Blog Posts by Zillow

[Editor's note: This is one in a pair of guest posts about the tight residential housing market, written by Zillow's chief economist, Stan Humphries. This part talks about why there's a shortage; the other part predicts how and when the inventory will loosen.]

The shortage of available homes for sale has become a major trend in advance of the busy spring home shopping season.

The overall number of homes listed for sale nationwide on Zillow was down 16.6 percent year-over-year in late February. The drop in available homes for sale follows a similar downward trend exhibited in January, when the number of homes listed for sale nationwide on Zillow was down 17.5 percent year-over-year.

Understanding when the inventory shortage will fully lift requires an understanding of what’s causing the squeeze in the first place.

Drowning In Negative Equity

By far the largest single factor contributing to the shortage of homes on the market is the overall number of homeowners with negative equity,

Read More »from Zillow looks at the latest housing squeeze

Welcome to Yahoo! Homes of the Week, powered by Zillow. Each week we spotlight homes for sale at a specific price point. This week we're looking at homes for sale for around $525,000. See even more homes for about $525,000 at Zillow Blog.

Other recent price points we've looked at:

• Homes for $250,000
• Homes for $450,000
• Homes for $200,000

San Francisco, CA
1015 Brazil Ave, San Francisco, CA
For sale: $525,000

Location, location, location. This 894-square-foot home is steps from McLaren Park, shops on Mission, and neighborhood schools. The 1902 home comes with original hardwood floors and a fully renovated kitchen. Built-in storage and a backyard garden also maximize the living space.

Click here, on the photo, or on the address to see this San Francisco home's details as well as many more pictures.

Read More »from Zillow Homes of the Week: Homes for $525,000 across the nation

[Yahoo! Homes editor's note: This is a guest post by Jacqueline Shannon of Zillow.]

The residential real estate market is finally rebounding. The overall economy is improving. New families are being created at a brisk pace. But the number of homes currently on the market has dramatically declined over the past year, especially in the usual highly desirable areas. In San Francisco, inventory is down 47 percent; Silicon Valley, 45 percent; San Diego, 30 percent; Chicago, 26; and Washington, D.C., 19.

Love letters

What’s all that spell? In those and other hot markets, we’re back to the days of camping out all night to get a shot at a house in a new development. Here come all-cash offers and multiple bids well over listing price. Add in stirring emotional letters to sellers from buyers who want to stand out from all the other bidders. Here’s one

Read More »from How a love letter can seal the real estate deal

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

By Brendon DeSimone, special to Yahoo! Homes via Zillow

Has anyone died in this house? When a buyer is interested in a home, this “out of left field” question is occasionally asked of real estate agents. Some people and cultures have strong superstitions and won’t go near a house for sale if it’s suspected that someone died there -- even if it was from natural causes.

Many agents are obligated to answer truthfully, if they haven’t already disclosed that information.

One would assume that a death in the home would be an immediate disclosure, just as important as work done without a permit, a leaky roof, or the neighbor who is about to build a mega mansion that could affect your light. But that’s not always the case.

There is currently a case in Pennsylvania that may make it all the way to the state’s Supreme Court, if the unsuspecting buyer gets her way. In this case, the out-of-town buyer purchased and moved into a home in Thornton, Pa., where soon after, a neighbor revealed that a

Read More »from A death in the house: What’s your right to know?