• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
FinanceHousing

The housing market boom has at least another year to run, Zillow economists predict

By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Former Real Estate Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Former Real Estate Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 24, 2022, 10:18 AM ET

The data is clear: The pandemic housing boom—which has seen U.S. home prices soar 19.8% over the past year—is finally losing some steam.

What’s going on? Soaring mortgage rates, which have climbed from 3.11% to 5.25% over the past five months, are leading to what economists call “demand destruction.” It’s easy to see why some would-be homebuyers are backing off. If a borrower took out a $500,000 mortgage at 3.11%, they’d owe $2,138 per month. The exact same mortgage at a 5.25% rate would have a $2,761 payment, or an additional $244,400 over the course of the 30-year loan.

But the housing boom isn’t dead in the water just yet. At least according to Zillow’s revised housing forecast.

While the forecast Zillow published this month is a downward revision from the one it published in April, it’s still fairly bullish. Over the coming 12 months, the Seattle-based real estate firm predicts that U.S. home prices will climb 11.6%. That’s down from its previous forecast of a 14.9% year-over-year rate, but it would still mark an appreciation level that is more than double the average rate (4.6%) posted since 1987.

It also marks the second consecutive downward revision: Back in March, Zillow was predicting home prices would spike 17.8% over the coming year.

“These downwardly revised projections would still represent a very strong housing market in the coming year. In the history of the Zillow Home Value Index, which dates back to 2000, annual growth has only exceeded the current year-ahead projection of 11.6% during this recent run of record-breaking growth, and during a several-month stretch in 2005,” write the Zillow economists.

The reason for the downward revision? Zillow cites spiking mortgage rates, rising inventory, and slowing home sales.

That said, Zillow’s forecast model remains bullish as a result of buyer demand. Through the rest of the year, it expects home sales to remain strong, ultimately hitting 5.7 million in 2022. While that would be down 6.4% from last year’s 6.1 million homes sold—the highest since 2006—it would still represent an elevated demand for homes. For perspective, during the 2010 decade, annual home sales averaged 5 million flat.

When does Zillow think the housing boom will fizzle out?

“The housing market is expected to return to pre-pandemic, 2019 norms—at least in terms of inventory and the share of purchases made by first-time home buyers—by 2024,” wrote Zillow researchers on Tuesday as they assessed their findings from their monthly poll of “housing market experts.”

Not everyone agrees with Zilow’s bullish outlook. Look no further than real-estate research firm CoreLogic. Over the coming 12 months, CoreLogic predicts that U.S. home prices will rise 5.9%. If CoreLogic’s prediction comes to fruition, it would see a return to a historically normal rate of growth.

Also, Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi doesn’t agree with Zillow’s assessment. Zandi tells Fortune he expects U.S. home prices to be flat over the coming year, and could even fall 5% to 10% in America’s most “overvalued” housing markets.

Another reason to be skeptical of Zillow's prediction: affordability.

Over the past two years, U.S. home prices have soared a staggering 34.4%. That far outpaces U.S. income growth during the same period. As a result, Moody's Analytics told Fortune last month that 96% of regional housing markets are now "overvalued" relative to local incomes. In a paper titled “Real-time market monitoring finds signs of brewing U.S. housing bubble," Dallas Fed researchers say that for the first-time since the ’00s housing bubble we're amid a housing market that has become detached from fundamentals.

If you’re hungry for more housing data, follow me on Twitter at @NewsLambert.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Lance LambertFormer Real Estate Editor
Twitter icon

Lance Lambert is a former Fortune editor who contributes to the Fortune Analytics newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

mortgage
Real Estatemortgages
Mortgage rate rises to 6.52% from 6.48%, near yearlong high
By Alex Veiga and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
1 hour ago
SpaceX valuation now at over $2 trillion as stock climbs to $165 a share: Live updates from the IPO debut
InvestingSpaceX
SpaceX valuation now at over $2 trillion as stock climbs to $165 a share: Live updates from the IPO debut
By Catherina GioinoJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
Roche and Nestlé fear talent crunch as Switzerland puts population cap to the polls
EuropeSwitzerland
Roche and Nestlé fear talent crunch as Switzerland puts population cap to the polls
By Sam ForsdickJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
Current price of Bitcoin for June 12, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for June 12, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
4 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks June 12, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on June 12, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
7 hours ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
Success
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
By Catherina GioinoJune 11, 2026
23 hours ago
Meet the SpaceX employees who are set to become multimillionaires thanks to its IPO: from execs to even welders
Success
Meet the SpaceX employees who are set to become multimillionaires thanks to its IPO: from execs to even welders
By Preston ForeJune 11, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.