Recent Uptick in U.S. Homeownership Stalls in Q1 2017
After two consecutive quarterly gains, the recent upward swing of the U.S. homeownership rate stalled at the start of 2017.
Market Trends
Softwood Lumber Tariff Could Lift New Home Premiums by $2,000
An announced 20 percent tariff on Canadian lumber imports could cost buyers of new homes thousands of dollars in added materials costs, according to a Zillow analysis of lumber and home prices over time.
After Georgia’s Strict 2011 Immigration Law, New Home Premiums Surged
After Georgia enacted a law to crack down on illegal immigration and unauthorized immigrants, the new-home premium jumped sharply there while remaining flat in the rest of the country.
Empty Nest Households Are on the Rise
Pricey markets and those with weak labor markets have high concentrations of empty nests. Low densities of empty nests are found in booming cities with strong job markets, new family-oriented areas, and retirement communities.
Viewed from Beijing, Even Silicon Valley Housing Looks Affordable
Homes in China’s most expensive metros sell for thousands of dollars more per square meter than homes in San Francisco and San Jose. But incomes in those U.S. metros are four to five times higher than incomes in Beijing.
Down Payment the Top Hurdle Holding Back Would-Be Home Buyers
Saving a sufficient down payment is the biggest obstacle for renters looking to transition to homeownership, regardless of their age, income, gender or geography – a hurdle likely to get worse for many before it gets better.
Movin’ On Up: How Much More Will a Larger Home Cost per Month?
Growing families and households looking for more space this home-shopping season probably already anticipate paying more each month for that larger home. But just how much their monthly mortgage payments rise depends largely on where they’re looking to live and how much more space they want.
When Up Means Down: What Happened with Mortgage Interest Rates After the Fed’s Hike?
Why, when key benchmark interest rates as set by the Federal Reserve rose, did mortgage interest rates fall? The answer is two-fold.
Time to Tweak Regulations in Dodd-Frank, but Keep Homeowners Safe
My colleagues at Zillow and I created the Zestimate in 2006 just as the housing market was inflating into a bubble. Millions of estimated home values became a lens through which to watch the crash and subsequent recovery. Using that data, Zillow first reported from the rubble of the housing market bust that U.S. homeowners were underwater by more than a trillion dollars, and almost a third of homeowners with a mortgage owed more on their loans than their homes were worth.
Dismal Growth in Coal Country Home Values
Coal mining jobs stood at 57,919 in the middle of 2016, down a devastating 61.4 percent from 1990. And home values in coal-mining counties have been stagnant in recent years.
