market. Conor shares his views on what to expect with interest rates, pinpoints key areas for strength in the economy, and looks at demographic shifts that will impact the housing market in the coming years. He also offers his take on how the election could affect the economy and what to watch for.

About Conor Sen

Conor Sen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist who writes about financial markets, the economy, housing, cities, and demographics. He’s also the founder of Peachtree Creek Investments and has more than a decade of experience in portfolio management and risk management.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What to expect for interest rates this year and why
The key areas for strength in the economy and what that means for 2024
What a shifting labor market means for real estate
Recession risks and how to anticipate it
Whether the “Vibecession” is over and we’re now in “Vibespansion”
Why there is still room for supply chain improvements to help the economy
How shifting millennial demographics will impact housing over the next 5 years
When Boomers will finally sell their homes
Why higher migration is a big theme right now, and what that means for housing and the economy
Why home builders can finally “play offense” for the first time since 2005
Election year impacts we should watch for

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

More Sellers, Fewer Buyers (2/26/24 Market Update)

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home price gains slow as mortgage rates rise (2/19/24 Market Update)

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Deep Dive on the Short-Term Rental Market with AirDNA’s Jamie Lane

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Jamie Lane, Chief Economist at AirDNA, for a deep dive into the fascinating dynamics of the short-term rental (STR) market. Jamie shares how real-time STR data can help us forecast economic and housing market conditions, talks about how short-term rentals impact the hotel and travel industries, and gives us insights into how to understand the so-called “Airbnb Bust.” He also discusses which markets no longer work well for STRs, and the challenges and opportunities of STRs as an investor asset class.

About Jamie Lane

Jamie Lane is the Chief Economist and SVP of Research at AirDNA, the go-to source for short-term rental data and insights. With 10+ years of experience as an economist in the hospitality industry, Jamie’s research leadership has helped the whole STR industry understand the drivers of success.

Jamie is a leading voice of authority on the health and outlook for the STR industry: on top of co-hosting AirDNA’s own podcast, the STR Data Lab, he is a regular contributor to international media outlets such as Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Bloomberg, providing exclusive analysis and forecasts of the industry to global audiences. His contributions to the STR space and dedication to promoting data-driven decision-making to the forefront of the industry were recognized in 2023 with the Innovator/Disruptor award at the highly regarded Shortyz Awards.

At the forefront of AirDNA’s research, Jamie continuously provides accurate data insights to guide hosts through each decision point in their journey. Before joining AirDNA, Jamie spent 10 years at CBRE, leading research, forecasting, and data intelligence teams to support client analysis.

Jamie holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Georgia and a Master of Science in Business Economics from Georgia State University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What the real-time STR data tells us about the economy for 2024
Which AirDNA stats are leading indicators for the future of the housing market
How to understand the so-called “Airbnb Bust”
How STRs impact traditional hotels’ occupancy rates and prices
What hotel data tells us about the future of STRs
How STRs grow the travel industry
Which signals for 2024 are bullish for STRs, and which are bearish
Risks to the STR industry
Which markets no longer work well for STRs
The challenges and opportunities of STR as an investor asset class
Good policy and bad policy for STRs and ADUs

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Sellers are coming back to the housing market. Can buyers keep up? (2/12/24 Market Update)

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Are rising mortgage rates already deterring home buyers? (2/5/24 Market Update)

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home sales are growing. Will it continue? (1/29/24 Market Update)

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

CoreLogic’s Selma Hepp’s Forecast for the 2024 Housing Market

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at CoreLogic, to get her take on what’s happening in the housing economy. Selma shares CoreLogic’s forecast for 2024 home prices and mortgage rates, talks about the biggest surprises from 2023, and offers insights into how they hit the mark on their 2023 forecast when everyone else was expecting prices to fall. She also discusses CoreLogic’s new Climate Risk Analysis platform and the growing impact of insurance costs in risky states.

About Selma Hepp

Selma Hepp is the Chief Economist for CoreLogic, America’s largest provider of advanced property and ownership information, analytics and data-enabled services. Selma leads the economics team, which is responsible for analyzing, interpreting and forecasting housing and economic trends in real estate, mortgage and insurance.

Prior to joining CoreLogic in 2020, Selma was Chief Economist and Vice President of Business Intelligence for Pacific Union International, later acquired by Compass, where she oversaw the vital economic and technology intelligence to drive the expanding brokerage’s success. Selma also held the role of Chief Economist for Trulia; Senior Economist for the California Association of Realtors; and Economist and Manager for Public Policy and Homeownership research for the National Association of Realtors, as well as a special research assistant at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Selma frequently appears on local and national radio and television programs and has been widely quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and many industry trade publications such as National Mortgage News and HousingWire. Selma received the HousingWire Women of Influence Award in 2022.

Selma graduated from the State University of New York, Buffalo with an M.A. in Economics and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

CoreLogic’s 2024 home price & mortgage rate forecast
Why their 2023 forecast for slight home price appreciation was so unusual at the time, and yet it turned out to be precisely correct
Other big housing market surprises from 2023
Her biggest takeaways for 2024, including how much the mortgage market will rebound this year and why
The surprising strength in refis in 2024
Her take on the most important trends in housing policy for 2024
What she’s worried about macro-economically and with housing in particular over the near future
Why Phoenix and Las Vegas outperformed Austin last year - even when all were big boom markets during the pandemic
Key findings from CoreLogic’s Quarterly investor report
CoreLogic’s new Climate Risk Analysis platform and the growing impact of insurance costs in risky states.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Real estate momentum slows as interest rates rise again (1/22/24 Market Update)

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Signs point to more inventory this spring (1/15/24 Market Update)

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 20:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Lessons from a Top 1% Agent with LabCoat’s Tristan Ahumada

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Tristan Ahumada from LabCoat Agents to talk about how agents should be using social media and other marketing tools to build their business in 2024. Tristan shares what he learned as a leader on Facebook’s real estate market advisory board, offers tips on how to use Altos reports with clients, and discusses his high-impact, values-based social media strategy. He also gives his take on what the next 10 years will look like for real estate agents and the business.

About Tristan Ahumada

Tristan Ahumada became Rookie of the Year at Century 21 at age twenty-four, his first year in the real estate business. He is now in the top 1% of all real estate agents in the U.S. Tristan also created LabCoat Agents in 2014 as a Facebook group and has grown the popular social media page to over 137,000 members.

He is the CEO and founder of A Brilliant Tribe, an online community builder and social media strategy company.

Tristan strives to help people throughout the world as a Fortune 500 consultant, leadership and growth coach, and a People editor for Success Magazine.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How Tristan built the largest Realtor social media group - LabCoat Agents with 137,000 members - and Realtor newsletter with 500,000 subscribers
What he learned as a leader on Facebook’s real estate market advisory board
How he uses Altos reports with clients, including fun social media ideas
His values-based social media strategy, and how other agents can adopt it
Why the algorithm “favors the extreme,” and what that means for his approach
His Like, Comment, Message process for social media growth
Why Google is still better for paid ads than social media
How he leverages AI in his work with clients and his team
What the next 10 years will look like for real estate agents and the business

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

The strong spring real estate market will surprise you (1/8/24 Market Update)

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

HousingWire’s Logan Mohtashami on the Housing Market Outlook for 2024

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst at HousingWire, to talk about his housing market predictions for 2024. Logan looks at inventory challenges, offers his take on what to expect with mortgage rates, and gives his forecast for prices, home sales, and more. He also shares which signals we should be watching for shifts in the market in the coming year.

About Logan Mohtashami

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How to think about interest rates and likely Fed moves in 2024
His predictions for home prices, home sales, and inventory in 2024
What we can we expect from home sellers in 2024
Whether inventory can ever get back to the old normal levels again
How Millennials are impacting the housing market, and what to expect as they age
His favorite forward-looking indicators for the real estate market
What signals to watch to see a recession coming
What he got wrong looking at 2023, and how that shifted his thinking about 2024

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Are home sellers finally coming back to the market? (12/18/23 Market Update)

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Fastmarkets’ Dustin Jalbert on What Lumber Can Tell Us About 2024

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 12:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Dustin Jalbert from Fastmarkets RISI’s Wood Products team, to find out what the lumber market can tell us about housing, now and for 2024. Dustin shares why construction may be past its recession and is set to expand in 2024, why lumber prices may increase with demand but won’t jump big again, and how to think about demographic demands for housing in the next decade.

About Dustin Jalbert

Dustin leads the lumber analysis on Fastmarkets RISI’s Wood Products team, where he is responsible for the monthly Lumber Commentary and the North American Lumber Forecasts, along with special client studies and consulting engagements. As a business economist, Dustin has spent nearly a decade covering the global forest products industry.

Prior to joining Fastmarkets RISI’s wood products team, Dustin provided support with forecasts and analyses related to the global packaging and pulp markets, including single- and multi-client studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Maine, and master’s in international finance and economics from Brandeis University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why the lumber market matters for residential real estate
What the lumber market tells us about housing now and for 2024
Why construction may be past its recession and is set to expand in 2024
Why lumber prices in 2024 may increase with demand but won’t jump big again
The reason why we probably can’t build our way out of the inventory crisis
How to think about demographic needs for housing for the next decade
The surprising thing that’s still in shortage, that is preventing homes from completing construction
What to know about sustainability in the lumber industry

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Will home prices continue to grow in 2024? (12/11/23 Market Update

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Promising signs for the 2024 housing market (12/4/23 Market Update)

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Why home sales will climb in 2024 (11/27/23 Market Update)

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

The Lowdown on the Lawsuits with HousingWire’s James Kleimann

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with James Kleimann, Managing Editor of HousingWire, to talk about the landmark Sitzer Burnett case and its potential impact on the housing market.

James was in the courtroom during the trial and is one of the foremost experts on what’s happening now, and what’s to come.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Overview of the Sitzer Burnett case and the verdict
How these lawsuits are bigger than the tobacco industry cases
Why the DOJ is now involved and what that means for the future of real estate
What happens to buyers’ agents
Which states are next and how much more money is being targeted
How this judgment could push control in the industry to institutional investors over individuals
How this judgment could push power to tech companies over brokers and MLSs
How soon big changes may hit the industry
What happens next? Are there implications for 2024?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Housing market sees unusual inventory gains in November (11/20/23 Market Update)

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Inventory and home sales showing improvements over 2022 (11/13/23 Market Update)

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Is this the beginning of the end of the housing recession? (11/6/23 Market Update)

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Could home sales finally start to grow soon? (10/30/23 Market Update)

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Reimagining New Home Construction with Veev’s Amit Haller

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Amit Haller, CEO and Co-Founder of Veev Group, to talk about how Veev has entirely re-imagined the centuries-old new home construction process. Amit shares how he’s applied approaches from the semiconductor industry to address many of the challenges of traditional home building, and discusses Veev’s bold ambitions for its technology to dramatically reduce costs, accelerate delivery, improve quality, and reduce waste. He also looks more broadly at the dynamics shaping the industry, and what to expect in the future.

About Amit Haller

Amit Haller is the CEO and Co-Founder of Veev Group, Inc. Amit has over 20 years experience in the high-tech communications industry, including leading positions in public companies, and over a decade of extensive real estate development, asset management and construction experience.

He brings a global perspective and an eye for successful investment opportunities, as well as deep knowledge in engineering, entrepreneurship and business. Amit has led Veev since 2008 with a high‐tech business lens, reimagining the way the home experience is designed, built and serviced. Today, Amit is dedicated to utilizing Veev’s proprietary technology and a vertically integrated approach to build better homes, faster.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What homebuilders can learn from semiconductor companies
Why California wildfires inspired this company to build homes in California
Why the time is right for productized home building
How to achieve a 30-day turnaround for building a new home - Why he wants homeowners to “hug the walls”
The challenges facing builder trade labor, and why it makes sense to streamline
How Veev reduces landfill waste by orders of magnitude and dramatically reduces carbon emissions
What features homes of the future will need to have in order to be energy positive

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

If homebuyer demand is so weak, why aren’t home prices falling? (10/23/23 Market Update)

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Homebuyers hit the brakes, causing unseasonal growth in inventory (10/16/23 Market Update)

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Fortune’s Lance Lambert on Economic Trends & the Housing Market

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Fortune editorial director Lance Lambert to talk about his insights and perspectives on the housing market. We discuss why housing played an outsized role in pandemic inflation, and what makes the post-pandemic housing market unique; his view on whether we’re in a housing bubble now, and what to watch for; and insights into what’s happening with home builders. We also look at which dynamics are driving growth or slowdown in local markets like Cincinnati and Austin, and what to expect in the future.

About Lance Lambert

Lance Lambert is the editorial director of Fortune Education. He also writes the weekly Fortune Analytics newsletter and reports on topics ranging from the future of work to the housing market.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why housing played an outsized role in pandemic inflation, and what makes the post-pandemic housing market unique
How his house-flipper parents fared during the great recession and how that shapes his housing market analysis now
The advantage that home builders have in this cycle that’s different from previous cycles, and what analysis of home builder financials teaches us about the market
His personal remote work journey from Manhattan to Cincinnati in 2020, and why he bought new construction
His view on whether we’re in a housing bubble now, and what to watch for
Why housing may have helped stave off a recession, and his view on how the market would react to a recession
His strategy for staying open-minded and clear on the changing trends in the market
The housing market crisis that keeps him up at night
Local market insights: why Austin is the outlier coldest market in the country this year; why he’s bearish on Florida home price growth, but bullish on the Midwest; and why it wasn’t a surprise that Cincinnati didn’t have the correction that slowed much of the country last year

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Mortgage rates continue to climb, deterring potential homebuyers (10/9/23 Market Update)

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Inventory builds, putting pressure on home prices (10/2/23 Market Update)

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

NAR’s Jessica Lautz Takes the Pulse of the Real Estate Industry

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at the National Association of REALTORS®, to talk about the big trends shaping the real estate industry.

Jessica shares why NAR expects home prices to edge up over the next year, talks about her model for forecasting mortgage rates (and whether we should expect 8% mortgage rates in the future), and surfaces some surprising trends about millennial homebuyers. She also offers insights from NAR’s study on Adaptive Reuse: how to turn empty office buildings into housing.

About Jessica Lautz

Dr. Jessica Lautz is Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at the National Association of REALTORS®. The core of her research focuses on analyzing trends for both NAR members and housing consumers. Through the management of surveys, focus groups, and data analysis, she presents new and innovative ways to showcase results. She effectively utilizes Research data to educate and impact policymakers on the state of the housing market and discusses research findings in major media outlets and international presentations.

In 2021, Jessica was named one of Housing Wire’s Women of Influence, a list representing 100 of the most influential women in leadership in the housing industry. In 2022 and 2023, Jessica was named a RISMedia Newsmaker in the Influencer and the Crusader categories, respectively. She also volunteers at Nottingham Trent University as an industry fellow mentoring real estate graduate students.

Jessica received her Doctorate of Real Estate from Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom. She also holds a Master’s in Public Policy from American University and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Law and Justice from Central Washington University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why NAR expects home prices to edge up over the next year
Which stats demonstrate demand has been greater than supply
Her model for forecasting mortgage rates
Whether we should expect 8% mortgage rates in the future
Why NAR uses surveys and focus groups in addition to tracking properties to gain insights into the market, and what they’re learning now
Surprising trends about millennial homebuyers
What the current household formation rate means for housing in the near future
Which stats she looks at that housing analysts don’t normally track
Insights from NAR’s study on Adaptive Reuse: how to turn empty office buildings into housing
The dangers of the TikTok housing analysts and why everyone keeps expecting a crash in home prices
NAR's view on affordability and the future of housing affordability in the US, and her take on what housing looks like over the next decade

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Home inventory is climbing even faster than last year (9/25/23 Market Update)

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

A change in homebuyer expectations is slowing the housing market (9/18/23 Market Update)

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home sales dip, but home prices are holding steady for now (9/11/23 Market Update)

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Affordability slow home sales, hints at lower prices (9/4/23 Market Update)

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 21:09:30 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Leigh Brown’s View From the Front Lines of Real Estate

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with storied real estate trainer and broker Leigh Brown to talk about the state of today’s real estate industry.

Leigh discusses how to take advantage of volatility to gain market share, gives her take on why people should stop worrying about the number of realtors, and shares what people should know about Wall Street investors and the impact on local housing markets and the American dream. She also offers some surprising insights into how consumers are navigating 7% mortgage rates (and why she thinks mortgage rates could go even higher from here).

About Leigh Brown

Leigh Brown uses her decades of real estate experience to help everyone from early career to highly seasoned agents build (and rebuild!) their professional presence and confidence by assisting them to define and communicate their value proposition expertly. Her goal is for each real estate agent who is a REALTOR® member to become an impactful presence in their community in the process. She knows today’s agents and brokers face unprecedented pressure to stand out in a competitive market; she also knows that the security to build and maintain solid client relationships starts with one step: Just Say Hi. Through a systemized process to identify and define your value, Leigh gives agents and brokers the confidence and tools to reach greater heights in their chosen career. A best-selling author of three influential business books, Leigh excitedly shares her expertise with anyone looking to ignite their passions and create the outcomes they want. Leigh’s mission is helping others. She has the grit and passion for motivating everyone around her to strive for more. She’s also an Altos superuser with more than a decade of experience using Altos reports in her business. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What you need to know now about realtors and the growth of the real estate industry, and how to take advantage of volatility to gain market share
Why people should stop worrying about the number of realtors
How the market looks now that we’re past the end of the white-hot frenzy
Surprising insights about how consumers are navigating 7% mortgage rates
Why she thinks mortgage rates could go even higher from here
What people should know about Wall Street investors and the impact on local housing markets and the American dream
How she uses Altos market reports, what she’s learned from the data, and her secret technique for sharing market data with all kinds of people

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Housing inventory is at its highest level of the year (8/21/23 Market Update)

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

House of Data: Zach Ronstadt - Building with Data at Meritage Homes

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 15:23:08 -0000

This week we are bringing something a little different to your Top of Mind feed, a crossover with our new show: House of Data. This brand new Altos Research x HW Media show explores how data is influencing decisions at the most ambitious companies in housing.

Enjoy!

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Listen on HousingWire

My first guest on House of Data is Zach Ronstadt. Zach is the VP of Strategic Operations at Meritage Homes and has spent the last 15 years creating a data and research team called Strategic Operations that supports their regional leaders with insights and data to make better decisions.

Zach and I talk about building trust as a data team with decision makers and what that process looks like over time, developing the ability to influence decisions without being the decision maker, how to be effective in a data role, and what data has told Zach about evolving consumer preferences in new homes.

Related to this episode:

House of Data explores how data is influencing decisions at the most ambitious companies in housing. Each episode dives into how housing market participants are ingesting, organizing, and making decisions using data, and the competitive advantages that follow.

Data points towards slight cooling in the housing market this fall (8/14/23 Market Update)

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home inventory inches up with higher mortgage rates (8/7/23 Market Update)

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Mynd’s Doug Brien on Investing, Renting and the Future of the American Dream

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Doug Brien, CEO and co-founder of Mynd, to talk about innovation and opportunities in real estate investing. Doug discusses why current cash flow trends bode well for next year, shares the most important stat for investors to pay attention to right now, and explains why he thinks the American Dream of home ownership is not dying, but evolving. Doug also shares insights and stories about real estate investing, entrepreneurship, and life from his new book, “The Big Long.”

About Doug Brien

Doug Brien is the CEO and co-founder of Mynd, the company on a mission to make real estate investing more accessible by leveraging technology to unlock remote investing at scale. Powered by a proprietary all-in-one platform, Mynd streamlines the entire investment journey. Ranging from first-time individual investors to seasoned institutional investors, Mynd empowers more Americans to build wealth through the single-family rental sector. A former Super Bowl-winning NFL placekicker, Brien got his start in real estate following the collapse of the housing market in early 2009, when he and Colin Wiel founded Waypoint Homes and began buying single-family homes to renovate and rent out. Together, they scaled up their company in an industry that had been the domain of smaller players, building a $3 billion portfolio with over 17,000 single-family rental homes. In 2016, the duo went on to launch Mynd, leveraging their SFR expertise and technology to empower a new generation of real estate investors. Today, Mynd manages over 17,600 units in 26 markets across the country and expects to manage 20,000 homes by the end of 2023. Doug Brien holds a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from Tulane University. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why even with the market slowdown and higher interest rates, some investors are still gaining profitability
Why current cash flow trends bode well for next year
The most important stat for investors to pay attention to right now
Why Americans are investing in the Smile Belt
How the iPhone helped fuel the creation of the single-family rental industry
Why he’s bullish on appreciation and on rent growth
What the post-zero-interest-rate era looks like for real estate investors
The math on why real estate investors prevent home price crash catastrophe
Why we have a shortage of single-family rental homes (just like we have a shortage of homes to purchase), and what that means for homebuilders

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

How much will home prices climb in the next year? (7/31/23 Market Update)

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Will existing home sales climb at all this year? (7/24/23 Market Update)

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Getting Smart on New Home Construction with NAHB’s Robert Dietz

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Robert Dietz, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Economics and Housing Policy for the National Association of Home Builders, to talk about the state of new home construction across the country. Robert shares NAHB’s forecast for mortgage rates, does the math on how many homes we need to build each year, and looks at which cities are doing new home construction well. He also discusses some optimistic trends for home construction and affordability.

About Robert Dietz

Dr. Robert Dietz is Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Economics and Housing Policy for the National Association of Home Builders, where his responsibilities include housing market analysis, economic forecasting and industry surveys, and housing policy research. He has published academic research on the benefits of homeownership, federal tax policy, and other housing issues, and has testified before Congress on real estate policy issues. He is often cited on housing and economic issues in the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and other media sources. Prior to joining NAHB in 2005, Robert worked as an economist for the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, where he was the committee’s real estate expert. He is a native of Dayton, Ohio and earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the Ohio State University. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What NAHB forecasts for mortgage rates, what he expects from the Fed and what that means for the economy and mortgage rates
How to do the math on how many new homes we need to build each year
Why new home builders are much more critical to housing in the US now than they’ve ever been
When new home construction volume will get back to “normal” levels - How big national builders are different from small local builders in terms of impact for housing
Which cities are doing new construction well/smart
Why we’re underbuilding entry-level homes and why that looks to get worse
Which exciting technologies are emerging for home building
One way the Biden administration could instantly make home building more affordable
Why he sees optimistic trends for home construction and affordability from policymakers around the country

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

A soft landing for the real estate market, and what’s next (7/17/23 Market Update)

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home Prices Holding Strong Year-Over-Year Despite Rising Mortgage Rates (7/10/23 Market Update)

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Mid-year housing market signals for the rest of 2023 (7/3/23 Market Update)

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Divvy Homes’ Adena Hefets on Rent-To-Own Innovations

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Adena Hefets, co-founder and CEO of Divvy Homes, to talk about why the rent-to-own model is gaining momentum in today’s housing market. She discusses the challenges many people are facing in getting a mortgage, looks at the dynamics behind the affordability crisis, and shares her thoughts on which segments of the housing market are best poised to hold value and appreciate. She also gives her perspective on which types of proptech startups are poised for success, and which ones will have trouble making it.

About Adena Hefets

Adena is the co-founder & CEO of Divvy Homes, a proptech company on a mission to make homeownership accessible to everyone. In 2017, Adena set out to solve a problem she saw in the market: fewer people can afford to purchase a home today than two decades ago. To solve this, she came up with a new way to finance a home purchase through a rent-to-own model that allows renters to gradually build up ownership in their future homes - all while living in it. Prior to founding Divvy, Adena joined Square in 2013 and was responsible for building out Square Capital, a merchant cash advance platform with billions in loans outstanding. Prior to Square, she was part of the large-cap buyout team at TPG, a private equity firm, where she helped purchase companies in the real estate sector. She started her career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Adena holds a Bachelors of Science, Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University and a Masters of Business Administration, Stanford Graduate School of Business. She was named 40 Under 40 by Fortune and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Capital, and Caffeinated Capital. She currently lives in Oakland, California. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How the rent-to-own model works, why it’s attractive, and which demographic groups are embracing this approach
Which type of proptech startups are poised for success, and which ones will have trouble making it
Why the biggest crisis we’re facing in real estate is affordability, and what we can do about it
Why big investor money is still on the sidelines, and what that means for the housing market
Which segments of the housing market are best poised to hold value and appreciate
Where we should see the impact of AI innovations on the real estate industry (and where we won’t)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Signs that home buyers have adjusted to high mortgage rates (6/26/23 Market Update)

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Corcoran’s Stephanie Anton on What’s Next for Luxury Real Estate

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Stephanie Anton, President of Corcoran Affiliates, to talk about the market for luxury homes around the world. Stephanie shares advice for how agents and firms can grow during times of market contraction, offers fresh perspectives on real estate branding and design, and looks at some of the strategies agents are using to win in this challenging market. She also provides insights into the market for high-end homes, including migration and growth patterns, and discusses what comes next in this economy.

About Stephanie Anton

Stephanie Anton is the President, Corcoran Affiliates where she oversees the growth and operations of The Corcoran Group’s global expansion through its fast-growing affiliate network. Anton, who joined Corcoran in July 2020 as Senior Vice President of Affiliate Marketing and Growth, was most recently the SVP of Corcoran Affiliates and served as the Managing Director of Global Service across five of the six Anywhere Real Estate (formerly Realogy) brands. As President of the Corcoran Affiliate Network, Anton is responsible for leading Corcoran’s franchise business. With deep experience across franchise marketing and operations, Anton is laser-focused on helping Corcoran grow its global network while helping the brand’s respective affiliates grow in their local markets. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How to grow in times of market contraction
Why full-service real estate is thriving
Fresh perspectives on branding and design in real estate marketing
How technology is helping realtors have more impact
How to run a high-end luxury brand and make it “not stuffy”
Three surprising markets where high-end real estate is winning - What the latest migration data tells us about the growth of the market and brokerages
Which agents are winning now, and what we can learn from them
How the consumer marketing concept of the “expandable consumable” applies to real estate

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Are high mortgage rates finally impacting demand? (6/19/23 Market Update)

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Home sales have slowed, but home prices are holding up (6/12/23 Market Update)

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Houston Vintage Homes’ Tyron McDaniel on Building Affordable Housing

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Tyron McDaniel, CEO of Houston Vintage Homes, to talk about his vision for affordable and attainable housing. Tyron shares why he runs his companies for “impact over income”, discusses his approach to building that creates pride for his tenants and long-term value for communities, and outlines the techniques he uses to build affordable housing successfully. He also offers a look at which markets are most exciting for his work, and which tech trends are the most encouraging for the future of affordable housing.

About Tyron McDaniel

Tyron began his real estate career working in a mortgage broker’s office as a secretary back in 2000, with the ultimate goal of one day becoming a home builder and developer of affordable housing. After becoming a Mortgage Broker, then a Real Estate Agent, Tyron began to purchase rental properties before venturing into the Buy, Fix & Flip space. This ultimately led to him becoming a homebuilder in 2005, setting the foundation for Houston Vintage Homes and its sister companies, which are focused on the design and development of affordable housing in inner-city communities around the country.

With a keen eye for design and historical context, Tyron now works with multiple cities, and coaches and mentors investors, home builders and developers from around the country in creating affordable housing solutions to meet the ever-growing need for more affordable housing.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Tyron’s vision for affordable and attainable housing
Why he runs his companies for “impact over income”
How affordable housing helps not only the existing residents but attracts desirable growth for a community
The difference between gentrification and displacement
How compassionate capitalism creates long-term value
Why he looks to build pride in the home for tenants in his properties
Techniques he uses for creating affordable housing when so few others can do so
Which markets are most exciting for his work in affordable housing
Which economic factors are hindering the ability to create affordable housing
Which technology trends are the most encouraging for the future of affordable housing

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Are We Seeing Shadow Demand for Homes? (6/5/23 Market Update)

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

How much do home buyers really care about 7% mortgage rates? (5/29/23 Market Update)

Wed, 31 May 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

1000watt’s Brian Boero on Thriving in a Difficult Real Estate Market

Wed, 31 May 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Brian Boero, co-founder of real estate branding and strategy firm 1000watt, to talk about how agents and brokers can thrive in a difficult market. Brian gives us an inside look at what the top real estate brands are saying to consumers now, offers advice for messaging in a down market, and shares insights into what 1000watt’s consumer surveys can tell us about market needs. He also discusses why consumers gravitate towards a “signal of clarity” in challenging times, and how real estate professionals can best provide that signal.

About Brian Boero

Brian has been in real estate media, marketing and technology since 1997. Before co-founding 1000watt, a branding and strategy agency focused on the housing market, Brian was President of Inman, and he was also CEO of VREO, where he created e-signature and document management software for tablet PCs.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why a difficult market is your best opportunity to grow, gain share, and differentiate
What some of the great real estate brands are saying to consumers now
Why in a difficult market, consumers gravitate towards a “signal of clarity” (and why market data is that clarity!)
What 1000watt’s consumer surveys tell us about what real estate consumers need from their agents/brokers
Which advertising messages work better in a down market, including real estate marketing cliches to avoid
The biggest change coming for realtors in the next few years
A surprising signal that realtors are gaining trust
How great brands differentiate themselves in real estate

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Altos Research

The Top of Mind Podcast is produced by Altos Research.

Schedule a demo to see Altos in action. You can also get a copy of our free eBook: How To Use Market Data to Build Your Real Estate Business.

Housingwire’s Logan Mohtashami - Straight Talk on the Housing Market

Wed, 24 May 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst at Housingwire, to talk about the big economic trends impacting the housing market. Logan does a deep dive on inventory challenges, offers his take on what to expect with mortgage rates, and shares what buyers and sellers are thinking right now. He also gives his predictions for where the market is headed in the coming months.

About Logan Mohtashami

Logan Mohtashami is a housing data analyst, financial writer, and blogger covering the U.S. economy specializing in the housing market. He is also a Lead Analyst for HousingWire. Logan has been an invited speaker to many conferences and is a frequent guest on CNBC. Logan has been called a social media star by National Mortgage News and “the chart guy.” His astute analysis of economic data and years of direct lending experience allows him to present a unique, informed, and unbiased perspective on the financial markets.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What we learned from the 2022 collapse in housing demand, and why home prices didn’t collapse
Why the millennial demographic cycle still drives everything in housing
The one factor that’s more important than mortgage rates when calculating housing demand
The range to expect for mortgage rates over the next year
Why home prices look like they’ll climb again in 2024
When inventory will finally rise, and which new economic variables might add to inventory
Why he rejects the mortgage-rate-lock-in hypothesis
Long-term trends buyers and sellers should be thinking about
Predictions for where the market is headed

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

How the debt ceiling crisis could derail the real estate market (5/22/23 Market Update)

Tue, 23 May 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

The Unusual Supply and Demand Dynamics of Today's Housing Market (5/15/23 Market Update)

Tue, 16 May 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research. If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch. Enjoy the data! Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research A true data geek, Mike founded Altos Research in 2006 to bring data and insight on the U.S. housing market to those who need it most. Altos provides national and local real estate data to financial institutions, real estate professionals, and investors across the country, and the company is now part of HW Media, publisher of HousingWire and RealTrends. Mike uses Altos data to identify trends in the real estate market well before the headlines, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Fortune, Forbes and other publications.

Home Prices Inching Up Despite Difficult Affordability (5/8/23 Market Update)

Tue, 09 May 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research.

If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show, head on over to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/altosresearch.

Enjoy the data!

Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Rising inventory is boosting home sales (5/1/23 Market Update)

Tue, 02 May 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Welcome to How’s the Market, our weekly look at what’s happening in the US housing market, powered by data from Altos Research. If you want to see all the inventory, pricing, and supply and demand charts we reference in the show https://youtube.com/altosresearch. Enjoy the data! Hosted by Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research A true data geek, Mike founded Altos Research in 2006 to bring data and insight on the U.S. housing market to those who need it most. Altos provides national and local real estate data to financial institutions, real estate professionals, and investors across the country, and the company is now part of HW Media, publisher of HousingWire and RealTrends. Mike uses Altos data to identify trends in the real estate market well before the headlines, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Fortune, Forbes and other publications. Learn more at https://altosresearch.com.

BiggerPockets’ Dave Meyer on What’s Working for Real Estate Investors in 2023

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Dave Meyer, VP of Data & Analytics at BiggerPockets, to talk about what’s working for real estate investors right now. Dave discusses why flipping still works even as the market slows, why he thinks prices on bigger multifamily buildings have more room to drop, and what new investors should be thinking about. He also talks about which local markets look the healthiest in 2023.

About Dave Meyer

Dave Meyer is the VP of Data & Analytics at BiggerPockets, host of "On the Market" Podcast and long time real estate investor.

BiggerPockets is the leading media network and community of 2.5 million members in the real estate investing space. The platform provides invaluable education, effective tools and a robust community for real estate investors worldwide.

BiggerPockets podcasts are built to empower individuals through real estate investing, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and more, with over 150 million all-time downloads and the #1 podcast in Real Estate. BiggerPockets podcast business includes “The Real Estate Show,” “BiggerPockets Money,” “On the Market,” “The Real Estate Rookie” and “InvestHER” shows. The company launched Wealth Magazine, a successful YouTube channel and has quickly become a powerhouse book publisher with over 2 million books sold and titles that range from “Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down” and “Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat.”

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What’s working for real estate investors right now
What is “House Hacking” and why is it so important
Why flipping still works even as the market slows
How to view current cap rates and what that means for investors in 2023
Which investors are winning in this market
Whether there’s an “AirBnBust” coming
What happens to new investors in a recession
Why the big surge in multifamily construction is a blip — not a trend
Which local markets look the healthiest

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Roofstock's Gary Beasley on the Top Trends in Real Estate Investing

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Gary Beasley, CEO and co-founder of Roofstock, to talk about today’s biggest trends and opportunities in real estate investing. Gary shares his experience leading two fast-growing real estate technology companies through IPOs, offers a deep-dive into what’s happening with institutional real estate investors right now, and talks about what to expect with mortgage rates, inflation and recession for the coming year. He also tells us why he continues to be bullish on housing for the foreseeable future.

About Gary Beasley

Gary is the driving force behind Roofstock's goal to power the future of real estate investing. Gary brings a valuable perspective on using technology to disrupt incumbents through his deep industry expertise leading various real estate, hospitality, and tech companies.

Gary has a proven track record of starting and launching successful companies, having led two companies through IPOs: ZipRealty as CFO and Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust (now a part of Invitation Homes, the largest single-family rental home REIT in the United States) as co-CEO. In addition, Gary was instrumental in acquiring and integrating more than $800 million of resort properties for KSL Resorts and also served as CEO of Joie De Vivre Hospitality, then the second-largest boutique hotel management company in the United States.

Gary was named a 2019 Top 50 Fintech CEO by Financial Technology Report and HousingWire's 2018 HW Vanguard. He earned his BA in Economics from Northwestern and holds an MBA from Stanford, where he regularly participates as a guest speaker.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Redfin’s Unique Insights Into the Housing Market

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Taylor Marr, deputy chief economist at Redfin, to talk about the big trends shaping today’s housing market. Taylor shares some unique (and surprising) insights from Redfin data, talks about where he sees mortgage rates and home prices going this year, and busts some common myths about housing affordability. He also tells us why uncertainty is the biggest risk this year rather than recession or inflation.

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

About Taylor Marr

Taylor Marr is the deputy chief economist on the research team at Redfin. He is passionate about housing and urban policy and an advocate for increased mobility and affordability. He laid the framework for Redfin’s migration data and reports and diligently tracks the housing market and economy.

Before Redfin, Taylor built financial market index funds for Vanguard at the University of Chicago. Taylor went to graduate school for international economics in Berlin, where he focused on behavioral causes of the global housing bubble and subsequent policy responses. Taylor’s research has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. He was also recently the President of the Seattle Economics Council and collaborates frequently with the Fed, HUD, and the Census Bureau.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The biggest housing market trends coming out of the pandemic
Which unique insights we can get from Redfin user and agent data
Where he sees mortgage rates this year and the threshold for consumers to buy
What’s happening with affordability, and what the media gets wrong about it
How to look at price reductions as a predictive tool
Where Redfin sees home prices going in 2023
Why uncertainty is the biggest risk this year rather than recession or inflation

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

A Deep Dive on Today’s Biggest Housing Market Trends

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist for Bright MLS, to talk about the big trends shaping the housing market in 2023 and beyond. Lisa looks at how housing preferences have changed across generations, provides insights into current demographic trends, gives her take on what’s working (and what’s not) with public policy, and outlines her expectations for inflation, recession and more. She also shares a few optimistic signs for affordability this year and offers some helpful advice for potential buyers.

About Lisa Sturtevant

Dr. Lisa Sturtevant has been involved in research on economic, demographic, and housing market issues for more than 20 years. She currently serves as Chief Economist with Bright MLS, one of the largest multiple listing services in the country, serving over 100,000 subscribers across 6 states and the District of Columbia. In her role, she leads research and forecast activities for Bright, serving as a thought leader on the housing market.

Prior to her position at Bright MLS, Dr. Sturtevant was Chief Economist with Virginia REALTORS ® . She was founder and president of LSA Planning, a housing consulting firm, and has served in other research capacities at non-profit organizations and universities. Dr. Sturtevant completed her PhD in public policy from George Mason University, a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Maryland, and a BS in mathematical economics from Wake Forest University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How housing preferences have changed across generations, and why that matters
What we should know about millennials and new immigrants, including where they’re buying and implications for future housing needs
The latest trends for Zoom Towns and first-tier suburban home demand
What public policy gets wrong about planning for affordability
Why she sees some optimistic signs for affordability this year, and where longer-term opportunities lie
How housing decisions get made at the local level
Which areas are having success with zoning and construction policy
Why 2023 looks like a “touch-and-go” economy rather than a “soft landing”
Her expectations for inflation and recession
Her advice to potential buyers right now

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

Why the Miami Market is Thriving in 2023

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Ines Hegedus-Garcia, the current Chair of the Miami Association of Realtors, to talk about the dynamics behind Miami’s thriving real estate market. Ines shares her perspectives on why the Miami market has stayed strong through recent economic turmoil, looks at the opportunities and risks for the market, and discusses industry insights from her leadership roles in Miami’s 60,000+ member real estate association. She also gives us her take on the region’s distinctive architecture and what design and technology trends to watch.

About Ines Hegedus-Garcia

Ines Hegedus-Garcia is a REALTOR from Miami and Executive Vice President at Avanti Way Realty. Ines is at the forefront of the property technology industry due to her industry leadership and hands-on approach to technology adoption.

She is the current Chairman of the Miami Association of Realtors and was the 2019 residential president. She is also a Director of Florida REALTORS, as well as a Director of the National Association of REALTORS. She chaired the 2020 Emerging Technology Committee and 2022 Communications Committee at Florida Realtors and is The Vice Chair of The Board Leadership Forum. Ines is also the chair of NAR’s Federal Technology Committee and sits on the board of directors of Second Century Ventures.

The National Association of REALTORS identified her as a leader in forward thinking real estate ideas. Today she is invited to participate in conferences around the world to educate others about the power of new media and Ines’ participation in leadership, as well as the early adoption of social networks have earned her recognition and respect among her colleagues and clients.

An architect by training with a passion for out-of-the box thinking, she’s also a Miami architecture + historic properties expert, and her Miami architecture and history articles are read by thousands each month on Miamism.com.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why Miami real estate is still thriving, and why this year’s market changes have been positive for buyers and sellers in South Florida
Insights into the international political and financial dynamics that drive Miami real estate
Opportunities and risk around the booming construction market, including some surprising new approaches to meeting rental demand
Which exciting architects in Miami to pay attention to, which buildings in Miami are her favorites, and why
Which technology and policy changes to note for Miami’s climate change risks
Her perspectives on running one of the largest realtor associations in the country, with over 60,000 members
How she uses market reports on the popular Miamism blog to engage readers.

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Risks and Opportunities for the 2023 Housing Market

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at CoreLogic, to get her take on what’s happening in the housing economy. Selma shares her views on inflation vs. recession risk, talks about how climate change and geopolitical dynamics are impacting the housing market, and looks at which drivers will finally help increase inventory for home buyers. She also highlights what surprised her about the economy in 2022, and what to watch for this year.

About Selma Hepp

Selma frequently appears on local and national radio and television programs and has been widely quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and many industry trade publications such as National Mortgage News and HousingWire. Selma received the HousingWire Women of Influence Award in 2022. She has served as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), NABE Real Estate Roundtable co-chair, Board member of the International Student Exchange Program, Advisory Board member of the REALTOR® University Research Center Editorial Review and a Member of the Housing Policy Debate Editorial Advisory Board. Selma held a Real Estate Associate professional license in Florida and Virginia. Selma graduated from the State University of New York, Buffalo with an M.A. in Economics and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why inflation is a bigger risk to the housing market than recession is
What’s happening with first-time homebuyers
Why the Ukraine war creates risk in the US housing market
Climate change and CoreLogic’s new climate risk platform
Which drivers will finally help increase inventory for home buyers
How small investors increasing market share over big institutional money
Whether vacant offices can be converted into affordable housing?

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

The Key Labor Market Trends Shaping Real Estate Today

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Nick Bunker, Director of North American Economic Research at Indeed, for a deep dive into the employment trends that are driving today’s housing market. Nick offers his take on how the strong labor market may mitigate recession risk, what’s happening with wage growth and what this means for housing affordability, and how we know remote work is here to stay. He also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the data Indeed uses to see trends before they hit the headlines.

About Nick Bunker

Nick Bunker is the Director of North American Economic Research at Indeed. He’s a labor economist with extensive experience discovering insights into economic data and communicating them to a variety of audiences. He’s also a widely-cited labor market commentator whose analysis has been used by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, NPR, NBC, CBS, and others.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Whether today’s strong labor market will help us escape a recession
Which specific signals to watch to know if we’re going to avoid a recession
What Indeed data tells us before the rest of the economic headlines
What’s happening with wage growth, what to expect, and why this matters
Why tech layoffs aren’t necessarily a leading indicator for the broader economy
What recent wage growth means for housing affordability
How we know remote work is here to stay and what that means for housing

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

What Zillow Knows About the Housing Market in 2023

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Dr. Orphe Divounguy, Senior Economist with Zillow's Economic Research team, to talk about what’s on the horizon for the housing market this year. Dr. Divounguy shares the latest findings from Zillow’s monthly market report, reveals which markets dominated Zillow’s “hot markets” list, and offers his perspective on recession risk, construction trends, and more. He also explains why a debt ceiling showdown in Congress could slam the brakes on the housing market.

About Dr. Orphe Divounguy

Dr. Orphe Divounguy is a Senior Economist with Zillow's Economic Research team. His columns have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, CNN Business, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, and other major publications. Dr. Divounguy is also a frequent television and radio guest with appearances on CBS, ABC, Fox, and other stations across the nation.

The team’s research can be found at https://zillow.com/research and includes analyses about for-sale and rental market dynamics, fair housing, and other topics. Zillow also provides dozens of housing market datasets freely available for download at https://zillow.com/data.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The latest findings from Zillow’s monthly market report
Why affordability will make or break the housing market this year
Which markets dominate Zillow’s “hot markets” list and why
Orphe’s frameworks for understanding recession risk and construction trends
Why homes in risky climate areas might actually increase in price in the future
One surprising risk that might spike mortgage rates this spring

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Real Estate Trendspotting in 2023

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Clayton Collins, Founder and CEO of HW Media, to talk about the big trends shaping the 2023 real estate and mortgage markets. Clayton offers his vision for how real estate professionals can better access information, shares the inside scoop on what mortgage executives are preparing for in 2023, and tees up the key tech trends coming this year. He also explains why he’s optimistic for the second half of the year.

About Clayton Collins

Clayton Collins is the Founder and CEO of HW Media. He leads HW Media’s corporate strategy and content roadmap while building a world-class team of business media professionals. He is also the Managing Partner of Riomar Capital, an entrepreneurial investment firm that acquired HousingWire in 2016. Prior to founding Riomar Capital, Clayton worked at RBC Capital Markets in the mergers and acquisitions group and served as Vice President of National Sales and Marketing at Citibank. Clayton holds a degree in business administration from Elon University and completed his MBA at The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Clayton Collins’ vision for how to get real estate professionals better access to information
What the mortgage executives are saying about 2023
Why an economic recession could be *good* for housing
What opportunities Clayton sees for first-time home buyers in this market
The surprising gap between mortgage company headcount and transaction volume
The most important mortgage technology innovations to pay attention to
Whether single-family rental investors might exacerbate or mitigate this housing recession
Why Clayton’s optimistic for the second half of 2023

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Clayton Collins on LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram
HW Media
Housing News podcast
“How the Fed Is Reshaping America” with Nick Timiraos
Mike Simonsen on LinkedIn
Altos Research

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

What the Real Estate Market Will Look Like in 2023

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Mark Fleming, Chief Economist for First American Financial Corporation, to talk about the major market dynamics that will shape the real estate market in 2023. Mark discusses which economic factors may impact 2023, shares his take on inflation, mortgage rates, and the likelihood of recession, and talks about which leading indicators he’s watching for market shifts. He also provides some insights on affordability and home-buying power.

About Mark Fleming

Mark Fleming serves as the Chief Economist for First American Financial Corporation, a premier provider of title, settlement, and risk solutions for real estate transactions and the leader in the digital transformation of its industry. In this role, he leads an economics team responsible for analysis, commentary, and forecasting trends in the real estate and mortgage markets.

Mark's research expertise primarily includes real estate and urban economics, applied econometrics, and mortgage risk. As a trusted and influential voice with 20 years of experience in the mortgage and property information business, Mark is frequently quoted by national news outlets and industry trade publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and HousingWire, and he is a regular guest on high-profile broadcast news channels, including CBS, CNBC, Fox Business News, and NPR.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Which economic factors may impact 2023, and two of the leading indicators Mark Fleming’s watching
Whether we should expect a recession in 2023
How to analyze the inflation data (and why service sector inflation is key)
Why rates might rise from here
Why looking at when home prices will fall may be more important than by how much
What the First American Real Home Price Index tells us about buying power
Why lower available inventory of homes is the new normal
What’s likely to happen with the shortage of housing in the US
Why affordability has improved so much over the decade, and how much affordability the pandemic boom “gave back”
Mark’s long-term view for residential real estate in the US

Featuring Mike Simonsen, President of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Forecasting Real Estate Trends for 2023

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Rick Palacios Jr., Director of Research and a Managing Principal at John Burns Real Estate Consulting, to talk about what to expect in the real estate market in 2023. Rick discusses the company’s latest research on homebuilder sentiment, shares their latest forecast for home prices and the economy, and talks about some secret signals to watch for changes in the market.

About Rick Palacios Jr.

Rick Palacios Jr. is the Director of Research and a Managing Principal at John Burns Real Estate Consulting, where he oversees all research pertaining to the US economy, for-sale housing, and rental markets.

Rick has 15 years of experience in residential real estate and economic research, originally joining John Burns Real Estate Consulting in 2006 and then rejoining the company in 2014 after working as a home builder Equity Research Associate at Morgan Stanley in New York. He has also worked as an Analyst at the Milken Institute, an economic think tank.

Rick holds a BA from the University of California, Irvine, and an MS in real estate economics and finance from the London School of Economics.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why new home construction might accelerate the housing market slump
How much home prices are likely to decline in the next two years
The leading indicators (and secret signals!) to watch for changes in the market
What’s happening with the second home market now
The surprising impact of ARMs in this cycle

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

What Investor Sentiment Can Tell Us About the Housing Market

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind Podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Charles McKinney, Co-founder and CEO of Vontive, to talk about the landscape for real estate investors in this volatile market. Vontive sees loan data from thousands of real estate investors, which gives them unique and real-time insight into how investors act in this market.

Charles gives his outlook for real estate investment in 2023 and beyond, discusses some of the risks and opportunities for investors in the current market, and highlights technology trends he’s excited about. He also shares some eye-opening findings about investor sentiment from Vontive’s recent nationwide housing and economic survey.

About Charles McKinney

Charles McKinney is the Co-founder and CEO of Vontive, a new digital way to finance investment properties, with a white-label solution that empowers any business serving real estate investors to launch its own investment-property mortgage business in 1-2 weeks.

Charles is a real estate and mortgage analytics pioneer. He started his work with Freddie Mac, led analytics at the real estate investor portal Auction.com, and is a pretty prolific real estate investor in his own right.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Whether investors are optimistic or pessimistic about real estate in 2023
What happens to real estate investor business models when the Fed’s policy shifts from easy money to tighter policy
What the future looks like for small real estate investors as big Wall Street money is gaining market share
How landlords are getting creative with rental business models, and how business models may have to shift in the future with more expensive capital
Trends in short-term rentals and other innovations in real estate
How technology innovations remove cost and friction from loan transactions

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Wildfire & Climate Risk in the Housing Market

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Clark Woodward, Founder and CEO of RedZone, to discuss how wildfire and other climate risks are creating new existential challenges for the housing market. Clark talks about the changing landscape for disaster insurance, shares how homeowners should think about climate risk in the coming decades, and offers hope for the future through new technology and policy innovations.

About Clark Woodwards

Clark Woodward is the Founder and CEO of RedZone, the leading expert on wildfire analytics and the impact of wildfires on homes and businesses. RedZone aggregates natural disaster response data and provides a platform for companies to easily understand and develop the appropriate response to protect their assets. Clark is a firefighter, a data scientist, and an entrepreneur, so he has the perfect combination of expertise to tackle this incredibly important and timely issue.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How homeowners should think about climate risk in the coming decades
Which elements of climate change are most impactful to wildfires
How insurance is changing with regards to disasters and climate change
Why it’s so hard to properly promote forest health
The latest data science innovations for predicting wildfire probabilities
The most promising technologies for preventing home damage and loss
How new building standards and technologies implemented in Florida made a difference in mitigating damage and loss from Hurricane Ian
What he’s most optimistic about, and what keeps him up at night

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

How the Fed Is Reshaping America

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Nick Timiraos, Chief Economics Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, to talk about how the Fed makes its policy decisions and why these decisions are rocking today’s financial and housing markets. Nick tells the story of the Fed’s remarkable odyssey to save the US economy as the pandemic hit, gives an inside look at the Fed’s decision-making mechanics, busts some common myths about the Fed’s intentions for real estate, and offers a glimpse of what might come next.

About Nick Timiraos

Nick Timiraos is the Chief Economics Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and is based in Washington. He is responsible for covering the Federal Reserve and other major developments in US economic policy. He’s also the Author of Trillion Dollar Triage: How Jay Powell and the Fed Battled a President and a Pandemic — And Prevented Economic Disaster.

Prior to his current position, Nick covered the Treasury Department, fiscal policy, and broader economic and labor market issues. Before that, he wrote about US housing and mortgage markets as a reporter based in New York. His coverage included the government's response to the foreclosure crisis and the takeover of finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In 2008, Nick contributed to the journal's presidential election coverage and traveled with the campaign of then-Senator Barack Obama. He joined the journal in 2006 and is a graduate of Georgetown University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The story behind the extraordinary lengths the Fed went to in order to save the US economy as the pandemic hit
How Fed policy impacted the housing market during the pandemic
Where the Fed went wrong in 2021
What the Fed is likely to do with interest rates next year
What the Fed’s goal for housing actually is
How to look at the inflation numbers like the Fed to help see future policy decisions now
How the Fed might embrace new data and more real-time data to make better policy decisions
Whether the trend of de-globalization will derail or preserve American prosperity
How the Fed might react to challenges facing the dollar from threats like cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin
Whether the Fed will step in to help resuscitate the housing market if it crashes too hard in 2023

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

How to Repair America’s Broken Housing Systems

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Dr. Jenny Schuetz, Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro, to talk about the impact of policy on the housing market. Dr. Schuetz provides insights into how policy can help make housing more affordable, which cities and states are doing a good job with housing policy, and reasons to be optimistic about fixing our housing crisis. She also shares some of the key findings from her recent book: Fixer-Upper: How to Repair America’s Broken Housing Systems.

About Jenny Schuetz

Dr. Jenny Schuetz is a Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro and is an expert in urban economics and housing policy. She has written numerous peer-reviewed journal articles on land use regulation, housing prices, urban amenities, and neighborhood change. Dr. Schuetz has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, the PBS NewsHour, The Indicator podcast, Vox, and Slate.

Dr. Schuetz is the Author of Fixer Upper: How to Repair America's Broken Housing Systems. Topics of recent research include: how statewide zoning reform could improve housing affordability, local strategies to help renters during the COVID-19 crisis, rethinking homeownership incentives to narrow the racial wealth gap, and how housing costs exacerbate economic and racial segregation.

Before joining Brookings, Dr. Schuetz served as a Principal Economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. She was also an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California and a Postdoctoral Fellow at NYU Furman. Dr. Schuetz is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at GWU’s Center for Washington Area Studies and teaches in Georgetown’s urban planning program.

Dr. Schuetz earned a PhD in public policy from Harvard University, a master’s in city planning from MIT, and a bachelor’s with highest distinction in economics and political and social thought from the University of Virginia.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Which policies have contributed the most to the current housing inventory crisis?
How policy can help make housing more affordable
The challenges caused by using homes as a source of wealth
How we should be thinking about climate risk and housing
Which cities and states are doing a good job with housing policy?
Reasons to be optimistic about fixing our housing crisis

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

The Impact of Financial Market Turmoil on Real Estate

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Michael Batnick from The Irrelevant Investor to talk about how today’s economic turmoil is affecting the financial and real estate markets. Michael shares his thoughts and insights into where the economy is going, offers his take on the Fed’s recent aggressive moves, and provides some wisdom on what consumers can do to come out ahead in a volatile market.

About Michael Batnick

Michael Batnick is a Managing Partner at Ritholtz Wealth Management and a highly influential financial markets commentator. He is the Author of The Irrelevant Investor and Co-host of the podcasts Animal Spirits and The Compound & Friends.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Where Michael Batnick sees the broader economy going and what we should be planning for
Leading indicators to watch for a potential recession
Whether the Fed is making mistakes with interest rates right now
How real estate is different than other types of assets in a portfolio
Why cashing out your portfolio is “poison” as a strategy

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

A Deep Dive on the Rental Market

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Jay Parsons, VP, Head of Economics and Industry Principals for RealPage, to talk about what’s happening in the rental market. Jay explains how the rental market and housing market are interrelated, gives his take on which rental policies work, and shares leading indicators he’s watching to stay on top of the market in 2023.

About Jay Parsons

Jay Parsons serves as VP, Head of Economics and Industry Principals for RealPage. He is a frequent author and speaker on topics including rental housing investment and asset management strategy, rental housing policy issues, risk management, and property management — covering apartments and single-family rentals. Jay has been cited in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNBC, among other outlets. His commentaries have been published by the Pension Real Estate Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the National Apartment Association, American Banker, and GlobeSt.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why the rental market is often misunderstood
How rents will impact inflation and the CPI for the next year
How home prices and rental prices are interrelated
Why the surging supply of new construction may not help renter costs any time soon
What to expect for rents in 2023

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Getting Smart on the Distressed Housing Market

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Daren Blomquist, the Vice President of Market Economics at Auction.com, for a deep dive into the state of the distressed housing market, the latest insights from investor buyer behavior, and what the Auction.com platform can tell us about the housing market that we can’t see anywhere else.

About Daren Blomquist

Daren Blomquist is the Vice President of Market Economics at Auction.com. In this role, Daren analyzes and forecasts complex macro and microeconomic data trends within the marketplace and industry to provide value to both buyers and sellers using the Auction.com platform.

Daren’s reports and analysis have been cited by thousands of media outlets — including all the major news networks and leading publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA TODAY. Daren has been quoted in hundreds of publications and has appeared on many national network broadcasts, including CBS, ABC, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, and Bloomberg.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The big trends in foreclosures and how the distressed market compares to previous years
Two unique data points Auction.com uses to forecast future home prices
Will investors be the backstop for a faltering housing market, or will they be the catalyst for a deeper market correction?
What will happen with foreclosures in a recessionary economy — how many homes will be in foreclosure, and how quickly will it happen?
Daren Blomquist’s outlook for what’s next in the industry

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Will New Home Construction Challenges Impact the Housing Market?

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Kevin Oakley, Managing Partner at Do You Convert, to get insights into what’s happening right now with new home construction. Kevin discusses the impact of the pandemic on the new homes landscape, the affordability challenge with new homes, which markets will see inventory rise as new homes hit the market, and more.

About Kevin Oakley

Kevin Oakley is one of the most trusted names in new home marketing to builders and developers across North America. He has over 17 years of experience running marketing and sales operations for home builders of all shapes, sizes, and areas of expertise, including at NVR, Maronda Homes, and Heartland Homes. Kevin is now a Managing Partner at Do You Convert, which is a leading provider of digital marketing for home builders.

Kevin’s background gives him a unique perspective on the challenges of today’s market. He’s the Author of Presale Without Fail: The Secret to Launching New Communities with Maximum Results. He’s also the Host of the Market Proof Marketing podcast.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How the pandemic reshaped the home building landscape
The impact of record-low consumer sentiment on the market for new homes
The latest on what’s happening with supply chain issues
Why new homes are often hit harder by economic downturns
Which markets may see a spike in inventory when new homes hit the market
The challenge of affordability in new home construction

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Housing Market Forecast & Insights From Freddie Mac

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Len Kiefer, Deputy Chief Economist at Freddie Mac, to talk about the latest housing market and macroeconomic forecast released this week from the mortgage giant. Len explains how Freddie Mac does their forecasting, what they see for the coming year in real estate, how last year’s real estate boom skews today’s inflation numbers, and more. Download the latest research at https://freddiemac.com/research.

About Len Kiefer

Len Kiefer has served as Deputy Chief Economist at Freddie Mac since December 2012. He is responsible for primary and secondary mortgage market analysis and research, macroeconomic analysis, and forecasting. He also analyzes policy issues affecting the housing industry. Before joining Freddie Mac as a Senior Economist in 2009, Len was an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University, where he conducted research on macroeconomics and monetary policy. Previously, he taught economics at Ohio State University and finance at George Mason University. Len is a Member of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association and the American Economics Association.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The mechanics behind Freddie Mac’s sophisticated economic forecasting
What Freddie Mac’s latest forecast says about the coming year in real estate
How last year’s real estate boom skews today’s inflation numbers
The impact of migration and remote work on home prices
What the future holds for mortgage rates
Len Kiefer’s creative approach to data visualization and storytelling

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Can Better Data Help Real Estate Investors Outperform?

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Mike Greene, CEO of ResiShares, to talk about the latest trends in real estate investing. Mike and Mike discuss how investors are thinking about real estate as the market shifts, how to spot opportunities now, which global economic forces pose the biggest risks to US real estate, and more.

About Mike Greene

Mike Greene’s fascination with the housing market began with a guest lecture in his undergrad economics class by Nobel-winning economist Robert Shiller. The lecture focused on Shiller’s home price indices, which first drew attention to the possibility of liquid, geographically-based investment products.

Over the past 15 years, Mike worked first as a Trader at Bocage Capital, and later at HouseCanary, where he witnessed the emergence of the single-family rental ecosystem that convinced him that the world was finally ready to see Shiller’s challenge accepted.

Mike is now the Founder and CEO of ResiShares, a real estate investment fund with a unique technology edge and an innovative approach to finding the best opportunities.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

ResiShares’ mission to make real estate a more liquid and accessible asset class
Mike Greene’s surprising test for what presents the best investment opportunity
How ResiShares leverages data to achieve “neighborhood alpha” on their investment portfolio
The biggest long-term macroeconomic risks for the housing market
How real estate investment firms can help solve both the financial and social problems for housing
The key trends to watch in a recessionary economy

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

How Realtors Should Talk to Buyers and Sellers in a Changing Market

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Jimmy Mackin, CEO of Curaytor, to talk about best practices for communicating with buyers and sellers right now, as the market is changing. Jimmy discusses why the principles of communication are more important than the tools and technology, shares what agents who have transcended their local markets have in common, offers specific ideas and techniques for more powerful communication, and more.

About Jimmy Mackin

Jimmy Mackin is the CEO of Curaytor, a full-service digital marketing company focused on helping listing agents get more listings. In seven years, Curaytor has grown to over $10 million in annual recurring revenue and has been featured in Forbes, Inc, The Huffington Post, USA Today, and American Express Open Forum.

In 2019, Jimmy co-authored Exactly What to Say: For Real Estate Agents, a best-selling book designed to help real estate agents with the most common, critical, and difficult questions they face. Jimmy is also the Host of the hit podcast #WaterCooler. With over 115 episodes and 8.5 million minutes watched, the show is a go-to resource for anyone in the real estate industry looking to grow their business in today’s digital landscape.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Best practices for communicating with buyers and sellers right now
Why the principles of communication are more important than the tools and technology
What agents who have transcended their local markets have in common
Why asking questions is better than giving answers in a changing market
Specific ideas and techniques for more powerful communication

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

How To Predict the Future of the Housing Market

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Logan Mohtashami from HousingWire to talk about the changing real estate market and the big economic issues of the day. Logan explains how macroeconomic forces actually impact the housing market, shares his surprising take on future home price declines, gives his predictions for where the market is headed, and much more.

About Logan Mohtashami

Logan Mohtashami is a housing data analyst, financial writer, and blogger covering the US economy specializing in the housing market. Logan’s work is frequently quoted in BankRate.com and Bloomberg Financial. Logan is also a Lead Analyst for HousingWire.

Logan’s astute analysis of economic data and years of direct lending experience allows him to present a unique, informed, and unbiased perspective on the financial markets. He’s perhaps best known for his highly prescient yearly predictions articles, and his predictions on the state of the housing market and mortgage rate trends published weekly on Bankrate.com.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How macroeconomic forces are impacting the housing market
What needs to happen for home prices to decline, and why — Logan Mohtashami is actually hoping for this
When to expect inventory to get back to normal
Long-term trends buyers and sellers should be thinking about
Predictions for where the market is headed

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

What Real Estate Investors Should Know About Shared Housing

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Johnny Wolff, Founder and CEO of HomeRoom, to talk about HomeRoom’s innovative platform for matching renters with real estate investors. Johnny discusses the advantages of shared housing for both renters and investors, the growing trend of young adults living with roommates, why cities see opportunities in shared housing, and more.

About Johnny Wolff

Johnny Wolff is the CEO and Founder of HomeRoom — one of the fastest-growing real estate investing platforms in the United States.

HomeRoom simplifies out-of-state investing and streamlines affordable renting. The company’s marketplace connects rental property investors seeking a turnkey, high-yield experience with renters seeking modern yet affordable housing.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The advantages of shared housing for both renters and investors
How remote work has created a massive opportunity for shared housing
The growing trend of young adults living with roommates
The case for increasing density to help our housing crisis
How cities are working with HomeRoom to address living affordability challenges

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

The Risks and Opportunities in Today's Housing Market

Wed, 18 May 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Rick Sharga, EVP of Market Intelligence at ATTOM, for a deep dive into the state of the current housing market. Rick talks about areas of risk for housing in today’s economy, shares some surprising insights into the foreclosure situation, discusses which policies might impact demand, and more.

About Rick Sharga

Rick Sharga is the Executive Vice President of Market Intelligence at ATTOM, one of the country's leading providers of real estate data for real estate, financial services, insurance companies, and government agencies.

An accomplished executive with over 25 years of experience in consumer and B2B marketing, Rick has held numerous senior leadership positions in the real estate and mortgage industries and has also developed and executed sales and marketing programs for tech companies such as Fujitsu, JD Edwards, Toshiba, and Hitachi; start-ups like Tickets.com; and consumer brands including Pizza Hut, Acura and Cox Communications.

One of the country’s most frequently-quoted sources on real estate, mortgage, and foreclosure trends, Rick has appeared regularly over the past 15 years on CNBC, the CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, CNN, ABC World News, FOX, Bloomberg, and NPR.

Rick has also been named twice to the Inman News Inman 100, an annual list of the most influential leaders in real estate.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Which segments of borrowers are most at risk in the current environment
Surprising insights about the foreclosure situation
Which regulatory changes might further dampen buyer demand this year
Why new buyers are facing a “triple whammy” of challenges
Rick Sharga’s outlook for what’s next in the industry

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

The Future of Second Home Ownership

Wed, 04 May 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Austin Allison, CEO of Pacaso Homes, to talk about the shifting dynamics in the market for second homes. Austin gives an overview of Pacaso’s innovative model for second home ownership, outlines the surprising community benefits of shared second homes, shares key considerations for people thinking about second homes as an investment, and more.

About Austin Allison

Austin Allison co-founded Pacaso to make the dream of second-home ownership a reality for more people after experiencing the profound effect it had on his own life.

Pacaso is Austin’s second startup. In 2009, he founded dotloop in his hometown of Cincinnati, a company that created software to seamlessly manage real estate transactions. Zillow acquired dotloop in 2015, and Austin continued to run dotloop as a Zillow executive until 2018. Austin started selling real estate at the age of 18 and worked in residential and commercial real estate for a decade.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

A look at Pacaso’s innovative model for second-home ownership
The ways in which shared vacation homes have similar benefits to carpooling
Why Pacaso’s second homes are almost fully utilized, while single-owner second homes only get used five to six weeks per year
Why the inventory shortage — especially in second-home markets — is here to stay
How redirecting second-home demand frees up inventory for local primary home buyers

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

How Realtors Are Surviving and Thriving in a Crazy Market

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Wendy Forsythe, Chief Strategy Officer of Fathom Realty, who shares her view from the front lines of one of the largest and fastest-growing brokerages in the country. Wendy shares the gritty reality of what agents are experiencing in the field right now, talks about what’s on the horizon for technology innovation, provides tips on dealing with insane competitive bidding, and more.

About Wendy Forsythe

Wendy Forsythe is the Chief Strategy Officer at Fathom Realty, which is the 10th largest brokerage in the country, with 8,000 agents in 36 states. She has more than two decades of experience building successful real estate networks in the US and Canada and has led the expansion of national brands such as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and HomeSmart International. She’s a frequent speaker and writer for many industry publications and conferences, and she was named one of the Most Influential Women in Business in Arizona by AZ Business in 2018. Wendy is also an accomplished athlete, holding several marathon finishes as well as earning the coveted title of Ironman.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What it means to truly be a local market expert
The challenge of selling into a market with massive competitive bidding
Why new innovation in the mortgage industry may be coming soon
How Wendy Forsythe sees the future of remote work impacting home buyers
How Fathom Realty uses frictionless transactions to better serve their remote customers
Surprising unique survey insights from Fathom and LiveBy
Why the best agents and teams “never forget about tomorrow”

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Wendy Forsythe on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Wendy Forsythe’s website
Fathom Realty
Mike Simonsen on LinkedIn
Altos Research

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

The Secrets of Top-Performing Real Estate Agents

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Tom Ferry, the real estate industry’s #1 coach and trainer, to talk about how to achieve greatness and fulfill your potential as a real estate professional. Tom shares some of the secrets of the best-performing agents in the country, what it takes to become a true leader in the industry, what it means to be a local expert, and more.

About Tom Ferry

Tom Ferry is ranked the #1 Real Estate Educator by Swanepoel Power 200 and the Best-Selling Author of Life! By Design and Mindset, Model and Marketing!

As Founder and CEO of Ferry International, the real estate industry’s leading coaching and training company, Tom’s ever-growing influence impacts professionals in a wide variety of ways — including rigorous accountability coaching, the popular #TomFerryShow delivering free, fresh, and relevant real estate tips weekly, highly engaging training events, two best-selling books, and his legendary keynote speeches.

Tom has more than 30,000 hours of coaching experience and works daily to help agents and brokers grow a prosperous business while simultaneously balancing — and loving — their personal lives.

He is also a highly sought-after and renowned speaker whose charisma and personality have captivated audiences around the world. Tom’s love and passion for life are fueled by a commitment to discipline and holding professionals accountable to fulfill their greatness.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How to talk to buyers and sellers right now
How the great agents and teams “help clients at scale”
Innovative strategies for winning listings in this crazy market
Why a potential recession may not be as difficult for homeowners as expected
The future impact of demographic and homebuilding trends
Why we may actually be in a buyers’ market rather than a sellers’ market

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

How Remote Work Will Transform Real Estate and the Economy

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist at the Economic Innovation Group, to talk about remote work and the future of the US economy. Adam believes remote work is not just a pandemic phenomenon, but rather a transformative economic trend with far-reaching impact, similar to how the computer revolutionized every aspect of our lives.

About Adam Ozimek

Adam Ozimek is the Chief Economist at the Economic Innovation Group and is an expert in the functioning of labor markets. His research covers a broad array of economics fields, including demographics, monetary policy, and immigration. He was most recently the Chief Economist at Upwork, where he led research on labor market trends. Previously, he was a Senior Economist at Moody’s Analytics where he managed US demographics forecasts and research.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why remote work is only just beginning and could reach 50 million workers in the coming years
How remote work is a general-purpose technology, like the computer, that will impact all levels of the economy and society
Which real estate markets are likely to grow or shrink as a result of remote work
What needs to change to address our starter home shortage
What the “Heartland Visa” is and why it’s important
Why increasing high skilled immigration is so important for a dynamic economy
Why Adam Ozimek is hopeful for the economy and our ability to avoid recession and get past inflation and back to full employment

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Market Insights From an Iconic Global Brokerage

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen is joined by Greg Sexton, Chief Operating Officer at Century21. Greg shares his extensive expertise as a leader at one of the most iconic real estate brands in the world, talks about the latest agency trends, and gives his outlook for the real estate market.

About Greg Sexton

Greg Sexton is the Chief Operating Officer of Century21. Greg leads Century21’s domestic and international operations, including industry-leading tech platform tools, learning and development, and data-driven products. Century21 is one of the most iconic residential real estate brands of the last 50 years, with 155,000 agents worldwide.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why smart marketing and branding are essential in real estate
How Century21’s famous Super Bowl commercial came to be
Why Millennials are seeking out Realtors and not just relying on apps to buy homes
How the pandemic changed the home-buying process and which trends are here to stay
Why suddenly brokerages can expand into new states, far away from their home markets
Why the team model for real estate agents is becoming more dominant
Why there is growth in the US real estate market from international buyers

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

The Future of the Real Estate Transaction

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Joe Curtis, Chief Operating Officer at Pango Group, to talk about how real estate transactions are changing, and which big technology trends, like cryptocurrencies and blockchain, are shaping the way Americans buy and sell real estate.

About Joe Curtis

Joe Curtis is the Chief Operating Officer at Pango Group, a family of companies that are the leading California-based settlement service experts. In this role, Joe is at the forefront of the evolving technologies in the escrow industry. In 2019, Joe was featured in The Top 100 People in Real Estate Magazine, and in 2018 named the Advocate for Social Good by Giveback Homes.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How technology helped Pango Group pivot during the pandemic to drive growth
An in-depth look at the digital transformation happening with real estate transactions
Pango’s process for enhancing and securing real estate transactions
Ways to eliminate layers of complexity in purchasing and regulatory matters
How Bitcoin-funded mortgages are happening now - and how they’re not
Why NFTs are the technology most likely to impact the future of real estate transactions in the US
Why cash buyers are increasing this year in the competitive market
Why there is less fraud and fewer contracts failing now than ever before

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

A Masterclass in Mortgages

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 10:00:00 -0000

Figuring out how to finance a home purchase can be a huge challenge for first-time homebuyers. Most people have similar questions: What credit score do you need to buy a home? How do you find the best mortgage rate? Where can you go to find answers?

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen is joined by Dan Green, Founder and CEO of Homebuyer.com, for a deep dive on all things mortgages. Dan talks about how he became passionate about helping people fund their American Dream, why the first-time homebuyer is so neglected (and why that's an opportunity for real estate professionals), how the mortgage market is changing, and what the future holds for homebuyers.

About Dan Green

Dan Green is the Founder and CEO of Homebuyer.com, the mortgage lender for first-time homebuyers. Before Homebuyer.com, Dan founded the popular consumer website TheMortgageReports.com which a leading mortgage company later acquired. While publishing in TheMortgageReports.com, Dan also worked as a retail loan officer and was a perennial top-producer, setting production records in multiple years. Through his websites and business, Dan has helped fund over $12 billion in mortgage loans.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Dan Green explains how he got into the mortgage lending business
How did Dan use blogging to bring in leads?
Why Dan is passionate about helping first-time homebuyers get a fair shot at the American Dream
Dan explains the content strategy for Homebuyer.com
How are rising mortgage rates impacting the real estate market?
What the FHFA is doing to disincentivize inventors and prioritize first-time homebuyers
Millennial home-buying trends
Interesting mortgage trends to keep an eye on
How to stay informed about the ever-changing real estate market

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Big Trends Impacting 2022 Real Estate

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 10:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen is joined by Conor Sen, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and Founder of Peachtree Creek Investments, to talk about the impacts of global financial markets on real estate. They talk about the challenges housing markets face in delivering homes, how interest rates are influencing home prices, and marketplace trends people should focus on and consider.

About Conor Sen

Conor Sen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist who writes about financial markets, the economy, housing, cities, and demographics. Conor is also the Founder of Peachtree Creek Investments and has more than a decade of experience in portfolio management and risk management. Conor has broad economic and financial market expertise and offers insights into what’s happening in all the financial markets. He’s been a contributor to the Atlantic and Business Insider and resides in Atlanta.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Conor Sen shares his background and how he ended up writing for Bloomberg Opinion
Peachtree Creek Investments and what it provides
Why housing markets are top of mind right now
The cause for the growth of home builders and why big builders are efficient while the local builders aren’t
Challenges the housing markets are facing trying to deliver homes
Conor talks about the interest rates in the housing market and how mortgage rates are causing people to overbid for a home
Are we facing risks that could derail our plans and expectations?
Conor talks about the millennial demographic in terms of job creation and household formation
Why investors and individuals buying properties are increasing
2021 highlights that surprised Conor and predictions for the future
Macro trends that people should pay attention to and macro themes people have not heard of yet
Zoom towns and mixed-use developments and the opportunities that are arising as a result

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Millennials and Investors Are Driving the Housing Market Boom

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 10:00:00 -0000

The long-awaited millennial homebuyers have finally entered the real estate market. Where are they buying homes? How are their purchases influencing the market?

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen sits down with Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist at First American Financial Corporation, to talk about millennial and investor real estate trends. Odeta explains why millennials wait so long to buy homes, where the real estate hot spots are, and how the data at First American demonstrates these trends.

About Odeta Kushi

Odeta Kushi is the Deputy Chief Economist for First American Financial Corporation. First American is a leading provider of title insurance settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions. In this role, Odeta offers analysis commentary forecasts on trends in the real estate and mortgage markets. Much of her work revolves around demographic trends, especially when it comes to millennials. Odeta monitors and analyzes the quarterly surveys and economic data related to the housing industry. Her research is regularly cited by leading businesses and trade publications like Business Insider and Housing Wire.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Why Odeta Kushi became a housing economist
The gap between new household formation and new house construction
Will the underbuilding trend continue in the coming years?
What areas of the US offer the highest return for real estate investors?
The data at First American that helps them understand real estate trends
Why millennials are buying homes later in life and moving out of the city
International real estate market trends
Why today’s market is different from The Great Recession
How financial technology innovation is impacting the housing market
Is the housing market contributing to inflation?

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Looking for Risks in the Future of the Real Estate Market

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 10:00:00 -0000

It’s not easy to predict the future. But when you’re buying a house, it’s nice to have an idea of what could happen. How can you interpret the real estate market data to accurately forecast what’s to come?

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen joins Bill McBride, housing market expert and author of the blog Calculated Risk, to discuss his 2022 real estate market predictions. Bill explains how home-buying trends changed during the pandemic, why there are fewer houses for sale, and what he thinks will be the next big shift in the market.

About Bill McBride

Bill McBride is a housing market expert and the author of the popular economics blog Calculated Risk. Nobel laureate Paul Krugman of the New York Times called Calculate Risk his “go-to website for housing matters.” Bill may be best known for accurately predicting the housing bubble in 2005 and the bottom of housing prices in early 2012.

Bill retired as a senior executive from a small public company in the '90s before becoming a full-time blogger. He holds an MBA from the University of California, Irvine, and has a background in management, finance, and economics.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Bill McBride shares why he started the Calculated Risk blog
How Bill predicted the 2005 housing bubble
What risks does Bill foresee in the future real estate market?
Why are there fewer houses for sale, and is it a problem?
Millennial home-buying trends
Bill’s predictions for the second half of 2022
Real estate trends outside of the US
Why sellers should wait for multiple offers instead of taking the first one
What’s the next big shift in the real estate market?
How the remote working trend is impacting the real estate market

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

What the Housing Data Is Really Saying

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:00:00 -0000

In today’s ever-changing housing market, how can you make sense of all the numbers and data? What do they mean for builders and home-buyers?

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen is joined by Ali Wolf, Chief Economist at Zonda, to interpret today’s housing market data. Ali talks about the implications behind the number of new construction homes, millennial home-buying trends, and what forecasters are saying about the future housing market

About Ali Wolf

Ali Wolf is the Chief Economist for Zonda, the largest homebuilding proptech company in North America. As Head of the Economics Department, Ali manages and analyzes the content for Zonda, runs special research projects, and strategizes with the nation’s largest homebuilders. She gives presentations nationwide covering topics across the housing market and the broad economy. Ali is also the creator of Zonda’s proprietary indices, including the New Home Pending Sales Index and the New Home Lot Supply Index. Highly regarded as an industry expert, Ali is quoted frequently in national publications including CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Yahoo! Finance. She has also appeared on national and international TV and radio programs such as Bloomberg TV and Marketplace. Ali serves as an advisor to the White House, providing data and insights on the US housing market.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Ali Wolf shares how Zonda got started
How did Ali become interested in housing data?
Zonda’s strategies for collecting data
What is the housing index telling us right now?
The implications behind the rising number of new home constructions
Millennial home-buying trends
Do the numbers indicate a coming change in the market?
Market risks outlook
New releases from Zonda: the Zonda Affordability Ratio (ZAR)
Why “Zoom towns” are becoming more common
Where are the surprisingly affordable markets?
What are the signs of a falling market?

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Why Experience Matters in Real Estate

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 10:00:00 -0000

Buying a house can be challenging. Sometimes people try to find help from friends. But what’s the difference between hiring a well-meaning friend versus a professional?

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, Mike Simonsen is joined by Becky Babcock and Brad Nix, Co-founders of Path & Post Real Estate, to discuss why hiring a professional makes all the difference in your real estate journey. They talk about the core values at Path & Post, share advice for buying and selling in today’s market, and discuss predictions for the future of the real estate market.

About Becky Babcock and Brad Nix

Becky Babcock is the CEO, Founder, and Co-owner of the Path & Post Real Estate team brokerage. Becky is passionate about sharing her vision, challenging the status quo, and helping team members achieve success. She focuses on understanding each client's unique life transition to create a memorable experience for clients and meaningful work for team members. Becky is also the author of How to Sell Houses without Selling Your Soul.

Brad Nix is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Path & Post Real Estate team brokerage, where he oversees the operations of 26 team members. Under Brad’s leadership, Path & Post has received over 800 five-star reviews from satisfied clients and sold over 2,400 homes. Throughout his career, Brad has been consistently recognized by the real estate community for delivering exceptional experiences for both his agents and consumers.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Becky Babcock explains what sets Path & Post Real Estate apart from other real estate brokerages
Brad Nix describes the difference between a professional and an amateur
How does Path & Post reach new customers?
Path & Post’s company values: RUG
Questions to ask to determine if you’re ready to buy a home
Advice for buyers and sellers in today’s market
Where is the market headed over the next 10-20 years?
Surprising real estate trends in the last 24 months
Becky and Brad’s vision for the future of Path & Post

Featuring Mike Simonsen, CEO of Altos Research

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://twitter.com/altosresearch

https://twitter.com/mikesimonsen

See you next week!

Geeking Out On Housing Economics

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 10:00:00 -0000

Ralph McLaughlin is the Chief Economist at Kukun, an AI-powered property technology platform for homeowners and real estate investors. Kukun offers fast and intuitive access to the most important home data and analytics. Ralph advises Kukun’s data science team in developing predictive housing market analytics and products. He provides digestible applied research for local governments, public policymakers, and the general public.

Previously, Ralph was the Chief Economist at Trulia and the Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic. He currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California and is an Advisory Chief Economist at Haus Real Estate Group.

In this episode…

Owning a home can seem daunting. How do you know when it's the best time to buy or sell? How do you know what your house is actually worth?

Kukun takes mountains of real estate data and turns it into digestible information for homeowners. They follow real estate trends and produce predictive analysis reports to help you navigate the complex world of home ownership. Additionally, they can help you understand how renovations add value to your home and how alternative financing options can help you find a home sooner.

In this episode of the Top of Mind podcast, host Mike Simonsen is joined by Ralph McLaughlin, Chief Economist at Kukun, to discuss today’s top real estate marketing trends. Ralph explains innovative financing options like shared equity, why he created resources like the Common Haus Pricing Index (CHPI), and what potential policies would benefit homeowners.

Real Estate Agents That Stand Out

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 10:00:00 -0000

Mark Johnson is the CEO of JPAR Real Estate. JPAR is a fast-growing, full-service, transaction-based real estate brokerage based in Texas with offices throughout the country. Mark has invested decades into understanding the inner workings of high-performing real estate companies, managers, teams, and agents. He is also the Host of Success Superstars, a weekly show that highlights the blueprint of real estate agent success, and he is the Co-founder of CoRecruit.

In this episode…

The last year has seen real estate prices skyrocket and the inventory of homes diminish. The competition for buying and selling houses has never been more challenging. In this atmosphere, how can you stand out as a real estate agent?

Superior Customer Service. People can spot a salesperson a mile away. They want a genuine opinion on whether or not a home will fit their lifestyle. They need a real estate agent who isn’t afraid to say, “This isn’t the home for you, let’s keep looking,” or “Don’t sell yet. We can get you money.” Folks today want a real estate agent with hyper-local expertise who sincerely cares about their future home — otherwise, they’ll walk their feet and dollars to somebody else.

In this episode of the Top of Mind Podcast, Mike Simonsen is joined by Mark Johnson, CEO of JPAR Real Estate, to discuss how to find success in today's tough real estate landscape. Mark explains why a live local agent is superior to any technology, top tips for becoming a superstar real estate agent, and how the pandemic has changed the industry.