This interactive housing market map shows where sellers—and buyers—have the most power right now

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If yes, we’re inviting you to participate in the first-ever LendingOne-ResiClub Fix and Flip Survey.

For today’s piece, ResiClub visualized Zillow’s Market Heat Index.

A higher score indicates a hotter metro-level housing market where sellers have more power. A lower score indicates a colder metro-level housing market where buyers have more power.

According to Zillow:

• Score of 70 or above = strong sellers market

• Score from 55 to 69 = sellers market

• Score from 44 to 55 = neutral market

• Score from 28 to 44 = buyers market

• Score of 27 or below = strong buyers market

Nationally, Zillow rates the U.S. housing market at a 50.

Click here to view an interactive of the map below

Among the 200 largest metro area housing markets, these 10 are the HOTTEST markets, where sellers have the most power:

1. Rochester, NY —>146 rating

2. San Jose, CA —> 120

3. San Francisco, CA —> 91

4. Hartford, CT —> 83

5. Syracuse, NY —> 81

6. Bridgeport, CT —> 76

7. Buffalo, NY —> 75

8. Manchester, NH —> 75

9. Boston, MA —> 74

10. New York, NY —> 73

Among the 200 largest metro area housing markets, these 10 are the COLDEST markets, where buyers have the most power:

1. Beaumont, TX —> 9 rating

2. Gulfport, MS —> 12

3. Macon, GA —> 17

4. Brownsville, TX —> 21

5. Evansville, IN —> 23

6. Kennewick, WA —> 23

7. Longview, TX —> 24

8. Lubbock, TX —> 26

9. Mobile, AL —> 28

10. Cape Coral, FL —> 32

Does ResiClub agree with Zillow’s assessment?

Directionally, I believe Zillow has correctly identified many regional housing markets where buyers have gained power—particularly around the Gulf—as well as markets where sellers have maintained their grip, including large portions of the Northeast and Southern California.

However, I believe Zillow’s model underestimates the strength sellers still hold across much of the Midwest. These two maps better illustrate my perspective on the current power dynamic.

Drees Homes—the 41st-largest U.S. homebuilder and the 21st-largest private U.S. builder—just bought San Antonio-based homebuilder Monticello Homes.

The acquisition expands the footprint of Drees Homes—which is based in Northern Kentucky—further into Texas.

In a largely fixed-rate housing market like the U.S., a mortgage rate shock pretty much just hits homebuyers on the chin.

However... a home insurance shock hits homebuyers AND homeowners.

Nowhere is that home insurance shock bigger or more impactful right now than in Florida.

ResiClub PRO members can read our latest home insurance report (including access to the interactive maps below) here.

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