Homeowners Are Going Underwater Again

The narrative about the full recovery of the real estate market from the housing market crash of 2008 is only true in some parts of the country. In fact, an increasing number of homeowners owe more than their homes are worth.

1 minute read

March 22, 2015, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Foreclosure Sign

taberandrew / Flickr

"Despite an overall housing recovery, it’s suddenly becoming more common in several of the nation’s largest cities for homeowners to owe more on their home than it’s worth," according to an article by Darla Cameron and Ted Mellnik.

The article cites a new report from Zillow, which found that the national negative equity rate stalled in the fourth quarter of 2014 for the first time in 2.5 years. Over that time period, "the rate worsened in 21 of the nation’s top 50 housing markets, including Philadelphia, Boston and Houston," report Cameron and Mellnik.

Over a quarter of homeowners are underwater in the metropolitan areas of Virginia Beach, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Chicago and Memphis. The article includes charts to visualize the ongoing evolution of the problem.

Friday, March 20, 2015 in The Washington Post - Wonkblog

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