
Since early last fall, I noted increasing affordability relative to rents. It's now cheaper to own than to rent in many OC markets and most housing markets around the country. However, rental parity is a measure of affordability comparing one method of providing housing versus another. Rental parity does not capture the bigger picture of affordability relative to incomes. As it turns out, all housing is becoming less affordable as both owners and renters alike spend more on housing as a percentage of income than they used to. This is a troubling trend. If people are putting more toward housing, then they are spending less on everything else. Perhaps landlords and bankers like this trend, but people who produce other…[READ MORE]