Decisions

A better forecast informs decisions. It doesn’t make them.

The model produces one thing: a measurably better rent-growth forecast (+17.2% forecast-error reduction vs a fitted AR baseline at 3 months). That forecast is an input to underwriting and development models under a known rate environment — not a buy/sell/build signal. We treat the rate channel as exogenous (a number the user supplies), because we forecast rent growth (an NOI driver), not prices.

Avoid / under-write conservatively
Where a sharper forecast helps most.

A more accurate 3-to-12-month rent-growth forecast tightens NOI and DSCR assumptions on the downside. It informs how conservatively to underwrite or whether to pass — it does not flag a market to exit.

Build
Feeds the NOI side of a development pro-forma.

A better forward rent-growth estimate is an input to a build pro-forma alongside cost and the rate environment. It sharpens the demand assumption; it does not tell you to break ground.

Buy existing
One input, with rates held known.

The forecast informs the rent-growth assumption in an acquisition model. Valuation still turns on the rate/cap-rate environment, which we treat as a known input the user supplies — the model does not forecast prices, cap rates, or returns.

What this is not
  • Not a trading signal, and not a claim that acting on it “makes money.”
  • Not a turn detector and not a timing tool — it is a continuous forecast with a measured error reduction.
  • Not a price or cap-rate forecast — the rate environment is a known input, not something the model predicts.
  • Not a per-metro score — skill is pooled across the covered metros.
Built on public & licensed data — FRED · BLS · Zillow Research (rent, housing-flow) · Indeed Hiring Lab · with a Bright Data live concession layer from public listing data.
Forecast-skill results are pre-registered, out-of-sample, and reproducible from the committed harness.

Disclaimer. HomeStar is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on this site constitutes investment, financial, legal, or tax advice, or a recommendation, offer, or solicitation to buy, sell, or hold any security, property, or investment, or to engage any advisory service. The forecasts, signals, and data presented are model estimates subject to the limitations described herein, including a limited historical window and untested performance across market regimes. Backtested and out-of-sample results do not guarantee future performance. The information is provided "as is," without warranty of any kind as to accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any purpose. Do not rely on this site as the basis for any investment decision; consult your own qualified advisors.

This product uses the FRED® API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Job-postings data is derived from the Indeed Hiring Lab, used under CC BY 4.0.