Latest news with #RobBarber
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. HOME VACANCY RATE STEADY FOR 13th STRAIGHT QUARTER
Nationwide Home Vacancy Rate at 1.3 Percent for More than Three Years; Proportion of Zombie Homes Rose Year-Over-Year IRVINE, Calif., May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property data, and real estate analytics, today released its second-quarter 2025 Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report showing that 1.4 million (1,382,480) residential properties, about 1.3 percent of all homes in the United States, are vacant. The latest data marks the thirteenth consecutive quarter that the vacancy rate has hovered around 1.3 percent. The report analyzes publicly recorded real estate data collected by ATTOM — including foreclosure status, equity and owner-occupancy status — matched against monthly updated vacancy data. (See full methodology below). ATTOM's analysis shows that 222,358 properties were in the foreclosure process during the second quarter of 2025, up 4.8 percent from the first quarter of the year but down 6.3 percent year-over-year. Prior to this latest increase, the number of properties in foreclosure had gone down in each of the previous five quarters. In the second quarter, 7,329 of those pre-foreclosure properties, 3.3 percent, were "zombie" properties, meaning they had been abandoned by their owners and sat vacant during the foreclosure process. The proportion of pre-foreclosure homes that are vacant is essentially the same as the first quarter of 2025 but up slightly from 2.9 percent during the same period last year. Zombie properties, which can fall into disrepair and negatively impact property values in a neighborhood, are seen as a sign of an unhealthy housing market and economy. The low rate of zombie properties—only one in every 14,207 homes in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2025—is indicative of the strength of the post-pandemic housing market. "Thankfully, we're not seeing a lot of homes sitting vacant due to pending foreclosures, which is good for families, neighborhoods, and the market," said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. "However, foreclosure filings have shown a recent uptick—with April seeing a 14 percent increase compared to the same month last year." "So far, buyers seem to be scooping up these repossessed homes relatively quickly, so they aren't sitting empty," Barber added. "Nobody wants to see a return to the days of the 2008 housing crisis when vacant, blighted homes were common in many parts of the country." Small statewide shifts in numbers of zombie homesThe number of zombie properties increased quarter-over-quarter in 30 states and the District of Columbia, but mostly by small amounts. The changes were also relatively small in the 19 states that saw their number of zombie properties fall. Year-over-year, the biggest percent increases in states that had at least 50 zombie homes were in North Carolina (52.5 percent more zombie properties, from 59 in the second quarter of 2024 to 90 in the second quarter of 2025), Iowa (up 52.1 percent, from 71 to 108), Texas (up 51.9 percent from 162 to 246), South Carolina (up 43.8 percent from 64 to 92), and Kansas (up 29 percent, from 69 to 89) The biggest yearly decreases among states with at least 50 zombie homes in the second quarter of 2024 were Massachusetts (down 48.7 percent, from 76 to 39), Maryland (down 22.1 percent, from 86 to 67), New Jersey (down 17.6 percent, from 239 to 197), California (down 8.9 percent, from 269 to 245), and Illinois (down 8.8 percent, from 724 to 660). Highest vacancy rates in the South, lowest in the NortheastThe vacancy rate for residential properties in the U.S. has remained steady around 1.3 percent for thirteen consecutive quarters. The states with the highest home vacancy rates in the second quarter of 2025 were Oklahoma (2.4 percent), Kansas (2.3 percent), Alabama (2.2 percent), Missouri (2.2 percent), and West Virginia (2.1 percent). The states with the lowest home vacancy rates in the most recent quarter were New Hampshire (0.3 percent), Vermont (0.4 percent), New Jersey (0.5 percent), Idaho (0.5 percent), and Connecticut (0.5 percent). Most large metro areas have zombie home rates below national rateAbout 55 percent (76) of the 138 metropolitan statistical areas in our analysis that had at least 100,000 residential properties and at least 100 properties in pre-foreclosure during the second quarter of 2025 had zombie foreclosure rates below the national rate of 3.3 percent. The metro areas with the highest proportion of pre-foreclosure homes that were vacant were Wichita, KS (12.1 percent); Peoria, IL (11.8 percent); Toledo, OH (10.2 percent); Cedar Rapids, IA (10.2 percent); and Cleveland, OH (10 percent). The metro areas with the lowest proportion of zombie foreclosures were Barnstable, MA (0 percent); Atlantic City, NJ (0.2 percent); Provo, UT (0.3 percent); Trenton, NJ (0.5 percent); and Stockton, CA (0.6 percent). Investor and bank owned homes see higher vacancy ratesThere were 24.8 million investor-owned properties in our analysis of second quarter 2025 home data, with a nationwide vacancy rate of 3.5 percent. The states with the highest investor-owned vacancy rates were Indiana (7.3 percent), Illinois (6.2 percent), Alabama (6 percent), Oklahoma (6 percent), and Ohio (5.8 percent) The states with the lowest investor-owned vacancy rates were New Hampshire (0.9 percent), Vermont (1 percent), Idaho (1.2 percent), Utah (1.5 percent), and North Dakota (1.6 percent). A third of zip codes have high zombie home ratesAbout 36 percent (781) of the 2,166 zip codes in ATTOM's analysis that had at least 25 properties in pre-foreclosure during the second quarter of 2025 had zombie foreclosure rates above the national rate of 3.3 percent. While in 42 percent (903) of those zip codes, there were no zombie foreclosures. The zip codes with the highest zombie foreclosure rates were 61605 in Peoria, IL (51.9 percent); 44108 in Cleveland, OH (42.2 percent); 61603 in Peoria, IL (34.6 percent), 32118 in Deltona, FL (34.2 percent), and 33708 in Tampa, FL (33.3 percent). Report Methodology ATTOM analyzed county tax assessor data for 104.1 million residential properties for vacancy, broken down by foreclosure status and owner-occupancy status in the second quarter of 2025. Only metropolitan statistical areas with at least 100,000 residential properties, counties with at least 50,000 residential properties and zip codes with at least 1,000 residential properties were included in the analysis. About ATTOM ATTOM powers innovation across industries with premium property data and analytics covering 158 million U.S. properties—99% of the population. Our multi-sourced real estate data includes property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, neighborhood and geospatial boundary information, all validated through a rigorous 20-step process and linked by a unique ATTOM ID. From flexible delivery solutions—such as Property Data APIs, Bulk File Licenses, ATTOM Cloud, Real Estate Market Trends—to AI-Ready datasets, ATTOM fuels smarter decision-making across industries including real estate, mortgage, insurance, government, and more. Media Contact:Megan Data and Report Licensing:datareports@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE ATTOM
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. HOME VACANCY RATE STEADY FOR 13th STRAIGHT QUARTER
Nationwide Home Vacancy Rate at 1.3 Percent for More than Three Years; Proportion of Zombie Homes Rose Year-Over-Year IRVINE, Calif., May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property data, and real estate analytics, today released its second-quarter 2025 Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report showing that 1.4 million (1,382,480) residential properties, about 1.3 percent of all homes in the United States, are vacant. The latest data marks the thirteenth consecutive quarter that the vacancy rate has hovered around 1.3 percent. The report analyzes publicly recorded real estate data collected by ATTOM — including foreclosure status, equity and owner-occupancy status — matched against monthly updated vacancy data. (See full methodology below). ATTOM's analysis shows that 222,358 properties were in the foreclosure process during the second quarter of 2025, up 4.8 percent from the first quarter of the year but down 6.3 percent year-over-year. Prior to this latest increase, the number of properties in foreclosure had gone down in each of the previous five quarters. In the second quarter, 7,329 of those pre-foreclosure properties, 3.3 percent, were "zombie" properties, meaning they had been abandoned by their owners and sat vacant during the foreclosure process. The proportion of pre-foreclosure homes that are vacant is essentially the same as the first quarter of 2025 but up slightly from 2.9 percent during the same period last year. Zombie properties, which can fall into disrepair and negatively impact property values in a neighborhood, are seen as a sign of an unhealthy housing market and economy. The low rate of zombie properties—only one in every 14,207 homes in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2025—is indicative of the strength of the post-pandemic housing market. "Thankfully, we're not seeing a lot of homes sitting vacant due to pending foreclosures, which is good for families, neighborhoods, and the market," said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. "However, foreclosure filings have shown a recent uptick—with April seeing a 14 percent increase compared to the same month last year." "So far, buyers seem to be scooping up these repossessed homes relatively quickly, so they aren't sitting empty," Barber added. "Nobody wants to see a return to the days of the 2008 housing crisis when vacant, blighted homes were common in many parts of the country." Small statewide shifts in numbers of zombie homesThe number of zombie properties increased quarter-over-quarter in 30 states and the District of Columbia, but mostly by small amounts. The changes were also relatively small in the 19 states that saw their number of zombie properties fall. Year-over-year, the biggest percent increases in states that had at least 50 zombie homes were in North Carolina (52.5 percent more zombie properties, from 59 in the second quarter of 2024 to 90 in the second quarter of 2025), Iowa (up 52.1 percent, from 71 to 108), Texas (up 51.9 percent from 162 to 246), South Carolina (up 43.8 percent from 64 to 92), and Kansas (up 29 percent, from 69 to 89) The biggest yearly decreases among states with at least 50 zombie homes in the second quarter of 2024 were Massachusetts (down 48.7 percent, from 76 to 39), Maryland (down 22.1 percent, from 86 to 67), New Jersey (down 17.6 percent, from 239 to 197), California (down 8.9 percent, from 269 to 245), and Illinois (down 8.8 percent, from 724 to 660). Highest vacancy rates in the South, lowest in the NortheastThe vacancy rate for residential properties in the U.S. has remained steady around 1.3 percent for thirteen consecutive quarters. The states with the highest home vacancy rates in the second quarter of 2025 were Oklahoma (2.4 percent), Kansas (2.3 percent), Alabama (2.2 percent), Missouri (2.2 percent), and West Virginia (2.1 percent). The states with the lowest home vacancy rates in the most recent quarter were New Hampshire (0.3 percent), Vermont (0.4 percent), New Jersey (0.5 percent), Idaho (0.5 percent), and Connecticut (0.5 percent). Most large metro areas have zombie home rates below national rateAbout 55 percent (76) of the 138 metropolitan statistical areas in our analysis that had at least 100,000 residential properties and at least 100 properties in pre-foreclosure during the second quarter of 2025 had zombie foreclosure rates below the national rate of 3.3 percent. The metro areas with the highest proportion of pre-foreclosure homes that were vacant were Wichita, KS (12.1 percent); Peoria, IL (11.8 percent); Toledo, OH (10.2 percent); Cedar Rapids, IA (10.2 percent); and Cleveland, OH (10 percent). The metro areas with the lowest proportion of zombie foreclosures were Barnstable, MA (0 percent); Atlantic City, NJ (0.2 percent); Provo, UT (0.3 percent); Trenton, NJ (0.5 percent); and Stockton, CA (0.6 percent). Investor and bank owned homes see higher vacancy ratesThere were 24.8 million investor-owned properties in our analysis of second quarter 2025 home data, with a nationwide vacancy rate of 3.5 percent. The states with the highest investor-owned vacancy rates were Indiana (7.3 percent), Illinois (6.2 percent), Alabama (6 percent), Oklahoma (6 percent), and Ohio (5.8 percent) The states with the lowest investor-owned vacancy rates were New Hampshire (0.9 percent), Vermont (1 percent), Idaho (1.2 percent), Utah (1.5 percent), and North Dakota (1.6 percent). A third of zip codes have high zombie home ratesAbout 36 percent (781) of the 2,166 zip codes in ATTOM's analysis that had at least 25 properties in pre-foreclosure during the second quarter of 2025 had zombie foreclosure rates above the national rate of 3.3 percent. While in 42 percent (903) of those zip codes, there were no zombie foreclosures. The zip codes with the highest zombie foreclosure rates were 61605 in Peoria, IL (51.9 percent); 44108 in Cleveland, OH (42.2 percent); 61603 in Peoria, IL (34.6 percent), 32118 in Deltona, FL (34.2 percent), and 33708 in Tampa, FL (33.3 percent). Report Methodology ATTOM analyzed county tax assessor data for 104.1 million residential properties for vacancy, broken down by foreclosure status and owner-occupancy status in the second quarter of 2025. Only metropolitan statistical areas with at least 100,000 residential properties, counties with at least 50,000 residential properties and zip codes with at least 1,000 residential properties were included in the analysis. About ATTOM ATTOM powers innovation across industries with premium property data and analytics covering 158 million U.S. properties—99% of the population. Our multi-sourced real estate data includes property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, neighborhood and geospatial boundary information, all validated through a rigorous 20-step process and linked by a unique ATTOM ID. From flexible delivery solutions—such as Property Data APIs, Bulk File Licenses, ATTOM Cloud, Real Estate Market Trends—to AI-Ready datasets, ATTOM fuels smarter decision-making across industries including real estate, mortgage, insurance, government, and more. Media Contact:Megan Data and Report Licensing:datareports@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE ATTOM Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Wayne Brown: Support for senior leaders after fire chief suicide
Staffordshire's chief fire officer has opened up about a lack of support for senior leaders in the service. In a public meeting, Rob Barber was asked about the death of Wayne Brown, who held the same role in the West Midlands. An inquest heard he had taken his own life in January last year after months of alleged harassment and questions over his qualifications. Mr Barber described Mr Brown as a "dear friend and colleague" and said work was being done to provide more help to officers in management roles. The fire chief said action was being taken alongside membership groups and charities to ensure assistance was available and people knew where to find it. "There has been an identification throughout the sector that many senior leaders have been struggling in terms of being able to access support when required," he said."Hopefully some positive can come out of a tragedy such as Wayne's passing. That will be a good thing for the sector." Ben Adams, Staffordshire's police, fire and crime commissioner, said he welcomed action taken on mental health and wellbeing by the National Fire Chiefs Council."We need to attract and retain the most talented leadership in the fire and rescue sector but unfortunately leaders quite often find themselves subjected to inexcusable and unwarranted personal abuse," he said. "During these times, the support of their peers or a professional network is vital." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
New memorial to be unveiled for fallen Staffordshire firefighters
A new memorial is set to be unveiled in honour of Staffordshire firefighters who have died in plaque and memorial garden is based at the fire service's headquarters in Stone, and will be unveiled on 30 said the unveiling event would include a short ceremony as well as live music and a buffet."We are so grateful to everyone who has volunteered their time, expertise and fundraising efforts towards the construction of the stone and memorial garden," chief fire officer Rob Barber said. Relatives, friends and colleagues of those included on the memorial are invited to the initially being remembered on the memorial are: David Mason, Stuart Moss, Surrinder Mahal, David Smith, Christopher Poole, Kevin Bowcock, Alan George, Peter Harrison, Richard Graham, James Lambert, Jennifer Jones, Michael Bielawski, Paul Timmins, Robert Clark, Lee Brown, Mark Hancock, Christopher Dowding, Alex Taylor, Gary Bowcock, Peter Andrews, Alec Elwell, James Morris, Dave Hill, Rob Watts and Will to the garden are planned with funds left over after the memorial was paid will make it a quiet and tranquil place for staff and relatives to remember friends and family, the fire service said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Homebuyers face rising prices and rates — but here's how you can still get ahead in today's market
With home prices continuing to rise and mortgage rates remaining stubbornly high, is the American dream of homeownership out of reach? Home prices jumped 3.8% in February compared to the same time last year, according to the latest National Association of Realtors (NAR) findings. That translates to a median cost of $398,400 for a typical home. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Here are 3 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? And while mortgage rates are slowly ticking down, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage still averaged 6.65% as of March 27, according to Freddie Mac. But it's not all bad news. Housing inventory is up 17% from a year ago (from 1.06 million to 1.24 million units), which means homebuyers now have more options. 'Homebuyers are slowly entering the market,' said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, in a press release. 'Mortgage rates have not changed much, but more inventory and choices are releasing pent-up housing demand.' While housing inventory is up, supply is still limited relative to demand, according to NAR's Realtors Confidence Index. About 21% of homes sold above list price — though some faced delays or terminations. First-time buyers represented 31% of home purchases, up from 26% a year ago. Still, the dream of homeownership is slipping away for many Americans, particularly as prices continue to outpace wage growth. Affordability remains near historic lows across most of the country, according to ATTOM's first-quarter 2025 U.S. Home Affordability Report, with home expenses consuming 32% of the average national wage. 'With the peak buying season ahead, prices could rise further, worsening affordability,' said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM, in a release. According to Zillow's market heat index, neither buyers nor sellers currently have a clear advantage — at least not on a national level. But market conditions vary widely across the country. For example, government layoffs in Washington, D.C. could lead to more listings, while housing shortages in L.A. caused by January's wildfires are likely to drive up demand — and prices. Economic uncertainty is providing a 'counterbalance' that will be felt more strongly in some parts of the country than others, notes Zillow's Housing Market Report for February 2025. 'People tend to shelter in place when the future of their job or industry is uncertain,' the report noted. Read more: Trump warns his tariffs will spark a 'disturbance' in America — use this 1 dead-simple move to help shockproof your retirement plans ASAP With so much uncertainty, how can potential homebuyers navigate today's market? Start by securing a mortgage pre-approval, so you'll know your budget — and be ready to make an offer if you find your dream home. Keep in mind that a pre-approval isn't a guarantee of final mortgage approval. However, sellers often prefer to work with pre-approved buyers because it reduces their risk. Pre-approval tells you the maximum loan amount your lender is willing to offer based on your financial situation. If it's less than you hoped for, that doesn't mean you're out of luck. You might want to focus on different property types (such as a condo instead of a three-bedroom house) or focus on emerging neighborhoods to get more bang for your buck. You'll also need to decide how much you can afford for a down payment and whether a fixed or adjustable interest rate works best for you. If you're willing to bet that rates will come down eventually, you might want to consider an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM). An ARM starts with a fixed rate that's typically lower than that of a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage — usually for three, five, seven or 10 years — and then adjusts at set intervals. For example, a 5/1 ARM has a fixed rate for five years and then adjusts annually. First-time homebuyers may also qualify for certain programs and loans. For example, a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan — available through qualified lenders and backed by the FHA — is generally easier to qualify for than a conventional mortgage and has lower down payment requirements. These loans do come with limits, which vary by state. Many states also offer down payment assistance for eligible first-time homebuyers. Veterans and active-duty service members may be eligible for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) direct and VA-backed home loan programs through qualified lenders, which often offer better terms than conventional loans. Nearly 90% of VA-backed loans don't require a down payment. There are also down payment assistance (DPA) programs available through state, county and city governments. These offer financial assistance through grants and low-interest loans to cover down payments — and sometimes closing costs. There are nearly 2,500 DPA programs currently available nationwide. Alternatively, you might choose to wait for potential rate stabilization. A lower interest rate make a big difference: lower monthly payments can stretch your budget and help you afford a more expensive home. But there's no guarantee that rates will drop soon. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Cost-of-living in America is still out of control — and prices could keep climbing. Use these 3 'real assets' to protect your wealth today, no matter what Trump does This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Sign in to access your portfolio
