Video: April Bay Area Home Sales

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

Pacific Union’s April 2018 Real Estate Update

All Bay Area regions in which Pacific Union operates posted year-over-year median home price increases in April, except Napa County, which saw slight annual depreciation. Six regions saw double-digit percentage-point annual appreciation, led by Sonoma Valley, where prices grew by 39 percent. Click on the image accompanying each of our regions below for an expanded look at local real estate activity in April. CONTRA COSTA...

California Surpasses the U.K. as the Fifth-Largest Global Economy

Robust 2017 economic growth in California helped push the state to the world’s fifth-largest economy, surpassing the United Kingdom. Only the U.S., China, Japan, and Germany now have larger economies than California. The size of California’s economy is a little more than one-tenth of the size of China’s economy. In 2017, California’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached $2.747 trillion, up by $127 billion from 2016....

Video: California Is Now the World’s Fifth-Largest Economy

Check out this short animation that highlights California’s new global economic standing. To read the full analysis by Pacific Union Chief Economist Selma Hepp, click here.  

Real Estate Roundup: Bay Area Homeowners Begin 2018 as the Nation’s Most Equity-Rich

Here’s a look at recent news of interest to homebuyers, home sellers, and the home-curious. SAN JOSE, SAN FRANCISCO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE NATION’S MOST EQUITY-RICH HOMEOWNERS As Pacific Union published in its first-quarter 2018 real estate report, single-family home prices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley posted substantial annual home price gains — 25.5 percent and 19.5 percent, respectively. And that type of appreciation...

Which Small Bay Area Cities Rank Among the Nation’s Most Livable in 2018?

For the fifth consecutive year, Palo Alto ranks among the 10 most livable small to medium-sized American cities. Berkeley counts among the top 20 best places to live in 2018, coming in at No. 13. In total, Bay Area cities represent about 10 percent of the country’s most livable cities. An aerial view of Palo Alto and Stanford University Although real estate prices in Palo...

Video: April U.S. Jobs Report

Check out this short animation that offers highlights of April’s U.S. jobs report. To read the full analysis by Pacific Union Chief Economist Selma Hepp, click here.  

U.S. Unemployment Rate Falls to the Lowest Level in Nearly 18 Years in April

Today’s national employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase of 164,000 jobs in April, which continues tight labor market conditions. The unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, the lowest level since December 2000. The positive indicators in the report are continued job growth across various sectors and diminishing labor-market slack among workers employed part-time who report wanting full-time work. Wage...

California Is the Top U.S. State for Having Fun

California ranks No. 1 in the nation in a new study of the best places in American to have fun. The Golden State has the most restaurants, movie theaters, and fitness centers per resident in the nation. California has 40 times more performing-arts venues than some other states. While California’s booming job market and temperate year-round climate are definitely big draws, the fact that our...