13 housing markets where it's getting a whole lot harder to afford a house
The Federal Housing Financial Agency's house price index has been on the rise since its trough in 2012, and concerns over home price affordability in some markets keep popping up.
According to First American Financial Corporation, which provides financial services for mortgage lenders, the home price market actually isn't overheating like you may think. First American's Real House Price Index not only adjusts for inflation, but also median income in the area and interest rates on mortgages to gauge how affordable a home is.
According to Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American, affordability over the country is improving as wage growth picks up and interest rates remain near all-time lows.
"The gains in affordability, caused by a combination of low mortgage rates and recent improvements in wage growth are helping the market reach its potential for home sales," said Fleming in a note.
"Many markets that are often listed as the most expensive for housing are not as expensive as many believe when one accounts for the strong growth in household income within these markets."
There ar some markets, however, that aren't as lucky. Whether caused by an influx of new movers or increasing prices, some markets in the US have seen real home prices increase over the past year.
We've compiled a list of the 13 housing markets have have seen their RHPI increase by 1% or more over the past year. Most of the cities where house prices are becoming less affordable are in the South and West.
We've included the change in the RHPI from a year ago and the median household income for the city based on the US Census Bureau's most recent data.
Check out the full list below.