Two numbers I would like to see

[andrewducker]

1) Average age of first-time home buyers as a graph covering the last 50 years.
2) Average monthly mortgage repayment over a similar time period - adjusted for inflation.  Because this would adjust (somewhat) for house prices going up while interest rates are low.

Between them these would tell us something about the affordability of housing over a long period.

Comments

[cheekbones3.livejournal.com]

Problem with that is that mortgages are much less gettable. I bought a flat in 2007, and even though I'm much more prosperous now, I'd have no chance of buying anywhere at all.

[andrewducker]

Absolutely - which is why the age of first-time buyers is as important as affordability.