Housing Market News
Americans Have Gained $2 Trillion in Home Value During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The value of homes in the U.S. has surged 6.7% to $31.4 trillion since February despite skyrocketing unemployment triggered by the pandemic—further widening the wealth
In Areas at High Risk for Wildfires, Relative Affordability Lures Homebuyers
In the past eight years, the price difference between low-risk and high-risk areas has flipped—from a 2.5% premium in high-risk areas in 2012 to a
Condo Prices Climb 5.4% in August, Lagging 11.9% Growth for Single-Family Homes
Condos are facing relatively slow price growth as remote work, the desire for privacy and record-low mortgage rates make single-family homes more desirable during the coronavirus pandemic. But condos could make a comeback if single-family home prices continue to surge.

America’s Housing Shortage Is Intensifying During the Pandemic—Especially in Relatively Affordable Places Like San Antonio and Baltimore
Relatively affordable places including San Antonio and Baltimore have seen housing supply plummet, while San Francisco has experienced a flood of homes for sale as Americans flee dense, expensive cities
Homebuyers on a $2,500 Monthly Budget Can Afford $33,000 More With Low Mortgage Rates, But Higher Home Prices Cancel Out Increase
Historically low rates are motivating homebuyers even though prices were up 8.2% year over year in July, effectively cancelling out the increase in purchasing power.
A Quarter of San Francisco Home Sellers Are Dropping Their Prices, the Highest Rate on Record
San Francisco has seen a greater increase in price drops than any other U.S. metro, with the share of sellers slashing prices more than doubling from a year ago as the pandemic drives homebuyers out of the Bay Area.
Homes in Highly Rated School Zones Cost 35% More Than the Average U.S. Home. But the Premium Is Much Smaller in Some Parts of the Country.
The typical U.S. home located in a highly rated school zone costs $580,000, which is 35% more than $430,000 for the typical home overall, regardless
Housing and Childcare Consume More Than Half of the Typical U.S. Family’s Income–But Costs Vary Widely by Metro
Where a family lives can change the affordability equation: housing and childcare consume 40% of the typical working family’s income in Little Rock, compared with
First-Time Buyers Catch a Break As Affordability For U.S. Starter Homes Improves Slightly Faster Than Overall Market
Starter-home affordability is improving: The income needed to afford a typical U.S. starter home is down 1.5% from a year ago, marking eight straight months
The Income Needed to Afford Typical American Home Holds Steady Near Record High of $110,000
Housing costs keep rising, but so do incomes, leaving the income required to afford a home largely unchanged from last year’s record high. The income
From Bust to Boom: San Francisco Home Prices Are Now $1 Million Higher Than Housing-Crash Bottom
San Francisco’s median home-sale price dropped to a low of $625,000 in the aftermath of the Great Recession; since then, it has risen over $1
Affordable, Inland College Towns Buck National Trends, Seeing Double-Digit Home Price Growth and Fast Sales
Morgantown, WV, Syracuse, NY and Tuscaloosa, AL, lead U.S. college towns in home-price growth, all posting double-digit year-over-year climbs. The most expensive college towns—Santa Barbara,