• Redfin analysis estimates U.S. housing costs could return to August 2018 affordability levels within five years under lower-rate scenarios.
• Baseline case: mortgage rates fall to 6% with home-price growth steady at 2.1%, pushing “normal” affordability to November 2031.
• Alternative case: rates hold near 7.5% with flat prices, returning to “normal” by April 2032.
• Downside case: rates stay 7%-8% with 2.1% price growth, delaying normalization beyond 10 years in many metros.
• San Jose, Austin, Oakland rank closest to normalizing; parts of the Northeast and Midwest face the longest timelines.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Redfin Corporation published the original content used to generate this news brief on October 08, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.