Rapid Reaction: February Jobs Report
Employers added 235,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate remained unchanged, according to the February jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Tax Relief: The (Non)Impact of Vancouver’s Real Estate Tax on the Seattle Market
In August 2016, the government of British Columbia, Canada, enacted a 15 percent tax on foreigners buying homes in the rapidly growing city of Vancouver. Most now agree that the Vancouver housing market has slowed substantially since last summer, but the data remain inconclusive as to any specific effects on international buyers of Vancouver homes. And there is less agreement on whether the tax has pushed would-be buyers of Canadian homes to instead consider U.S. homes south of the 49th parallel, especially in nearby Seattle.
Savings on Auto-Pilot: How Much Less Could Driverless Car Commuting Cost?
Thanks to ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, the cost of getting a door-to-door ride of a few miles today is less expensive than ever. And looking ahead, switching to a driverless system could eliminate roughly two-thirds of the current cost of a typical Uber ride (even using very conservative assumptions) – helping pave the way for a dramatic re-imagining of public transit planning and affordable community development.
A Picture’s Worth: Suburban vs. Urban Living
Housing and childcare are typically the two largest budget items for young families, and the choice of exactly where to live – even within a larger metro area – can result in substantially higher or lower costs.
A Picture’s Worth: Mayoral Housing Plans & Population Growth
A lack of new housing supply has been blamed for a raft of housing issues plaguing many large U.S. housing markets, including rapid appreciation, deteriorating affordability (especially at the lower end of the market and for renters) and very limited inventory. In response, mayors’ offices nationwide have formulated plans focused on building new housing and rehabilitating and preserving what housing already exists.
Q4 2016 Negative Equity Report: Improvement Continues, But at a Much Slower Rate
The annual pace at which negative equity receded slowed dramatically in 2016, further proof that even as the housing market continues to put the boom and bust behind it, some scars will take a lot longer to heal.
Suburban Savings: Differences in Housing and Childcare Costs in Cities and Suburbs
Housing and childcare are typically the two largest budget items for young families, and the choice of exactly where to live – even within a larger metro area – can result in substantially higher or lower costs. Zillow teamed up with childcare website Care.com to explore how much families can save (or expect to spend) on housing and childcare by moving from the city to the suburbs.
Destination-Based Cash Flow Taxation: What is it and Why Does it Matter?
A so-called “destination-based cash flow” taxation system is currently the hot topic of discussion around tax reform in this country. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is pushing the idea hard, but just about every other day it seems the prevailing wisdom says the idea is dead, and then alive again. But just what is it, and how does it work?
The Whens of Our Sales: Strategy Tips for Timing the Housing Market When Selling A Home
For the second year in a row, listing near the end of the selling season looks to be the best option for those sellers looking to both earn the highest return on their home and sell it quickly.
Accuracy in Context: Why Zillow’s Case-Shiller Forecast Is So Dependable
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Indices have long been a benchmark for measuring changes in home price appreciation nationwide and in many individual markets. But despite Case-Shiller’s reputation, weaknesses including an older methodology, limited footprint and substantial lag in timeliness make it fairly easy to predict, and open the door for newer measures like the Zillow Home Value Index to offer a more nuanced and timely look at the market.
