U.S. housing market is roughly 1.5 million units short

IF you could magically conjure up 1.5 million housing units—750,000 for sale and 750,000 for rent—and they all stayed vacant, you'd bring housing vacancy rates back to their historic norms

That's according to an analysis by Freddie Mac economists.

Freddie Mac economists tell ResiClub that the estimate above (1.5 million shortfall) is conservative. The actual housing shortage, Freddie Mac economists say, is more likely around 3.8 million units.