I'm a Zillow economist who analyzes housing data for a living. Even I found it difficult to buy a home.

Orphe Divounguy, Zillow senior economist.

Daniel Berman/Photo by Daniel Berman

• Orphe Divounguy is a senior economist at Zillow and an expert on all things housing.
• Even he struggled to find a home in Raleigh-Durham, one of the fastest-growing metros in the US.
• Divounguy lost two bids on different homes before landing the house of his dreams in April.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Orphe Divounguy, a senior economist at Zillow. In April...