The State of the Nation's Housing 2003

Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

Despite the 2001 recession and weak ensuing recovery, by most measures 2002 was the strongest year for housing on record. Residential investment, home sales, homeownership rates, aggregate home equity, and total mortgage debt all hit new highs last year. Anemic growth has nevertheless taken its toll, sending mortgage delinquency rates up while pushing rents in some areas down.