U.S. Homebuying Affordability Slightly Improves
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 5 days ago
0mins
Source: Newsfilter
- Affordability Improvement: In April 2023, the income required to afford a home was $116,780, down 2% from the previous year, although it remains $29,000 higher than the typical U.S. household income, indicating persistent affordability challenges.
- Price and Income Dynamics: Despite a 2.4% year-over-year increase in home prices in April, the average monthly mortgage rate fell from 6.73% to 6.33%, leading to a decrease in the percentage of income spent on housing from 42% to 40%, reflecting slight improvements in affordability.
- Market Dynamics Shift: Among the 50 most populous U.S. metros, affordability improved in 35 areas, particularly in Chicago where buyers needed $101,075, a 13.3% decrease, indicating shifts in market competition.
- High-Price Market Pressure: In San Francisco, buyers needed an income of $443,979, up 7% year-over-year, making it the city with the highest affordability pressure, reflecting trends of rising demand and prices that may impact overall market affordability.
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Analyst Views on RKT
Wall Street analysts forecast RKT stock price to rise
11 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
6 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 14.400
Low
18.00
Averages
22.18
High
25.00
Current: 14.400
Low
18.00
Averages
22.18
High
25.00
About RKT
Rocket Companies, Inc. operates a fintech platform including mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses: Rocket Mortgage, Redfin, Rocket Close, Rocket Money and Rocket Loans. Its suite of products empowers its clients across home search, mortgage finance and servicing, title and closing, financial wellness and personal loans. It operates in two segments: Direct to Consumer and Partner Network. In the Direct to Consumer segment, clients have the ability to interact with Rocket Mortgage digitally and/or with the Company's mortgage bankers. It markets to potential clients in this segment through various brand campaigns and performance marketing channels. It provides client service and leverages its brand to strengthen its wholesale relationships, through Rocket Pro, as well as enterprise partnerships, both driving growth in its Partner Network segment. Its enterprise partnerships include financial institutions and consumer-focused companies that value its client experience.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Decline in Purchases: According to a report by Rocket Companies' Redfin, investor home purchases fell 6% year-over-year, marking the lowest level since 2020, primarily due to elevated housing costs squeezing potential returns.
- Market Cooling Impact: Rising home sale prices across most of the country have made it more expensive for investors to buy properties, thereby reducing the profitability of rental properties and flips, further exacerbating the cooling market.
- Strategic Investment Adjustments: Redfin Premier agent Tamara Mattox-Kabat noted that investors are being more strategic in their purchases, opting for less expensive materials and timing their projects to list during the stronger spring and summer seasons.
- Shift to New Home Construction: Large institutional investors are focusing more on building new homes rather than purchasing existing ones, aligning with the housing affordability bill's aim to prevent institutional investors from buying single-family homes.
See More
U.S. Homebuying Affordability Slightly Improves
- Affordability Improvement: In April 2023, the income required to afford a home was $116,780, down 2% from the previous year, although it remains $29,000 higher than the typical U.S. household income, indicating persistent affordability challenges.
- Price and Income Dynamics: Despite a 2.4% year-over-year increase in home prices in April, the average monthly mortgage rate fell from 6.73% to 6.33%, leading to a decrease in the percentage of income spent on housing from 42% to 40%, reflecting slight improvements in affordability.
- Market Dynamics Shift: Among the 50 most populous U.S. metros, affordability improved in 35 areas, particularly in Chicago where buyers needed $101,075, a 13.3% decrease, indicating shifts in market competition.
- High-Price Market Pressure: In San Francisco, buyers needed an income of $443,979, up 7% year-over-year, making it the city with the highest affordability pressure, reflecting trends of rising demand and prices that may impact overall market affordability.
See More
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- Buyer's Market Characteristics: In Atlanta and other Sun Belt regions, nearly 19.3% of home purchase agreements were canceled, reflecting a significant imbalance with sellers outnumbering buyers, giving buyers more leverage to withdraw from deals.
- Regional Disparities: San Francisco reported a mere 2.8% cancellation rate, highlighting the booming housing market where buyers are reluctant to back out due to intense competition, further emphasizing the supply-demand differences across markets.
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- Decline in Purchases: According to a report by Rocket Companies' Redfin, investor home purchases fell 6% year-over-year, marking the lowest level since 2020, primarily due to elevated housing costs squeezing potential returns.
- Market Cooling Impact: Rising home sale prices across most of the country have made it more expensive for investors to buy properties, thereby reducing the profitability of rental properties and flips, further exacerbating the cooling market.
- Strategic Investment Adjustments: Redfin Premier agent Tamara Mattox-Kabat noted that investors are being more strategic in their purchases, opting for less expensive materials and timing their projects to list during the stronger spring and summer seasons.
- Shift to New Home Construction: Large institutional investors are focusing more on building new homes rather than purchasing existing ones, aligning with the housing affordability bill's aim to prevent institutional investors from buying single-family homes.
See More
U.S. Homebuying Affordability Slightly Improves
- Affordability Improvement: In April 2023, the income required to afford a home was $116,780, down 2% from the previous year, although it remains $29,000 higher than the typical U.S. household income, indicating persistent affordability challenges.
- Price and Income Dynamics: Despite a 2.4% year-over-year increase in home prices in April, the average monthly mortgage rate fell from 6.73% to 6.33%, leading to a decrease in the percentage of income spent on housing from 42% to 40%, reflecting slight improvements in affordability.
- Market Dynamics Shift: Among the 50 most populous U.S. metros, affordability improved in 35 areas, particularly in Chicago where buyers needed $101,075, a 13.3% decrease, indicating shifts in market competition.
- High-Price Market Pressure: In San Francisco, buyers needed an income of $443,979, up 7% year-over-year, making it the city with the highest affordability pressure, reflecting trends of rising demand and prices that may impact overall market affordability.
See More
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- Declining Revenue: Rocket Companies has experienced a 15% annual decline in revenue over the past five years, indicating weak demand and suggesting a lower quality business that may deter future investment interest.
- Falling EPS: The company's earnings per share (EPS) have decreased by 39.8% annually over the last five years, outpacing revenue declines, which highlights the challenges posed by a fixed cost structure in adapting to shrinking demand and further undermines profitability.
- Poor Return on Equity: With an average return on equity (ROE) of 9.2% over the past five years, Rocket Companies falls short of the industry average of 7.5%, indicating inefficiencies in utilizing shareholder equity that could impact investor confidence.
- Limited Market Opportunities: Although the stock has dropped to $13.86 per share with a forward P/B ratio of 1.6, analysts remain cautious about its growth prospects, suggesting investors consider other more attractive stocks in the current market.
See More
Q1 Earnings Review for Mortgage Finance Sector
- Overall Industry Performance: The 12 tracked mortgage finance stocks reported Q1 revenues exceeding analyst expectations by 4.1%, yet the next quarter's revenue guidance fell short by 1.5%, indicating market uncertainty and increasing competition.
- Rocket Companies' Strong Results: Rocket Companies (NYSE:RKT) achieved Q1 revenues of $2.82 billion, marking a 118% year-over-year increase and surpassing analyst expectations by 2%, although its stock has declined 10.3% since the report, reflecting high investor expectations for future performance.
- WaFd Bank's Solid Growth: WaFd Bank (NASDAQ:WAFD) reported Q1 revenues of $198.3 million, up 10.5% year-over-year, exceeding analyst expectations by 4%, with its stock rising 7.2%, indicating market confidence in its performance.
- Franklin BSP Realty Trust's Disappointment: Franklin BSP Realty Trust (NYSE:FBRT) reported Q1 revenues of $60.39 million, a 6.1% year-over-year increase, but fell short of analyst expectations by 17.4%, resulting in a flat stock performance, highlighting its competitive disadvantages.
See More
U.S. Home Contract Cancellations Decline Slightly
- Market Stability Signs: In April, U.S. home contract cancellations stood at 13.4%, a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating a gradual recovery in buyer and seller confidence, although still higher than levels seen in 2020 and 2021.
- Buyer's Market Characteristics: In Atlanta and other Sun Belt regions, nearly 19.3% of home purchase agreements were canceled, reflecting a significant imbalance with sellers outnumbering buyers, giving buyers more leverage to withdraw from deals.
- Regional Disparities: San Francisco reported a mere 2.8% cancellation rate, highlighting the booming housing market where buyers are reluctant to back out due to intense competition, further emphasizing the supply-demand differences across markets.
- Significant Decline in Orlando: Orlando experienced the largest month-over-month decline in cancellations, dropping from 18.5% to 16.8%, indicating a gradual recovery in the market and a boost in buyer confidence.
See More
Dan Gilbert's Fight for a Cure in Memory of His Son
- Son's Battle with Illness: Dan Gilbert's eldest son, Nick, passed away in 2023 due to neurofibromatosis, a condition affecting approximately 170,000 Americans, illustrating the relentless challenges of disease despite Gilbert's wealth and access to top medical care.
- Philanthropic Efforts: Through the Gilbert Family Foundation, Gilbert donates about $50 million annually to neurofibromatosis research and raised $12 million in one night, becoming a key partner of the Children's Tumor Foundation and facilitating the development of FDA-approved treatment options.
- Commemoration and Legacy: To honor Nick, Gilbert opened Gilly's Clubhouse in Detroit and initiated The Gilly Project, led by Nick's siblings, focusing on community service and charity to ensure Nick's spirit and vision live on.
- Personal Challenges and Resilience: After facing significant personal challenges, including a stroke and divorce, Gilbert emphasizes the importance of focusing on controllable aspects of life, continuing his fight for a cure for neurofibromatosis in Nick's honor.
See More
