This chart from the St. Louis fed caught my eye showing a shift away from single family housing since 2010
Back at the dawn of the internet age, I recall speculating with co-workers on whether or not the internet would spur population spread to the suburbs or rural areas, since so much more could be done without a physical presence(i.e working remotely, shopping online). But looking at this chart, it would seem the population is aggregating in urban (or at least concentrated) areas. Another thought is perhaps this could be related to the aging baby boomers downsizing, thus flooding the market with single family homes.
I don’t know if four years can be considered a firm trend, but it does appear the demand for housing is shifting to more people owning condos or renting apartments. If you believe this is a trend that will continue, how should you invest to take advantage of this trend? Maybe concentrate on REIT‘s that invest in urban properties, or focus on businesses that service the urban consumer. At any rate, it is a trend worth keeping an eye on and could impact the economy in unique ways.
I like the baby boomer theory. The fact that so many kids are continuing to live with their parents may also be contributing to this trend.