Independent thinking for complex markets and current events
Authored by Charles Hugh-Smith via oftwominds, Let’s pull all this into an undeniable conclusion: AI is based on massively subsidizing users’ costs. What’s already abundantly clear but verboten to say as it would pop the bubble of AI valuations and triumphalism is that AI is unaffordable once the direct and indirect subsidies are withdrawn. Nothing that …
Average US rent around $1,600 – $1,900 per month now. In big cities like Manhattan it hit record $5,125. Many middle class families (income $45k-$75k) spend over 30% of money on rent. Harvard report say almost 50% of this group are “cost burdened”. Since 2019 rents grow faster than incomes for middle earners. This leave …
JUST IN: US housing market at "most unaffordable" level in history — Kalshi (@Kalshi) April 23, 2026 Factcheck: Yes, by key metrics like the house price-to-income ratio (now ~6x median income vs. historical ~3-4x) and adjusted for wage growth, the US housing market is at its most unaffordable level on record as of early 2026. …
Over half of Americans say health care, a weeklong vacation and a new car are unaffordable, per ABC — unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) March 17, 2026 JUST IN: US 30-Year Mortgage Rate jumps to 6.86%, the highest level since November byu/RobertBartus inEconomyCharts Another out of context quote. Full quote shows Hassett saying this is “going ahead of …
by confoundedinterest17 We are seeing the aftermath of the Federal government’s fiscal response to the Covid outbreak of 2020. Home prices exploded following The Federal government’s spending spree. The end result? US housing is simply unaffordable for millions of households. Not really surprising given the soaring home prices following the Covid Federal spending spree.
by confoundedinterest17 Politicians love to scream about housing being simply unaffordable. Like mayor-elected Mandami in New York City. But the reality is that housing prices vary by city and there are more affordable cities than New York City to choose from. Federal policies should not be focused on letting people staying a particular city. When we look …
Soon they will start approving 40-50yr mortgages to pretend its affordable because “the monthly payment is only 60% of your income, totally affordable!” I’ve been saying this for years. It’s the high prices not the rate. It’s time for the housing market to come to terms with this. pic.twitter.com/QlTT7uBDVR — QE Infinity (@StealthQE4) October 27, …
Key Takeaways America’s median home price-to-income ratio has risen from 3.5 in 1985 to 5.0 in 2025. In 2025, the median price for an American home is $416,900, up from $82,800 in 1985. 30-year fixed mortgage rates have reduced from 12.4% to 6.8% between 1985 and 2025. Buying a home in America isn’t for the faint-hearted, …
by confoundedinterest17 US housing is simply unaffordable! Mortgage rates remain elevated since the Biden Administration took control in 2021. Although under Trump, the rise in the 30-year mortgage rate has slowed. But the 30-year mortgage rate is up 126% since the beginning of 2021 and the “Joe The Boss” Biden administration. Mortgage originations at large banks …
1. 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 14.4x 2. 🇦🇺 Sydney 13.8x 3. 🇺🇸 San Jose 12.1x 4. 🇨🇦 Vancouver 11.8x 5. 🇺🇸 Los Angeles 11.2x 6. 🇦🇺 Adelaide 10.9x 7. 🇺🇸 Honolulu 10.8x 8. 🇺🇸 San Francisco 10x 9. 🇦🇺 Melbourne 9.7x 10. 🇺🇸 San Diego 9.5x 11. 🇦🇺 Brisbane 9.3x 12. 🇬🇧 Greater London 9.1x 13. …
“I’m breaking down the truth about the latest anti-van life legislation and how it’s already impacting people who live in vans, RVs, cars, and tiny homes. If you’re a full-time nomad, stealth camper, or part of the vanlife community, you need to know how these laws, from places like Greeley, Colorado, Idaho, and San Francisco, …
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York just confirmed it. Total household debt hit $18.2 trillion in Q1 2025. That’s a $167 billion increase in three months. Mortgage balances alone rose by $199 billion, now sitting at $12.8 trillion. Credit card debt stands at $1.18 trillion. Student loans are back on the books after a …
$MCD fast 'food' prices have surged pic.twitter.com/2aH6npolrB — Markets & Mayhem (@Mayhem4Markets) June 19, 2025 New American mother is at the grocery store to buy baby formula Prices are so high “I can’t tell if this is a joke or not” A single can is $52.99-$74. Having babies is not affordable Nestle lobbies against paid …
by confoundedinterest17 Housing and rental properties are simply unaffordable. Freddie Mac Serious Delinquency Rate on Multifamily (Apartment) loans soared to highest rate since 2000. Since it is as of January 31, 2025, you can’t blame this on Donald Trump (although I am sure they will try). Of course, home prices and rents soared under Biden. Home …
The median household income necessary to purchase the median priced home for sale in the US ($124k) is now 57% higher than the current median household income ($79k). This is the most unaffordable housing market in history. Video: https://t.co/3GVJzoEu3z pic.twitter.com/lwqEsx6jX5 — Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) March 27, 2025
by confoundedinterest17 Housing is simply unaffordable in many parts of the USA and world. Its the same all over the world. except Romania and Finland. The most unaffordble countries are Portugal, Canada, the USA, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. The most affordable? Romania, Finland, Italy, and Bulgaria. For the USA, Hawaii and California are the least affordable while West …
Home prices in the USA have increased from $25,800 in 1971 to $419,200 in 2024. Over this same period of time household income has also increased but at a much slower rate. For this reason when looking at historical home affordability a common ratio is the home price to income ratio. This ratio allows us …
Tax cuts are great! Everybody loves them, and pretty much nobody votes for a candidate who promises higher taxes. But tax cuts aren’t free – the government still needs to replace the revenue lost when taxes fall. Today, we realistically assess whether the nation can afford the Trump Tax Cuts… By Peter Reagan There are two …
by confoundedinterest17 Some cities in the USA are simply unaffordable. The Visual Capitalist calls most unaffordable cities as least affordable. San Jose California and New York City are the two most unaffordable cities in the USA. According to household spending. On the flip side of the affordability coin is … Detroit Michigan and Cleveland Ohio. Followed closely by Dayton Ohio and El Paso Texas. Fortunately, I live …
Credit card default recently just had the highest level we’ve seen since 2008 financial crisis and is showing no signs of slowing down. Our economy is in a no-win situation where people’s incomes are not rising at the Paese needed to keep up with the cost of living. So it is a guarantee we will …
Authored by Charles Hugh-Smith via oftwominds, To reverse the damage wrought by financialization, we must reverse financialization. The post-election hope that festering problems can now be solved doesn’t seem to extend to unaffordable housing and homeless encampments, two blights on the socio-economic landscape. Perhaps this reflects a sense that these blights aren’t readily fixable, or an …
Authored by Charles Hugh-Smith via oftwominds, To reverse the damage wrought by financialization, we must reverse financialization. The post-election hope that festering problems can now be solved doesn’t seem to extend to unaffordable housing and homeless encampments, two blights on the socio-economic landscape. Perhaps this reflects a sense that these blights aren’t readily fixable, or an …
The average age of homebuyers in the U.S. has risen by six years since July 2023 — another sign that younger Americans are being priced out of the market due to escalating ownership costs. The average age of homebuyers is now 56, up from 49 in 2023, according to the National Association of Realtors’ annual …
McDonald's is becoming a luxury: Same-store sales at McDonald's, $MCD, dropped by -1.5% in Q3 2024, more than expectations of a -0.7% decline. Same-store sales growth is a metric comparing revenue for restaurants open for at least 13 months. Sales decreased for the 2nd… pic.twitter.com/qXJnt6scfo — The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) October 30, 2024 Unemployment payments …
Homes are approaching their most unaffordable point in history pic.twitter.com/8Y1Z3iJgxp — Barchart (@Barchart) July 5, 2024
by confoundedinterest17 Housing in the US is simply unaffordable. Particularly since home prices and mortgage rates have soared under Biden. .Owning a house is less affordable for average earners in the US than at anytime in 17 years. The costs of a typical home — including mortgage payments, property insurance and taxes — consumed 35.1% of the …
Top 10 “impossibly unaffordable” cities Hong Kong Sydney Vancouver San Jose Los Angeles Honolulu Melbourne San Francisco/Adelaide San Diego Toronto For those who can’t wait for a change in policy or for demand to fall, the report also identifies the most affordable cities of the 94 surveyed worldwide. They are Pittsburgh, Rochester, NY and St …
https://twitter.com/PhilipSoos/status/1799291895174349135 https://twitter.com/PhilipSoos/status/1799611778672050337
by confoundedinterest17 Housing in the US is simply unaffordable. Home prices in Biden’s America are up 34.5% even though mortgage rates are up 157%. Home prices in America’s 20 largest cities rose for the 13th straight month in March (according to the latest data from S&P CoreLogic – Case Shiller – data today), up 0.33% (more than the …
by confoundedinterest17 Housing in the US is simply unaffordable, particularly after HUD levied new regulation rising the cost of new housing up to $31,000. Wait for this to kick into the data for mortgage demand! Mortgage applications decreased 2.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications …