Competent Investor Podcast – Tom Bodrovics, Released on 7/9/26 (Recorded on 7/8/26)

Tom welcomes Melody Wright, a housing analyst and strategist to the show. Melody describes the U.S. housing market as entering its fourth year of a “frozen” state, with combined annual sales volumes comparable to 2008 levels despite a 20% population increase. National statistics mask significant regional disparities: home prices are declining in the South and West, while the Northeast and Midwest are beginning to weaken. This stagnation stems from a severe affordability crisis, where median home prices far exceed the sustainable benchmark of three times household median income, inflated by years of speculation, Airbnb investment, and treating housing as a casino rather than shelter.

00:00:00 – Introduction
00:00:16 – Housing Market Changes
00:04:04 – Sales Decline Analysis
00:05:54 – Explaining Market Drop Causes
00:09:40 – Land Speculation Cycle
00:15:32 – Delinquency Concerns Rising

Melody Wright is an analyst in real estate, macro, and technology. She began her mortgage career at GMAC ResCap (RFC) in 2006 and helped manage the historic ResCap bankruptcy. After leaving ResCap and before joining the FInTech revolution, she focused on operational effectiveness at multiple large, nonbank servicers. A BFSI industry veteran, Melody currently focuses on mortgage FinTech and macroeconomics, working hand-in-hand with clients to design and implement integrative solutions in mortgage origination and servicing that will be successful amidst the ever-evolving economic landscape. She publishes the M3_Melody Substack.

  economy, Melody Wright, real estate