U.S. Home Values Nationwide Surpass 2007 Market Peak

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Median U.S. home value is $198,000, 1 percent higher than 2007 peak value

According to the April 2017 Zillow Real Estate Market Report, national U.S. home values have surpassed the peak hit during the housing bubble and are at their highest value in more than a decade. The median home value in the U.S. is now $198,000, 1 percent higher than peak value hit in 2007.

Home values across the country rose 7.3 percent since last April, the strongest rate of appreciation in more than 10 years. Seattle, Dallas and Tampa reported the greatest home value growth over the past year. Home values in Seattle rose almost 12 percent, to a median home value of $432,300. Dallas and Tampa home values rose 11 percent year-over-year.

When the housing market crashed a decade ago, home values plummeted and it has taken about 10 years for median home values to reach prior peaks. However, some markets median home values recovered more quickly than others. Among the 32 largest U.S. metros, 10 markets saw their median home value exceed prior bubble peaks more than a year ago, while 17 have yet to regain peak value.

"Now that the typical U.S. home is worth more than ever, people may be tempted to ask if we're in another national housing bubble," said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. "We aren't in a bubble, and won't be entering one anytime soon. There are big differences between the market then and the market now: Then, loose credit, speculation and overbuilding were ingredients in a recipe for disaster. Now, healthy home buyer demand is being driven largely by a stable economy and demographic tailwinds, which is exactly what we would expect in a healthy market. Supply has been slow to catch up to this demand, which is causing home values to grow at a faster clip than we might otherwise expect. Beyond that, the market's fundamentals look largely healthy. Homes are largely more affordable in most markets today than they were prior to the bust, and will remain so for the foreseeable future, even if mortgage rates rise. Americans clearly continue to see the value in homeownership, especially young Americans, which bodes well for the future."

Median rent across the nation rose 0.7 percent since last April, to a median payment of $1,412 per month. Seattle, Sacramento, Calif. and Los Angeles reporting the greatest year-over-year rent appreciation among the 35 largest U.S. metros. Rents in Seattle are up 6 percent to a Zillow Rent Index (ZRI) of $2,114. Rents in Sacramento are up almost 5 percent, while Los Angeles rents are up 4 percent.

One of the greatest hurdles for home shoppers this summer will be low inventory. There are 8 percent fewer homes on the market than a year ago, with Minneapolis, Columbus, Ohio and Seattle reporting the greatest drop. There are 27 percent fewer homes on the market than a year ago in Minneapolis and Columbus, and 20 percent fewer in Seattle.

In April, mortgage rates on Zillow ended at 3.83 percent, the lowest month-ending rate since October 2016. Mortgage rates in April hit a high of 3.88 percent in the first few weeks of the month, with the month low at 3.74 percent. Zillow's real-time mortgage rates are based on thousands of custom mortgage quotes submitted daily to anonymous borrowers on the Zillow Mortgages site and reflect the most recent changes in the market.