{
  "generated": "2026-10-17T13:40:39Z",
  "asOf": "2026-10-17",
  "reviewDate": "2026-10-17",
  "reviewTimezone": "America/New_York",
  "mode": "verified-snapshot",
  "freshnessNote": "Sources reviewed October 17, 2026. Each signal has its own observation period. These are saved observations, not a live feed; the weekly history below shows how release timing affects comparisons.",
  "scopeNote": "Palm Beach County housing measures cover single-family homes and condo/townhomes across the county. They provide context for South Florida; they do not describe every county, community, property type or price segment.",
  "signals": [
    {
      "id": "mortgage-cost",
      "title": "Mortgage costs held steady this week",
      "value": 7.4,
      "displayValue": "7.40%",
      "unit": "percent",
      "observationDate": "2026-10-15",
      "observationLabel": "Week ending October 15, 2026",
      "scope": "United States · 30-year fixed mortgage average",
      "frequency": "weekly",
      "sourceName": "Freddie Mac · Primary Mortgage Market Survey",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms",
      "verificationUrl": "https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE30US",
      "sourceRetrievedAt": "2026-10-17",
      "sourceUpdated": "October 15, 2026, 11:02 a.m. CDT (FRED)",
      "previous": {
        "value": 7.4,
        "displayValue": "7.40%",
        "observationDate": "2026-10-08",
        "observationLabel": "Week ending October 8, 2026"
      },
      "comparison": "Unchanged from 7.40% on October 8.",
      "interpretation": "Higher rates increase the payment on a given loan amount. This national average covers qualifying conventional purchase applications; an actual quote, especially for a jumbo loan, can differ.",
      "buyer": "Compare lender quotes and total monthly ownership costs at the price you are considering.",
      "seller": "Financed buyers may have less room in their payment budget; price and concessions deserve attention alongside comparable sales.",
      "freshnessNote": "Latest published survey checked on October 17. Next scheduled survey: October 22, 2026."
    },
    {
      "id": "palm-beach-inventory",
      "title": "County inventory has eased",
      "value": 9942,
      "displayValue": "9,942",
      "unit": "active listings",
      "observationDate": "2026-09-01",
      "observationLabel": "September 2026",
      "scope": "Palm Beach County · single-family and condo/townhome",
      "frequency": "monthly",
      "seasonalAdjustment": "Not seasonally adjusted",
      "sourceName": "Realtor.com Economic Research via FRED",
      "sourceUrl": "https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ACTLISCOU12099",
      "originalSourceUrl": "https://www.realtor.com/research/data/",
      "sourceRetrievedAt": "2026-10-17",
      "sourceUpdated": "October 1, 2026, 7:13 p.m. CDT (FRED)",
      "previous": {
        "value": 10217,
        "displayValue": "10,217",
        "observationDate": "2026-08-01",
        "observationLabel": "August 2026"
      },
      "comparison": "Down 275 listings, or 2.7%, from 10,217 in August.",
      "interpretation": "The county offered fewer active choices than a month earlier. This monthly measure excludes pending listings and is not seasonally adjusted; the change alone does not establish a market turn.",
      "buyer": "Compare available choices within your community, property type and budget; the county total can hide tighter or looser segments.",
      "seller": "Review the properties competing directly with yours before using county inventory to judge pricing power.",
      "freshnessNote": "Matches the preserved local snapshot and the published FRED observation checked on the review date."
    },
    {
      "id": "palm-beach-asking-price",
      "title": "Median asking price is lower",
      "value": 472000,
      "displayValue": "$472,000",
      "unit": "USD",
      "observationDate": "2026-09-01",
      "observationLabel": "September 2026",
      "scope": "Palm Beach County · median listing price",
      "frequency": "monthly",
      "seasonalAdjustment": "Not seasonally adjusted",
      "sourceName": "Realtor.com Economic Research via FRED",
      "sourceUrl": "https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEDLISPRI12099",
      "originalSourceUrl": "https://www.realtor.com/research/data/",
      "sourceRetrievedAt": "2026-10-17",
      "sourceUpdated": "October 1, 2026, 7:20 p.m. CDT (FRED)",
      "previous": {
        "value": 480000,
        "displayValue": "$480,000",
        "observationDate": "2026-08-01",
        "observationLabel": "August 2026"
      },
      "comparison": "Down $8,000, or 1.7%, from $480,000 in August.",
      "interpretation": "The midpoint of asking prices fell. A different mix of listed homes can move this measure; it does not mean every home's value fell or that closed-sale prices changed by the same amount.",
      "buyer": "Use recent comparable closed sales and property condition to assess an asking price.",
      "seller": "Watch today's competing listings as well as completed sales; a county median is a starting point for a property-specific review.",
      "freshnessNote": "Matches the preserved local snapshot and the published FRED observation checked on the review date."
    },
    {
      "id": "florida-employment",
      "title": "Florida unemployment eased monthly",
      "value": 4.5,
      "displayValue": "4.5%",
      "unit": "percent",
      "observationDate": "2026-08-01",
      "observationLabel": "August 2026 · preliminary",
      "scope": "Florida · seasonally adjusted unemployment rate",
      "frequency": "monthly",
      "seasonalAdjustment": "Seasonally adjusted",
      "sourceName": "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/laus_09182026.htm",
      "verificationUrl": "https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FLUR",
      "sourceRetrievedAt": "2026-10-17",
      "sourceUpdated": "September 18, 2026",
      "previous": {
        "value": 4.6,
        "displayValue": "4.6%",
        "observationDate": "2026-07-01",
        "observationLabel": "July 2026"
      },
      "comparison": "Down 0.1 percentage points from 4.6% in July; above 4.0% in August 2025.",
      "interpretation": "Employment provides context for household demand. The monthly easing and higher year-over-year rate give a mixed signal; statewide unemployment does not measure demand in a particular luxury community.",
      "buyer": "Include income stability and a cash reserve in the ownership budget.",
      "seller": "Pair employment trends with local contracts, showings and completed sales to assess demand.",
      "freshnessNote": "Latest published month checked on the review date; preliminary figures may be revised."
    },
    {
      "id": "inflation",
      "title": "Inflation still affects the ownership budget",
      "value": 3.7,
      "displayValue": "3.7%",
      "unit": "year-over-year CPI change",
      "observationDate": "2026-09-01",
      "observationLabel": "12 months ending September 2026",
      "scope": "United States · all-items CPI-U",
      "frequency": "monthly",
      "seasonalAdjustment": "Year-over-year change before seasonal adjustment",
      "sourceName": "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi_10142026.htm",
      "latestReleaseUrl": "https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm",
      "sourceRetrievedAt": "2026-10-17",
      "sourceUpdated": "October 14, 2026, 8:30 a.m. Eastern",
      "previous": {
        "value": 3.4,
        "displayValue": "3.4%",
        "observationDate": "2026-08-01",
        "observationLabel": "12 months ending August 2026"
      },
      "comparison": "The annual rate rose from August’s 3.4%; prices rose 0.6% in September on a seasonally adjusted monthly basis.",
      "interpretation": "General price pressure remains part of the affordability picture. CPI is a broad consumer basket; property taxes, insurance, association fees and maintenance require their own local checks.",
      "buyer": "Price the full cost of ownership using current property-level estimates.",
      "seller": "Clear documentation of recurring costs helps buyers evaluate the home alongside its asking price.",
      "freshnessNote": "September is the latest release checked on October 17. Next scheduled CPI release: November 10, 2026.",
      "nextReleaseAt": "2026-11-10T08:30:00-05:00"
    },
    {
      "id": "palm-beach-income",
      "title": "Local income adds longer-term context",
      "value": 126852,
      "displayValue": "$126,852",
      "unit": "USD per resident per year",
      "observationDate": "2024-01-01",
      "observationLabel": "2024 annual estimate",
      "scope": "Palm Beach County · per capita personal income",
      "frequency": "annual",
      "sourceName": "U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED",
      "sourceUrl": "https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCPI12099",
      "originalSourceUrl": "https://www.bea.gov/data/income-saving/personal-income-by-county",
      "sourceRetrievedAt": "2026-10-17",
      "sourceUpdated": "February 5, 2026, 7:45 a.m. CST (FRED)",
      "previous": {
        "value": 122202,
        "displayValue": "$122,202",
        "observationDate": "2023-01-01",
        "observationLabel": "2023 annual estimate"
      },
      "comparison": "Up $4,650, or 3.8%, from $122,202 in 2023, in current dollars.",
      "interpretation": "County personal income per resident rose in nominal terms. This average includes multiple income sources and can be influenced by high incomes; it is not median household income or a measure of an individual buyer's budget.",
      "buyer": "Use this as regional economic background, then evaluate the specific home and your own costs.",
      "seller": "An affluent county backdrop does not replace evidence of demand in the home's price segment.",
      "freshnessNote": "A slower annual measure. 2024 remains the latest annual county observation checked; the next release is scheduled for December 2, 2026."
    }
  ]
}