“This is as affordable as it gets,” for U.S. housing prices

From the Wall Street Journal.

Nationally, the ratio of home prices to annual household income reached a peak of 2.3 in late 2005. But by last September, it had fallen to 1.6, matching the lowest level in the 35 years the data have been collected and well below the historical average of 1.9 between 1989 and 2003.

“Based on incomes, this is as affordable as it gets,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “If you can get a loan, these are pretty good times to buy.”

The article mentions Phoenix as being an undervalued real estate market.

“It’s become cheaper to buy than to rent” in Phoenix, said Jon Mirmelli, a real-estate investor in Scottsdale, Ariz., who is renting out foreclosed homes. “But the question is: Can you qualify for a loan?”