In this episode of 'Your Personal Economist,' Michelle Meyer, Chief Economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, explains why housing affordability remains strained even as price growth slows. Home prices are still elevated, mortgage rates remain high and income growth has not caught up. As these forces move out of sync, meaningful relief for buyers is likely to take time.
This episode explores:
- Why cooling prices have not translated into improved affordability
- How interest rates, prices and income shape today’s housing math
- What current housing dynamics signal for 2026
Prices have come down, but only after reaching unusually high levels—so affordability still hasn’t meaningfully improved.
Michelle Meyer Chief Economist and Head of the Mastercard Economics Institute
Access previous episodes here:
Episode 14
How market expectations shape the economy
In this episode of 'Your Personal Economist,' Michelle Meyer, Chief Economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, explains how stock market movements influence economic confidence and shape behavior across households and businesses.
Episode 13
2026 tax policy overview
In this episode of Your Personal Economist, Michelle Meyer, Chief Economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, explains how the newly enacted federal spending and tax bill will shape taxpayer outcomes in 2026.