Homes Have Never Been More Valuable Than They Are Now

The national median home value has careened to over $200,000 for the first time, with a 7.4 percent annual gain rocketing it to a new high of $200,400, according to the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) in the June Zillow® Real Estate Market Reports. Values in 10 of the 35 major metropolitan areas assessed by Zillow are now within the $200,000 range.
 
Values are on a swift upswing due to low levels of supply and spiking demand. There are now 11 percent fewer homes for sale compared to one year ago, the Reports show.
 
"The national housing market remains red hot and shows no signs of slowing, even as some local markets like the Bay Area have noticeably cooled," says Dr. Svenja Gudell, chief economist at Zillow. "But even in areas where the housing market has slowed, home values are at or very near peak levels, selection is limited, demand is high and competition is fierce."
 
Of the markets assessed, values in 13 are still below the national median: Cleveland, Ohio ($134,600); Pittsburgh, Pa. ($137,400); Indianapolis, Ind. ($138,100); Detroit, Mich. ($141,000); St. Louis, Mo. ($148,600); Cincinnati, Ohio ($152,600); Kansas City, Mo. ($159,400); Columbus, Ohio ($162,500); San Antonio, Texas ($162,700); Charlotte, N.C. ($174,800); Houston, Texas ($178,400); Atlanta, Ga. ($179,900); and Tampa, Fla. ($185,700).
 
Twelve of the markets assessed, however, are far removed, with some sustaining values at least three times higher than the national median: San Jose, Calif. ($1,013,700); San Francisco, Calif., ($854,300); Los-Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif. ($609,800); San Diego, Calif. ($548,000); Seattle, Wash. ($447,100); Boston, Mass. ($427,700); New York, N.Y. ($422,300); Washington, D.C. ($382,600); Denver, Colo. ($370,000); Sacramento, Calif. ($369,200); Portland, Ore. ($367,400); and Riverside, Calif. ($328,800).
 
The national median rent in the Zillow Rent Index (ZRI), meanwhile, has posted an annual gain of 1.1 percent, with the median rent totaling $1,422.
 
"Given these high costs and high competition, the most important thing you can do is get your finances in order so you know what you can comfortably afford, and find an agent who has experience with bidding wars and will help you stand out in a competitive market, especially if you're buying for the first time," Gudell says.
 
For more information, please visit www.zillow.com.
 
Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia's online news editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at sdevita@rismedia.com.

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2017. All rights reserved.