When I see a headline with “housing” and “crash” in it, I think it is merely clickbait, and the author is trying to attract readers. For example: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) reported on the performance of first-lien mortgages in the federal banking system during the third quarter of 2024. The OCC Mortgage Metrics Report, Third Quarter 2024, showed that 97.4 percent of mortgages included in the report were current and performing at the end of the quarter, a slight increase from 97.3 percent one year earlier. Borrowers have the ability to repay, there’s equity, and the majority of existing rates are low. If want to fret, target renters who want to own. It seems like the best time to buy a home has always been in the past, and now affordability is not good. ATTOM released its fourth-quarter 2024 U.S. Home Affordability Report showing that median-priced single-family homes and condos remain less affordable in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to historical averages in nearly every county. The latest trend continues a three-year pattern of home ownership requiring historically large portions of wages as U.S. home prices keep reaching new heights: View Q4 2024 U.S. Home Affordability Heat Map. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s podcasts are sponsored by Visio Lending. Visio, which has a top-notch broker program, is the nation’s premier lender for buy and hold investors with over 2.5 billion closed loans for single-family rental properties, including vacation rentals. Hear an interview with Visio Lending’s Jeff Ball on the DSCR underwriting space and how the mortgage industry can qualify more eligible borrowers.)