NPR.

This is the indicator from Planet Money.

I'm Daryam Woods.

And I'm Waylon Wong.

So there is this term that's been floating around for a couple of decades now, the silver tsunami. Yes, we've talked

about this on our show, and it refers to the aging population in the U.S., especially members of the

baby boomer generation. And you know, some people find the term a bit derogatory because it's

likening old people to a natural disaster. That's not what we meant. It's pretty rude. I guess so,

now that you mention it. Nevertheless, the term has become a popular shorthand for all the big

cultural and economic changes that stem from this generation getting older. And when it comes to

housing, the so-called silver tsunami has sometimes been seen as a silver bullet to address a major issue,

housing affordability. There's a theory that a wave of empty nesters putting their homes on the

market will boost supply and bring home prices down. Today on the show, we talked to one

economist who's vetted this hypothesis, and he tells us why the silver tsunami

solution to housing affordability might be more of a red herring. That's coming up after the break.

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the Wise app today or visit wise.com, T's and Cs Apply. I don't know what your weekend plans are,

Daryan, but I do know where you are likely to find

Orfe DiVangi. He's a senior economist at Zillow. I personally look at the housing market all the time.

I love housing. That's why I work at Zillow. And so I'm the kind of guy that takes my kids to look at

housing on the weekends. Look, each to their own, I will not be there.

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