National Home Values Hit Highest Peak Since 2007, Zillow

Seattle, WA, May 25, 2017-National home values have surpassed the peak hit during the housing bubble and are at their highest value in more than a decade, according to the April Zillow Real Estate Market Reports. The median home value in the U.S. is now $198,000, 1% higher than peak value hit in 2007.

Home values across the country rose 7.3% since last April, the strongest rate of appreciation in more than ten years. Seattle, Dallas and Tampa reported the greatest home value growth over the past year. Home values in Seattle rose almost 12%, to a median home value of $432,300. Dallas and Tampa home values rose 11% year-over-year.

When the housing market crashed a decade ago, home values plummeted and it has taken about ten years for median home values to reach prior peaks. However, some markets' median home values recovered more quickly than others. Among the 32 largest U.S. metros, ten markets saw their median home value exceed prior bubble peaks more than a year ago, while 17 have yet to regain peak value.

"Now that the typical U.S. home is worth more than ever, people may be tempted to ask if we're in another national housing bubble," said Zillow chief economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. "We aren't in a bubble, and won't be entering one anytime soon. There are big differences between the market then and the market now: Then, loose credit, speculation and overbuilding were ingredients in a recipe for disaster. Now, healthy home buyer demand is being driven largely by a stable economy and demographic tailwinds, which is exactly what we would expect in a healthy market. Supply has been slow to catch up to this demand, which is causing home values to grow at a faster clip than we might otherwise expect. Beyond that, the market's fundamentals look largely healthy. Homes are largely more affordable in most markets today than they were prior to the bust, and will remain so for the foreseeable future, even if mortgage rates rise. Americans clearly continue to see the value in homeownership, especially young Americans, which bodes well for the future."

Median rent across the nation rose 0.7% since last April, to a median payment of $1,412 per month. Seattle, Sacramento, California and Los Angeles reporting the greatest year-over-year rent appreciation among the 35 largest U.S. metros. Rents in Seattle are up 6% to a Zillow Rent Indexii (ZRI) of $2,114. Rents in Sacramento are up almost 5 percent, while Los Angeles rents are up 4%.

One of the greatest hurdles for home shoppers this summer will be low inventory. There are 8% fewer homes on the market than a year ago, with Minneapolis, Columbus, Ohio and Seattle reporting the greatest drop. There are 27% fewer homes on the market than a year ago in Minneapolis and Columbus, and 20% fewer in Seattle.

In April, mortgage rates on Zillow ended at 3.83%, the lowest month-ending rate since October 2016. Mortgage rates in April hit a high of 3.88% in the first few weeks of the month, with the month low at 3.74%. Zillow's real-time mortgage rates are based on thousands of custom mortgage quotes submitted daily to anonymous borrowers on the Zillow Mortgages site and reflect the most recent changes in the market.