A growing percentage of homeowners owe less than half of their homes total value, according to recent analysis.

"The hot housing market has not just meant windfalls for sellers. It's also increasing the percentage of homeowners who are 'equity-rich,'" reports Andy Medici, sharing findings of a new study by property database Attom Data Solutions LLC.
"About 34.4% of residential properties in the United States were 'equity-rich' in the second quarter of 2021, which means the total loans on the property were half or less than half of the property's total value. That's up from 31.2% in the first quarter of 2021 and up from 27.5% in the second quarter of 2020," explains Medici of the report's findings.
Just 4.1 percemt of homes are underwater, "down from 5.2% during the first quarter of 2021 and down from 6.2% during the same time in 2020."
Around the country, Arizona saw the biggest jump in its portion of equity-rich homes. Maryland was the only state in the country that saw its percentage of equity-rich homes slip in the last quarter.
FULL STORY: Covid-19-fueled market leads to more equity-rich homeowners

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Tenant Advocates: Rent Gouging Rampant After LA Wildfires
The Rent Brigade says it's found evidence of thousands of likely instances of rent gouging. In some cases, the landlords accused of exploiting the fires had made campaign donations to those responsible for enforcement.

Seattle’s Upzoning Plan is Ambitious, Light on Details
The city passed a ‘bare-bones’ framework to comply with state housing laws that paves the way for more middle housing, but the debate over how and where to build is just getting started.

DOJ Seeks to End USDOT Affirmative Action Program
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program encouraged contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses in the transportation sector, where these groups are vastly underrepresented.
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