National homeowner equity grew in the fourth quarter of 2020 by $1.5 Trillion or 16.2% year-over-year based on a CoreLogic analysis. The study was done on the six out of ten homeowners who have mortgages on their home. The fourth quarter of 2020 also saw the number of mortgaged residential homes with negative equity decrease by 8% from the third quarter. Compared to the same quarter in 2019, negative equity decreased by 21%. Equity is defined as the value of the home less the mortgage owed. Negative equity means that the homeowner's debt is more than the value of the home. Appreciation is the dynamic that is moving homeowner's equity to the positive position. On a national basis, according to National Association of REALTORS®, annual price growth for the last ten years has been 6.4%. In the last five years, it has grown at 7.3% annually. According to the CoreLogic Home Price Index, home prices in December 2020 were up 9.2% from the year before. Frank Nothaft, Chie
