Video Update: Fannie Chief Economist housing outlook

When eyeing the results of a recent consumer survey, Fannie Mae’s Chief Economist Doug Duncan noticed America is at a strange crossroads: One where home affordability is extremely high because of an influx of inventory, but buyer demand remains low. So what’s keeping homebuyers out of the market? While visiting HousingWire’s REthink Symposium, Duncan revealed some of Fannie’s latest findings, which you can read about here. The quick version is this: The American dream is alive and well, but it remains ‘just a dream’ for many families. Duncan found only 33% of Americans believe the economy is currently on the right track, and their home-buying desires are still dampened by uncertainty over jobs and the overall economy. In addition, 44% of those surveyed said household expenses are higher than they were 12 months ago. Duncan, like several other economists and real estate professionals attending the REthink Symposium, is closely eyeing changes in the 18-to-34 demographic, which is the group  most likely to be the next first-time homebuyers. Duncan sat down with HousingWire to give us this video update on home prices and the overall state of housing. Write to: Kerri Panchuk.