
There are four fundamentals that determine resale value: borrower income, allowable debt-to-income ratios, interest rates, and down payment requirements. When economists write about the fundamentals of housing, they usually mention job and wage growth, both of which impact sales (of special interest to homebuilders), but job and wage growth don't establishing the housing market's equilibrium price level. Job and wage growth are only important in that they impact a borrower's income, which is a true fundamental. Fluctuations in supply and demand are not fundamentals either. Restricted inventory caused by loan modifications and denying short sales---the tactic lenders used to reflate the housing bubble---these manipulations temporarily disrupt the natural balance, forcing buyers to substitute down in quality and elevate prices above…[READ MORE]