REIQReal Estate IQPortal loginWhat smart investors watch
Learn the market forces behind better real estate decisions.
Real estate starts to make more sense when you know which forces to compare: people moving in, homes being built, ownership becoming harder, Opportunity Zones, seller pressure, jobs, and local affordability.
What we compare
Each story starts with two clues that make the market easier to read.
Market clues
Reliable public records behind the maps, rankings, and graphics.
Market clueWhat it explainsHow often it changesWhy investors care
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau
Migration and populationAnnual vintageWhere movers are creating new housing demand.
SOI Tax Stats Migration DataInternal Revenue Service
Migration and income movementAnnual filing yearWhere households and income are moving before the market narrative catches up.
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau
Housing supplyMonthly and annualWhere supply is or is not keeping up with population growth.
House Price Index DatasetsFederal Housing Finance Agency
Prices and appreciationMonthly, quarterly, annualWhere prices are accelerating or cooling.
Residential Real Estate Data LibraryRealtor.com Economic Research
Listings and inventoryWeekly and monthlyWhere visible market supply and seller behavior are changing.
Zillow Research Housing DataZillow Research
Home values and rentsMonthlyRent pressure, price trends, affordability, and owner/renter demand.
Mortgage Performance TrendsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
Mortgage stressMonthly/quarterly tool updatesEarly distress watch before foreclosure filings fully show up.
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act DataCFPB / FFIEC
Mortgage credit and lendingAnnual public release with periodic updatesWhere credit availability, investor lending, or purchase demand is changing.
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Jobs and economyMonthly and annualWhere local job strength supports or weakens housing demand.
FRED Economic DataFederal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Rates and macro contextVaries by seriesMacro overlays for rates, affordability, credit, and regional context.
Regional GDP and Personal IncomeU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Income and local economyQuarterly and annual depending on tableWhere local income strength supports price, rent, and buyer-demand stories.
Where renters and owners are stretched, and where affordability pain may support investor demand for practical housing solutions.
Where rent baselines, voucher payment standards, and neighborhood rent support are shifting.
LEHD Origin-Destination Employment StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau
Commute flows and job centersAnnual releaseWhere bedroom communities feed job centers, and where commute patterns may create rental or entry-buyer demand.
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Jobs, wages, and industriesQuarterlyWhere job and wage growth can support housing demand beyond a headline population chart.
County and ZIP Code Business PatternsU.S. Census Bureau
Business growth and local economyAnnualWhere local business growth may be pulling housing demand, retail demand, or small-investor opportunity.
HUD USPS Vacancy DataHUD USER
Vacancy and distressQuarterlyWhere address-level vacancy pressure may reveal softening neighborhoods.
Housing Vacancy SurveyU.S. Census Bureau
Homeownership and vacancyQuarterly and annualWhere ownership access is getting harder, renter demand may be rising, or supply is loosening.
ACS DP04 Selected Housing CharacteristicsU.S. Census Bureau
Local ownership and vacancyAnnual ACS 1-year and 5-year releasesLocal investor education maps for ownership access, renter demand, and soft vacancy pockets.
Qualified Opportunity ZonesCDFI Fund / U.S. Department of the Treasury
Federal designations and redevelopmentOZ 1.0 designations static through 2028; OZ 2.0 designations begin in 2027 and refresh every 10 yearsWhere tax-advantaged redevelopment zones overlap with population growth, permits, vacancy, distress, and buyer demand.
Where LIHTC incentive geography, housing need, and local growth overlap.
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency
Natural hazard and resilience riskPeriodic versioned releasesWhere fast-growing markets may carry hidden hazard, insurance, or resilience risk.
National Flood Hazard LayerFederal Emergency Management Agency
Flood zones and property riskUpdated as effective flood map data changesWhere growth, affordability, or investor interest is moving into flood-risk areas.
FHA Single Family REO Properties For SaleU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Government-owned foreclosure inventoryService updates as properties are listed or removedWhere post-foreclosure inventory is becoming visible in specific local markets.
Gasoline and Diesel Fuel UpdateU.S. Energy Information Administration
Fuel and mobilityWeeklyOptional fuel-cost content tied to commute burden, not a core real estate signal.
Story ideas
Investor-friendly graphics these clues can become.
Where movers are outrunning supply
Domestic migration + Housing permits
Optional: where fuel costs squeeze commuter markets
Weekly gas price change + Suburban listing demand
Where money is moving before prices catch up
IRS AGI migration + FHFA HPI appreciation
Where mortgage stress is building early
CFPB 30-89 day delinquency + BLS unemployment trend
Where lending demand is cooling
HMDA purchase originations + Listing inventory and price cuts
Where the ownership dream is getting harder
Homeownership rate + Affordability, rates, and renter-household growth
Where housing pressure is hardest on local households
Cost-burdened renters and owners + Rent growth, income, and vacancy
Where rent support is rising with local rents
Fair Market Rent and SAFMR + Market rent and renter-household growth
Where job centers create bedroom-community demand
Home-to-work commute flows + Rent growth and housing supply
Where job growth can support housing demand
Employment and wage growth + Permits, listings, and affordability
Where business growth is pulling housing demand
Business establishments and payroll + Population, rents, and listings
Where Opportunity Zones overlap with real demand
Qualified Opportunity Zone designation + Migration, permits, vacancy, jobs, and REIQ buyer demand
Where housing need and tax incentives overlap
QCT and DDA designation + CHAS cost burden and local demand
Fast-growing markets with hidden risk
FEMA National Risk Index + Migration, permits, and price growth
Where demand is moving into flood risk
Flood zone and map effective date + Listings, permits, and buyer demand
Where government-owned inventory is showing up
FHA REO listings + Buyer demand and foreclosure filings
Where distress meets buyer demand
Foreclosure/AST filings + REIQ buyer activity
Where rents are moving faster than wages
ZORI rent growth + BLS wage/job trend proxy