Video: May Bay Area Home Sales

Check out this short animation that highlights May real estate activity in the Bay Area. To read the full analysis by Pacific Union Chief Economist Selma Hepp, click here.  

Real Estate Roundup: California Posts the Nation’s Largest First-Quarter Home-Equity Gain

Here’s a look at recent news of interest to homebuyers, home sellers, and the home-curious. GOLDEN STATE HOMEOWNERS ADD MORE THAN $50,000 IN HOME EQUITY Sustained home price appreciation pushed home-equity gains up significantly in Western states in the first quarter, with California at the front of the pack. That’s according to CoreLogic’s latest Homeowner Equity Insights report, which says that the average California homeowner...

Pacific Union's May 2018 Real Estate Update

Homebuyer demand remained strong in May, with properties selling faster than they did one year ago in every Northern California region in which Pacific Union operates except for Sonoma Valley. Homes sold in less than three weeks in the East Bay, Contra Costa County, Silicon Valley, and the Mid-Peninsula. Click on the image accompanying each of our regions below for an expanded look at local...

Residents Are Overwhelmingly Happy With Their Homeowner Associations, Survey Finds

More than eight in 10 residents who pay homeowner association dues describe themselves as satisfied with their living situations. Ninety percent of those who live in communities governed by an HOA believe that the guidelines protect or at least do not detract from their property’s value. Residents say that living in a clean and attractive community is the top benefit of paying HOA dues. Monthly...

Homeownership Is the Main Source of Wealth for Americans

Americans’ primary residences account for about 25 percent of their overall wealth, more than any other asset. Homeownership remains a cornerstone of the American Dream and also helps build strong communities and drive the U.S. economy. Nationwide, the homeownership rate remains below its long-term average of 66.3 percent. June is National Homeownership Month, and with it comes several reminders as to why owning a home...

As Summer Nears, Homeowners Have Outdoor Parties in Mind

Two-thirds of homeowners who are improving their outdoor spaces expect to spend more time outside, and just more than half say that they will entertain guests more often. As in 2017, fire pits are projected to be the most popular outdoor design amenity this year, cited by 66 percent of landscaping professionals. Of all outdoor home-improvement projects, adding native and drought-tolerant plants is expected to...

Real Estate Roundup: Which Silicon Valley Town Is America’s Wealthiest?

Here’s a look at recent news of interest to homebuyers, home sellers, and the home-curious. LOS ALTOS HILLS: THE MOST AFFLUENT COMMUNITY IN THE U.S. While Forbes ranked Atherton as the country’s priciest housing market as of late 2017, residents of nearby Los Altos Hills are actually the nation’s wealthiest. A 24/7 Wall St. analysis puts the median household income in Los Altos Hills at...

Where Will Mortgage Rates Land?

Executive Summary: Thirty-year, fixed-rate mortgages in 2018 have been rising at the fastest pace in 50 years and reached 4.66 percent for the week ended May 24 before dropping to 4.56 percent this week. However, mortgage rates did not increase proportionally to the federal funds rate determined by the Federal Reserve because they are determined by longer-term economic factors beyond solely the influence of central...

Video: May 2018 U.S. Jobs Report

Check out this short animation on today’s solid U.S. jobs report. To read the full analysis by Pacific Union Chief Economist Selma Hepp, click here.