“That’s where good ideas come from”: Odeta Kushi on prediction clashes with other economists

Every now and then, non-experts will throw in their opinions, making the data even more confusing. But instead of being irritated, Kushi finds it “necessary.”

“I think we all have a role. I spend all day looking at data and then try to communicate it. But economists can be wrong as well,” she said. “There are all sorts of differing opinions in the economics world, specifically in housing economics. You can see that in the array of forecasts that we provide every quarter. And so, I think there’s a lot of room for everyone to be involved in the discussion.”

“You can see it in the wide range of forecasts in the industry,” Kushi added. “There seems to be agreement on some key issues. I think everyone’s mostly everyone’s pretty aligned on the fact that we’re facing a supply shortage in the housing industry just from looking at the data that’s available.

“But certainly, there are areas of disagreement, and I think that’s great. It opens up the opportunity for healthy debate and academic debate. And I think that’s really good. That’s where good ideas come from.”

You can watch Kushi’s full interview here: What’s the verdict on adjustable rate mortgages?