ATTOM Data Solutions’ fourth-quarter Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report shows that just 1.32 percent of residential properties in the United States are vacant. That’s down from 1.33 percent during the previous quarter. Rob Barber, ATTOM’s CEO, says that’s a good sign for buyer demand and housing market health. “These continuously low vacancy rates that the nation has held steady at around 1.4 percent for nearly four years, show that record high prices haven’t dampened the demand for homes,” Barber said. “It’s a good sign for local housing markets that even as we’ve seen foreclosure filings increase, the rate of homes in foreclosure that are abandoned is going down.” In other words, the vacancy rate hasn’t risen recently despite an uptick in foreclosures because those foreclosures have generally been scooped up by home buyers – which is a good sign that demand is still healthy and buyers are just waiting on opportunities for affordable homes. According to the report, vacancy rates were highest in Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, Missouri, and West Virginia and lowest in New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey, Idaho, and Connecticut. (source)
