U.S. Employment Rises in November, but Wage Growth Remains Weak

Today’s U.S. employment report offered another solid month of job gains, with 228,000 positions added and the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.1 percent. November was the 86th consecutive month of job growth, and the gains were above experts’ expectations. There have been 2.07 million jobs created over the last year. Continued solid gains in employment coupled with steady consumer spending and improved business investment...

Most Bay Area Housing Markets Are Not Overvauled

Home prices grew by 7.6 percent in California and 7.9 percent in the San Francisco metropolitan area on an annual basis in October. The San Francisco, San Rafael, Napa, Vallejo, and Oakland metro area housing markets are currently considered within their normal value ranges, while Santa Rosa and San Jose are overvalued. By 2022, all Bay Area housing markets except San Rafael are projected to...

Where Bay Area Homebuyers Are Paying the Biggest Premiums

Anyone who is shopping for a home in the Bay Area’s most coveted enclaves should be prepared for stiff competition from other buyers. As discussed in Pacific Union’s recent San Francisco Bay Area Real Estate and Economic Outlook to 2020, 65 percent of local homes have sold for more than asking price so far this year, up from 62 percent in 2016. To find out...

Video: Highlights From Pacific Union’s Los Angeles Real Estate and Economic Forecast to 2020

On Nov. 29, Pacific Union held its first annual Los Angeles Real Estate and Economic Outlook for 2020 at the Skirball Cultural Center. The short video clip below features some of the event’s highlights, and or you can view the full, one-hour presentation here. Also, check out this analysis from Pacific Union Chief Economist Selma Hepp, which offers key takeaways from the event.

Real Estate Roundup: Bay Area Cities Are Among the Nation’s Most Recession-Recovered

 Here’s a look at recent news of interest to homebuyers, home sellers, and the home-curious. HOME PRICE GAINS PROPEL BAY AREA CITIES’ FORTUNES POSTRECESSION A combination of rising home prices and incomes have helped three Bay Area cities make excellent recoveries from the recession that began a decade ago. That’s according to an analysis by SmartAsset, which ranked the U.S. cities that have recovered the...

U.S. Housing Inventory Crunch to Ease in 2018, Forecast Says

More housing supply is expected to hit the market by next fall, though the inventory of starter homes will be slower to improve. The U.S. median home sales price is projected to increase by 3.2 percent in 2018, down from 5.5 percent this year. Home prices in the are projected to increase by a respective 5.14 percent and 4.37 percent in the San Francisco and...

Bay Area Claims Four of the Five Priciest U.S. Real Estate Markets in 2017

Atherton, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, and Ross ZIP codes are among the five most expensive places to purchase a home in the U.S. this year. Nine of the 20 priciest U.S. real estate markets are located in California. Homes in Atherton and Los Altos Hills are staying on the market for longer than they did at the same time last year. In what will...

Key Takeaways From Pacific Union’s Los Angeles Real Estate and Economic Forecast to 2020

On Nov. 29, Pacific Union held its first annual Los Angeles Real Estate and Economic Forecast in partnership with John Burns Real Estate Consulting in order to project market activity through 2020. Below are some key, high-level takeaways from the live event. Both short-term and medium-term, most housing markets across the country remain at low to normal risk. Mortgage rates are projected to grow by...

The Best Bay Area and Lake Tahoe Winter 2017 Events and Activities

Ice-skaters at San Francisco’s Union Square. Winter is indeed coming, and lucky for us, Northern California offers an abundance of activities and events in which to participate, year-round. We’ve collected a few ideas that may inspire you to strap on some skates, slap on the skis, or even head out to a parade. San Francisco Holiday Ice Rink Taking a spin around the Holiday Ice...