Optimistic Hormuz Outlook Fuels Volatility, Hurts Mortgages
Redfin Chief Economist explains how the overly optimistic narrative about the Strait of Hormuz reopening creates volatility, which is bad for mortgage rates, which is bad for the housing market.
SF Luxury Homes Surge 13%, Affordable Prices Slip
Everyone said San Francisco 🌉 was dead 💀, but the data 📊 says the opposite. Since ChatGPT launched: Bay Area luxury home prices +13% yoy, affordable neighborhoods -4%. I broke down the data on whether this is a bubble or the...
AI Suggests Simple Tweaks to Soften Harsh LED Lighting
I'm the most bullish about AI when it's helping me improve my physical space. My bookshelf came with bright white lights, that were too bright and too white. Gemini gave me the idea to tape orange film strips over the...
Brands Hiring Economists—Are Business Schools Ready?
I keep getting tagged in these LinkedIn posts from marketing experts saying the hottest new trend in brand marketing is hiring an economist. And my question is: do the econ dept heads know about this trend? Are they preparing their...
NAR's Gen‑Z Homebuying Data Unreliable: 3.5% Snail‑mail Response
Please don't listen to NAR about Gen-Z homebuying trends. They get their data from a snail mail survey with a 3.5% response rate.
Social Norms, Not Pay Gap, Drive Homeownership Gap
Single men are 30% more likely to own a home than single women. Most people blame the pay gap, but the real reason is a social norm that punishes women for buying before marriage. I dug into millions of census...
AI Boom Widens Housing Gap, Luxury Rises, Affordable Falls
The AI boom isn't lifting all boats. Since Nov 2022, SF luxury home prices rose 13.4% while affordable areas declined. This real estate divide mirrors the gap between tech’s big winners and workers fearing AI replacement. 🤖🏘️ https://t.co/KmGxWksBZD
Land Taxes Reward Emptiness, Driving Soaring Home Prices
U.S. home prices have quadrupled since 1995, but it's not that homes got more expensive to build. It's that the LAND they sit on did. We tax buildings the same as land, so owners are rewarded for keeping lots empty and...
AI Extends Hours, Yet Represents Learning Investment
I'm definitely in the camp that AI makes you work longer. As a person who tries everyday to work smarter and not longer, I can feel the creep. But I think (and hope) this is mostly fixed costs from learning...
Land Value Tax Cuts Sprawl, Boosts Affordable Housing
Why are we bulldozing forests while city parking lots sit empty? 🌳🚫 It’s the tax code. By taxing buildings instead of just land, we incentivize sprawl. But a solution from the 1800s is back: Land Value Tax. 📈 The key to affordable...
Anthropic Co‑founder Predicts AI Future on Planet Money
Listen to my interview from the @planetmoney book tour. The episode also features the Anthropic co-founder's predictions for our AI future. https://t.co/jb7CXrTTA8
Low‑rate Lock‑ins Keep Home Prices From Crashing
Why aren't home prices crashing despite record low demand? 🏠📉 With 80% of owners locked into low rates and record equity, nobody is forced to sell. The market is stuck. Full breakdown below, including analysis of Redfin data 👇 https://t.co/KogY0JuwSe
Great Lakes Cities Poised for Climate‑Driven Real Estate Boom
Wildfires and floods put $15 trillion in real estate at risk. Could the Great Lakes be America's last climate haven? 🌎 🔥 🌊 I test the theory using Redfin data to see if Detroit, Milwaukee, and Buffalo are primed for a...
Fed Chair Role Requires Consensus, Not Unique Vision
A lot of economists secretly believe that any PhD trained economist with the resources and economist support of the Fed could be Fed Chair. That's because the Fed is so solid, it only requires a leader willing to go with...
Wall St Isn’t Behind Housing Crisis,
Investors bought 18% of homes in Q4 2025, but large institutional investors own less than 1% of all U.S. homes. So if it's not Wall St driving the housing affordability crisis, what is? In this video, I break down...