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Experts: 2017 Looks to be the Year in Which Rising Mortgage Rates Finally Impact Home Value Growth

For years, falling interest rates have been a boon to the U.S. housing market, keeping monthly mortgage payments low for first-time buyers and move-up buyers alike, even as home values rose. But in 2017, rising mortgage interest rates will have the opposite effect and are set to have a larger impact than any other housing trend this year, according to the Q1 2017 Zillow Home Price Expectations survey (ZHPE).

Svenja Gudell • Feb 10 2017

Q4 2016 Homeownership Rate: Western Home Buyers Help 2016 End on a High Note

After reaching its lowest point in decades mid-way through 2016, the U.S. homeownership rate registered two straight quarterly gains and finished the year at 63.7 percent, according to U.S. Census Bureau.

Aaron Terrazas • Feb 03 2017

Rapid Reaction: January Jobs Report

The U.S. economy added 227,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.8 percent as more people entered the labor force, according to the January jobs report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Svenja Gudell • Feb 03 2017

Q4 2016 Breakeven Horizon: Why it May Start Taking Longer to Profit on a Home Purchase in Pricey Markets

An expected slowdown in the pace of home value growth in a number of pricey, fast-moving markets means it may take longer going forward to break even financially when buying a home in those areas compared to renting it.

Skylar Olsen • Feb 02 2017

December Case-Shiller Forecast: Monthly Growth Expected to Cool, Annual Acceleration to Continue

Seasonally adjusted monthly growth in the S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller home price indices is expected to cool off from its currently torrid pace in December, while annual growth continues to accelerate, according to Zillow’s December Case-Shiller forecast.

Svenja Gudell • Jan 31 2017

November Case-Shiller: Defying Expectations, Home Price Growth Continues to Speed Up

National home price growth accelerated in November, exceeding expectations, as robust home buyer demand and inadequate supply of homes for sale continued to drive the market up, according to the November S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller indices.

Svenja Gudell • Jan 31 2017

Rapid Reaction: Q4 2016 GDP

U.S. real Gross Domestic Product rose 1.9 percent in Q4 2016, according to advance estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, down from 3.5 percent growth recorded in Q3.

Svenja Gudell • Jan 27 2017

Local Opportunities: Finding Relatively Affordable Housing, Even in Largely Unaffordable Markets

Some of the metros with the best job prospects are also the ones with the least affordable housing, making it difficult for new residents – especially renters – to get a toehold in the housing market. But even within these very expensive metros, pockets of relative affordability do exist at a city level, offering some hope for new residents and would-be job seekers.

Sarah Mikhitarian • Jan 27 2017

Key Takeaways from the December New Home Sales Report

New home sales fell 10.4 percent in December to 536,000 units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), the largest month-over-month decline since March 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau

Aaron Terrazas • Jan 26 2017

Rapid Reaction: December New Home Sales

December new home sales fell 10.4 percent from November, to 536,000 (SAAR), and finished 2016 down 0.4 percent year-over-year. Initially reported data from October and November was revised upward by a combined 14,000 sales.

Svenja Gudell • Jan 26 2017