Bloomberg reports today that nearly one-third of homebuyers over the past five years are now underwater:
Almost one-third of U.S. homeowners who bought in the last five years now owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth, according to Zillow.com, an Internet provider of home valuations.
Second-quarter home prices fell 9.9 percent from a year earlier, giving 29 percent of owners negative equity, said Zillow, the Seattle-based service that offers values for more than 80 million homes. For those who bought at the 2006 peak of the housing market, 45 percent are now underwater, Zillow said.
I guess it’s simply what you get when you combine over-priced pineapples with sponge-for-brains speculators.
Source:
One Third of New Owners Owe More Than House Is Worth
Bob Ivry
Bloomberg
August 12, 2008