What Is Demographic Data? Definition, Types, and Applications

Jennifer Von PohlmannReal Estate

Demographic data is almost as valuable as currency for governments, policymakers, and businesses. It reveals trends and patterns among various population segments that inform public policy and business decisions. This guide explains what demographic data is, what insights it provides, and how it can be leveraged across public and private sectors. Overview of Demographic Data According to ScienceDirect, a database and source of scientific research, demographic data is “general statistics about a defined population and characterizes different groups and subgroups.” The scope of this data can vary. It may cover a geographic region like a city, state, or country, or target specific consumer groups, such as users of a particular product. Examples of basic demographic data include age, gender, ethnicity, employment type, education level, and marital status. A user of demographic data may want to know the education level of individuals aged 30 to 40 in a city, or the …

Home Flipping Down in 2024

Brad BeckettNotes

According to ATTOM’s year-end 2024 U.S. Home Flipping Report, 297,885 single-family houses and condominiums were flipped in 2024.  That figure is down 7.7% from 322,782 in 2023 and 32.4% from a recent peak of nearly 441k reached in 2022.  In addition, the report further says that as the number of flipped homes declined, so did flips as a portion of all home sales, from 8.1% in 2023 to 7.6% last year.  However, they point out that profits and profit margins rose slightly in 2024 on typical buy-renovate-and-resell projects….even though margins again remained at one of their low points over the past 10 years “The home-flipping industry saw investors shy away even more in 2024 amid the extended period of languishing profits. But even as activity waned, there was at least a glimmer of hope that returns were starting to turn around…While home flippers still seemed to be having difficulty timing …

Pending Home Sales Up 2% in February

Brad BeckettNotes

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that pending home sales rose 2% in in February, 2025. The NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index (a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings) came in at 72 in February.  Year-over-year, contract signings dropped in all four U.S. regions, with the Midwest undergoing the greatest reduction.  In addition, the NAR says contract signings are below historic norms; “Despite the modest monthly increase, contract signings remain well below normal historical levels…A meaningful decline in mortgage rates would help both demand and supply – demand by boosting affordability, and supply by lessening the power of the mortgage rate lock-in effect.”  Said the NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. Click here to read the full report at the NAR.   The post Pending Home Sales Up 2% in February appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.

Top 10 Counties with the Largest Annual Increase in Affordability Indexes in Q1 2025

Megan HuntReal Estate

According to ATTOM’s Q1 2025 U.S. Home Affordability Report, in the first quarter of 2025, median-priced single-family homes and condos remain less affordable than historical averages in 97 percent of U.S. counties with sufficient data. This continues a three-year trend in which homeownership demands an unusually high share of wages, as home prices nationwide stay at or near record highs. WATCH: ATTOM #figuresfriday – Top 10 Counties with the Largest Annual Increase in Affordability Indexes in Q1 2025 The report also indicates that major expenses on median-priced homes now account for 32 percent of the average national wage. This figure is nearly unchanged from the fourth quarter of last year but represents a one-point increase from a year ago, keeping it above the commonly recommended 28 percent lending benchmark favored by most lenders. ATTOM’s latest home affordability analysis revealed that the current and historical affordability figures highlight how homeownership continues …

The Biggest Fortune 500 Company in Each State

Brad BeckettNotes

Chartistry says every year, Fortune magazine publishes its much-anticipated Fortune 500 list showing the 500 most profitable companies across the U.S.  Today’s graphic illustrates those companies by listing the largest Fortune 500 company in each state.  Indeed….  Stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! Hat tip to Chartistry.   The post The Biggest Fortune 500 Company in Each State appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.

New York and the Midwest Dominate Redfin’s Hottest Neighborhoods of 2025

Mark WorleyNotes

Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights and Clinton Hill top Redfin’s 2025 list of hot neighborhoods, after posting a 105% spike in home sales from a year ago. Five of the 10 hottest neighborhoods are located on the outskirts of Midwestern metros, with buyers seeking affordability and an easy commute. A neighborhood in the heart of San Francisco and a commuter suburb just outside Washington, D.C. also made the top 10. Five of Redfin’s 10 hottest neighborhoods of 2025 are in Midwest suburbs. Pricey coastal cities are also in high demand, with neighborhoods in New York and San Francisco making the list as workers return to the office following the pandemic. This is according to a Redfin analysis ranking U.S. zip codes in the 150 most populous metro areas by year-over-year growth in listing views on Redfin.com and Redfin Compete Score—a measure of how difficult it is to win a home. Please note …

Monthly Housing Payments Hit All-Time High

Dana AndersonReal Estate

The median monthly mortgage payment reached a record high this week, putting a lid on pending home sales. New listings, on the other hand, are improving.  The typical U.S. homebuyer’s monthly housing payment hit an all-time high of $2,807 during the four weeks ending March 23, up 5.3% from a year earlier.  Housing costs are soaring for two reasons. One, sale prices keep rising; the median home-sale price is up 3% year over year. Two, the average weekly mortgage rate is 6.67%—more than double pandemic-era lows. But rates have dropped from an eight-month high of 7.04% in January; monthly payments would be even higher if not for the recent decline in rates.  High costs are putting a lid on home sales. Pending home sales are down 4.6% year over year, in line with the declines we’ve seen over the last few months. But as we enter spring, some house hunters …

Rocket Buys Redfin in $1.75 Billion Deal

Brad BeckettNotes

CNBC is reporting that Rocket Companies is acquiring Redfin in an all-stock deal worth $1.75 billion.  The deal is expected to close in 2nd or 3rd quarter of this year.  Comparing the two companies, CNBC says Redfin operates a home search platform with more than 1 million for-sale and rental listings and a tech-powered brokerage of more than 2k agents.  While Rocket, whose flagship business is its mortgage-lending arm, aims to lean on technology and AI to help link prospective buyers with its financing arm and speed up deals once the transaction closes. “Rocket and Redfin have a unified vision of a better way to buy and sell homes…Together, we will improve the experience by connecting traditionally disparate steps of the search and financing process with leading technology that removes friction, reduces costs and increases value to American homebuyers.”  Said Varun Krishna, CEO of Rocket Companies. Click here to read …

Home-Ownership Remains Financial Stretch Around U.S. as Prices Remain Near Record High

ATTOM TeamNotes

Major Home-Ownership Expenses Continue to Consume One-Third of National Average Wage; Portion Holds Steady as Median U.S. Home Price Dips Slightly During Slow Winter Period; Historical Affordability Also Stays Close to Low Point Over Past Decade  IRVINE, Calif. – Mar. 27, 2025 — ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property data, and real estate analytics, today released its first-quarter 2025 U.S. Home Affordability Report showing that median-priced single-family homes and condos remain less affordable in the first quarter of 2025 compared to historical averages in 97 percent of counties around the nation with enough data to analyze. The latest trend extends a three-year pattern of home ownership requiring historically large portions of wages as U.S. home prices stay at or near record levels. The report also shows that major expenses on median-priced homes currently consume 32 percent of the average national wage. That level is virtually the same as in the fourth quarter of …

Leveraging Real Estate Deed Data for Market Analysis

Jennifer Von PohlmannReal Estate

Want to know who owns a property? The last time a home was sold? Details about the property and if the owner has a mortgage? There’s a way to find this out when doing market analysis: Look at real estate deed data. Deeds, a legal document that records the transfer of ownership, are must-see documents for real estate professionals looking for key information about a property—and those documents are public records that can be viewed by anyone. Real estate deeds are recorded after almost every real estate transaction, and the record is almost always archived in a county recorder’s office. That said, there are several reasons why investors and real estate professionals should consider obtaining real estate deed data from a third-party data provider, like ATTOM. The information that deeds contain can be useful for many purposes, including: For property investors and real estate companies researching properties and their owners; …