Seattle

Is Your City Building Enough Housing? Weighing Today’s Housing Promises Versus Past Housing Delivery

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. But are these plans enough, and are they feasible?

Sarah Mikhitarian • Oct 19 2016

It’s Time to Move Forward with ST3: Vote Yes on Sound Transit Proposition 1

At Zillow, we know that investing in transit today means making a down payment on housing affordability tomorrow. That's why it’s time for our region to invest in the down payment for smart growth represented by the ST3 plan, and vote in favor of Sound Transit Proposition 1 on November’s ballot.

angelag • Oct 18 2016

Zillow Rent Forecast: Expected Rental Growth Will Vary Widely From City-to-City, Even Within the Same Metro

Annual growth in median rents nationwide has slowed considerably from last summer’s breakneck pace, offering some relief to renters struggling to pay less money to their landlords and put more money into savings for a home purchase. But just because rental growth is slowing down, doesn’t mean it’s not still growing – and incredibly quickly – in some of the nation’s hottest markets, according to the Zillow Rent Forecast, contributing to continued affordability concerns.

Svenja Gudell • Oct 07 2016

August 2016 Market Report: Steady as it Goes

From 10,000 feet, the U.S. housing market has been nothing if not predictable in 2016 – inventory has been down, home values have grown at a remarkably steady pace and sellers have largely been sitting pretty. None of these trends shifted meaningfully in August, though there are a precious few signs emerging that hint at potential changes on the horizon.

Svenja Gudell • Sep 22 2016

Some Western Boomtowns Buck the National Trend in Homeownership

The homeownership rate in the United States has declined steadily over the past decade, touching 50-year lows in early 2016. But some booming and still relatively affordable parts of the country are bucking the national trend, according to an analysis of 2015 American Community Survey data.

Aaron Terrazas • Sep 15 2016

Coming and Going: What Home Views Do, and Don’t, Reveal About Our Potential Moves

In fashion, as it has been famously said, you’re either in or you’re out. And real estate is often the same way in certain markets, with more people either looking to move in – based on their home searches on Zillow – or looking to move out.

Lauren Bretz • Sep 09 2016

Zillow Housing Confidence Index: Homeowners Got Swagger, But Buyers Increasingly Discouraged

Homeowners have a lot of swagger in today’s market, and for good reason – home values are rising, demand is high and homes are selling very quickly. But the same trends helping to buoy homeowner confidence are also proving increasingly discouraging for potential buyers, particularly among current renters, a critical imbalance that could have important impacts on the market going forward.

Svenja Gudell • Sep 01 2016

Q2 2016 Negative Equity Report: Why Cities and Suburbs Are Only Sometimes Impacted Similarly

At its worst, negative equity touched all kinds of homeowners in all kinds of markets. The type of community a given home was in – urban or suburban – mattered little. Fast-forward a few years, and the relative vibrancy of a given community and how it has performed over the past few years, and not necessarily its location in the city or suburbs, matters a great deal.

Svenja Gudell • Aug 17 2016

Q2 2016 Market Report: Tight Inventory Leads to a Need for Speed

It’s well known that a lack of homes for sale is limiting home buyers’ choices this home shopping season. But this inventory shortage is also contributing to another home buying hurdle – along with limited options, buyers also have increasingly limited time to make a decision on a home purchase.

Svenja Gudell • Jul 21 2016

Luxury Apartment Rent Growth Slowing

After growing at a blistering pace for much of 2015, apartment rents across the county are growing at a slower pace thus far in 2016 – and the slowdown has been particularly dramatic on luxury apartment rent in higher-end ZIP codes.

Aaron Terrazas • Jun 07 2016