• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
Finance

Redfin: These housing markets are the most at risk of falling home prices

By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Former Real Estate Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Former Real Estate Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 29, 2022, 9:17 PM ET

Homebuyers had enough. Spiked mortgage rates on top of record home price appreciation—up 42% since the onset of the pandemic—pushed monthly mortgage payments to a level that is simply unattainable for tens of millions of would-be buyers. As more buyers take a rain check, the housing market correction only gets more intense.

This week, we learned that on a year-over-year basis, mortgage purchase applications are down 18%. While new home sales are down 17%, and single-family housing starts are down 16%.

Even as housing transactions plummet, we’ve still not returned to a balanced market. Inventory levels remain a staggering 49% below July 2019 levels, giving most sellers—at least for now—enough leverage to hold off on selling below market comps hit earlier this year. That said, as inventory levels continue to rise, it’s possible some regional housing markets might actually see year-over-year house price declines in 2023.

On Friday, Redfin released its “risk score,” which identifies the housing markets that are at the highest risk of a “housing downturn.” The higher a market’s “risk score,” the higher the likelihood that market could see year-over-year decline in house prices. In total, Redfin looked at 98 regional housing markets and assessed factors including home-price volatility, average debt-to-income ratio and home-price growth.

Among the 98 markets measured by Redfin, Riverside had the highest likelihood of seeing a "housing downturn." It was followed by Boise, Cape Coral, North Port, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Bakersfield, Phoenix, Tampa, and Tucson.

"Popular migration destinations where home prices soared during the pandemic—including Boise, Phoenix, and Tampa—are most likely to see the effects of a housing downturn amplified and home prices decline year-over-year if the economy goes into a recession, a scenario that some economists believe looks likely as inflation persists and stock markets stumble. Homeowners in those areas who are considering selling may want to list their homes soon to avoid potential price declines," writes the Redfin researchers.

The sellers least likely to see prices fall? Redfin says Akron. Not too far behind it are markets like Philadelphia, El Paso, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. As the pandemic housing boom took off, homeowners in those places saw less investor activity and more modest levels of house price growth. Amid the boom, homeowners in places like Akron surely had FOMO as they watched their peers in Austin and Boise experience exorbitant levels of house price growth. But now homeowners in markets like Akron and Cleveland are likely thankful: Historically speaking, the sharpest housing corrections usually come in the fastest-growing markets.

"Relatively affordable northern metros—several of them in the Rust Belt, such as Cleveland and Buffalo—are most resilient in the event of a recession. Prospective homebuyers in those areas can move ahead with confidence that they’re less likely to see home values decline," writes the Redfin researchers.

Every quarter, Moody's Analytics calculates an "overvalued" or "undervalued" figure for around 400 markets. The firm aims to find out whether fundamentals, including local income levels, could support local home prices. It's only troubling when a housing market becomes significantly "overvalued." The bad news? In the first quarter of 2006, the median U.S. housing market was "overvalued" by 14.5%. In the first quarter of 2022, Moody's estimates the median regional housing market was "overvalued" by 23%.

Simply being detached from underlying economic fundamentals doesn't guarantee that a market will see plummeting home prices. However, as a market becomes significantly "overvalued" it increases the odds of falling house prices if both a housing correction and a recession hit. Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi tells Fortune that housing markets "overvalued" by more than 25% are likely to see 5% to 10% house price declines. If a recession hits, price drops could be as large as 15% to 20% in those markets.

Already, we're seeing "bubbly" markets like Boise and Austin see the swiftest corrections. Just look at inventory. Over the past six months, inventory levels have spiked 161% and 220% in Boise and Austin, respectively.

Earlier this month, John Burns Real Estate Consulting told Fortune that Boise is poised to be the first housing market to post a year-over-year price decline. The real estate research company predicts it could come as soon as December. For that to happen, house prices in Boise would not only have to erase all their spring 2022 gains, but also fall below their December 2021 price.

"You could make a strong case that in a lot of housing markets the last 10% of home price appreciation was purely aspirational and irrational, and that'll come off the top really fast," Rick Palacios Jr., head of research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting "That's exactly what we're all seeing right now."

Want to stay updated on the housing correction? Follow me on Twitter at @NewsLambert.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Lance LambertFormer Real Estate Editor
Twitter icon

Lance Lambert is a former Fortune editor who contributes to the Fortune Analytics newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Man holding his fists together.
InnovationElon Musk
Elon Musk bullet-proofed his $1 trillion ‘Mars-shot’ pay at SpaceX after the epic battle over his $56 billion moonshot at Tesla
By Amanda GerutJune 6, 2026
49 minutes ago
SpaceX needs to grow 60x in a decade to justify a $1.75 trillion valuation. No company has ever come close
InvestingFinance
SpaceX needs to grow 60x in a decade to justify a $1.75 trillion valuation. No company has ever come close
By Shawn TullyJune 6, 2026
4 hours ago
denton
CommentaryIran
ICC Secretary General: The Hormuz clock that matters isn’t diplomatic — it’s agricultural
By John W.H. Denton AOJune 6, 2026
4 hours ago
broker
InvestingMarkets
Markets have worst day since October as tech stocks lead the way down, traders lose hope of rate cut
By Damian J. Troise, Alex Veiga and The Associated PressJune 5, 2026
12 hours ago
Tech stocks lead market bloodbath as fears of Fed rate hikes add to worries about the AI-fueled chip boom petering out
Investingtech stocks
Tech stocks lead market bloodbath as fears of Fed rate hikes add to worries about the AI-fueled chip boom petering out
By Jason MaJune 5, 2026
13 hours ago
The Class of 2026: Meet the 12 companies making their Fortune 500 debut
Startups & VentureFortune 500
The Class of 2026: Meet the 12 companies making their Fortune 500 debut
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
Success
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
By Sydney LakeJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
Economy
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
By Nick LichtenbergJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 5, 2026
22 hours ago
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
Cybersecurity
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
By Sasha RogelbergJune 3, 2026
3 days ago
'Big Tech is desperate': Amazon engineers are calling out the tech giant for its $200 billion in data center spending after slashing 30,000 workers
Environment
'Big Tech is desperate': Amazon engineers are calling out the tech giant for its $200 billion in data center spending after slashing 30,000 workers
By Sasha RogelbergJune 5, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.