School Of Hard Knocks: Single Teachers Can’t Afford To Live Close To Work

By KIMBERLEY HAAS It is being estimated that the average teacher can afford 12% of homes for sale within commuting distance of their school and just 27% of available rentals in the same area. These numbers come from a Redfin analysis which looked at 2022 median teacher salaries in the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas. Commuting distance was defined as 20 minutes or less during rush hour and affordability was defined as no more than 30% of the metro’s median teacher income. For house sales, a 10% down payment was assumed. In 2019, before the pandemic boom drove up prices, the average teacher could afford 30% of homes for sale within commuting distance of their school. A lack of…

All Eyes On The Federal Reserve

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Industry leaders are speculating about what officials at the Federal Reserve will do concerning rate increases during their meeting this week. In May, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said they were prepared to raise rates again if economic conditions worsened, but hinted at a wait-and-see attitude regarding this month’s meeting. Policymakers may even skip raising rates after a smaller than expected rise in the Consumer Price Index, released on Tuesday. CNN reporter Matt Egan said the CPI report gives officials the cover they need to hold off on increasing rates this month. “Investors are becoming increasingly confident that the Fed is going to keep interest rates steady after … 10 consecutive interest rate hikes. The Fed has…

Former Treasurer Summers: “Housing Inflation Is Almost Certain To Soar”

Lawrence H. Summers, who served as Bill Clinton’s Treasury Secretary and was one of Barack Obama’s chief economic advisors, says “housing inflation is almost certain to soar in coming months,” and he’s taking the current Treasury chief to task over her rosy view of inflation. Former Treasury Secretary Summers has been sounding the alarm over inflation for months, even as current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has claimed the problem is “transitory” and not a significant threat to the economy. In response, Summers has criticized the Biden administration’s economic response to the pandemic, warning that rising inflation isn’t a temporary concern but a long-term problem the Fed will have trouble reining in. “We are printing money, we are creating government bonds,…