According to ATTOM’s just released Q1 2025 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, 46.2 percent of mortgaged residential properties nationwide were equity-rich—defined as having combined loan balances amounting to no more than 50 percent of the property’s estimated market value. WATCH: ATTOM #figuresfriday Top 10 Equity-Rich ZIPs in Q1 2025 The latest home equity and underwater analysis compiled by ATTOM found the share of equity-rich homes declined from 47.7 percent in Q4 2024 and has fallen each quarter since peaking at 49.2 percent in Q2 of last year. Despite the decline, the rate remains historically high—nearly double the level seen in Q1 2020. ATTOM’s first-quarter home equity and underwater report noted that the decline in equity-rich properties was widespread, with 47 states seeing decreases from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025. However, compared to a year ago, the rate was still higher in 33 states —underscoring that this recent dip is …

It will come as no surprise to many that in 2024, the Ford F-Series truck was the best-selling vehicle in a majority of U.S. States.  Using data form Edmunds, today’s graphic from the Visual Capitalist illustrates the best selling car in every state.  Stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! Hat tip to the Visual Capitalist.     The post Best Selling Vehicles in Every State appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.

According to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI), home prices were up 3.9% from February 2024 to February 2025, after rising 0.1% in February.  The FHFA HPI is the nation’s only collection of public, freely available house price indexes that measure changes in single-family home values based on data from all 50 states and over 400 American cities that extend back to the mid-1970s. Click here to read the full report at the FHFA.   The post FHFA Says Home Prices Up 3.9% Year-Over-Year appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.

Americans are purchasing one-third as many vacation homes as they were during the pandemic buying boom. High prices and mortgage rates, along with the return of in-office work, have made the prospect of owning a second home less appealing than it once was.   U.S. homebuyers took out 86,604 mortgages for second homes in 2024, the lowest level in records dating back to 2018 and down 5% from a year earlier.  This is according to a Redfin analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data covering purchases of second homes, primary homes and investment properties from 2018 to 2024. The term “vacation home” is used interchangeably with “second home” in this report. There are more details on methodology at the end.  While mortgages for second homes dipped to a six-year low in 2024, the rate of decline slowed substantially from the two years prior. In 2022, second-home mortgages fell 42% year …

With new listings rising and pending sales declining, Redfin agents suggest sellers set their asking price fairly from the start to attract buyers and avoid price drops.  The median U.S. monthly housing payment hit an all-time high of $2,868 during the four weeks ending May 4. That’s due to two key factors: Home-sale prices are up 1.8% year over year, and the weekly average mortgage rate is 6.76%, down slightly from mid-April but elevated well above pandemic-era lows.  Those record-high housing costs, along with widespread economic uncertainty, are stunting this spring’s homebuying season. Mortgage-purchase applications increased last week, but they’re down 6% month over month. Additionally, pending home sales are down 3.9% year over year, the biggest decline in three months. A holiday effect is also pushing down sales; Easter fell into this year’s four-week period, but not last year’s comparable period. Still, some house hunters are hitting the pavement. …

According to their “advance” estimate, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis is reporting that America’s real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3% in Q4 2024. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.     The post GDP Down 0.3% in Q1 2025 appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.

According to the ADP National Employment Report for April, 2025, private sector employment increased by 62k jobs and annual pay was up 4.5% year-over-year. The ADP National Employment Report is an independent and high-frequency view of the private-sector labor market based on the aggregated and anonymized payroll data of more than 25 million U.S. employees. “Unease is the word of the day. Employers are trying to reconcile policy and consumer uncertainty with a run of mostly positive economic data…It can be difficult to make hiring decisions in such an environment”  Said ADP chief economist Dr. Nela Richardson. Click here to read the full report at ADP.     The post ADP National Employment Report – April 2025 appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.

In Denver and Seattle, families pay nearly as much for daycare as they do for rent–and they pay much more for daycare than rent if it’s for two children. The average monthly cost of sending one child to daycare in Denver is $1,434, equal to 83% of the typical rent payment ($1,720) in that metro area. Sending two kids to daycare in Denver costs $2,867, or 167% of the typical rent payment.  In Seattle, the average cost of sending one child to daycare is $1,660, equal to 80% of that metro area’s rent payment ($2,065). For two kids, that’s $2,320 for childcare, or 160% of rent.  Minneapolis comes next in terms of where childcare costs most relative to rent. The typical daycare cost in Minneapolis is $1,186, equal to 78% of the area’s typical rent cost of $1,526 (155% for two kids). Rounding out the top five are San Francisco …

The Rule of 72 By Jeffrey S. Watson A new investing colleague and I were talking about the “Rule of 72”. I explained what it is and how easy it is to make the calculation when you don’t have to consider the sticky fingers of the taxing authority when investments are made in Roth accounts, for example. The Rule of 72 is a simplified formula to calculate how long it will take for an investment to double in value: t ≈72/r, where t is the number of periods required to double an investment in value, and r is the interest rate per period as a percentage, not as a decimal. For example, if your investment is earning 12% a year, 72 ÷ 12 = 6, which means it would take approximately 6 years for your investment to double in value. Using my financial calculator, the Rule of 72, and my ideal rate of …

The latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index reported a 3.9% annual increase for February, 2025.  Their 10-City Composite increased 5.2% and their 20-City Composite increased 4.5%, year-over-year. “Even with mortgage rates remaining in the mid-6% range and affordability challenges lingering, home prices have shown notable resilience…Buyer demand has certainly cooled compared to the frenzied pace of prior years, but limited housing supply continues to underpin prices in most markets. Rather than broad declines, we are seeing a slower, more sustainable pace of price growth”   Said Nicholas Godec, CFA, CAIA, CIPM, Head of Fixed Income Tradables & Commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices. Click here to read the full report at S&P Dow Jones Indices.   The post S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Sees 3.9% Annual Gain in February appeared first on Real Estate Investing Today.