Consumer Corner
Buffalo thunders back as Zillow’s hottest market for 2025
Affordability and job growth are key drivers of competition
- Competition among buyers never cooled in Buffalo last year, and that heat should keep smoldering through 2025.
- Hot markets spread from the Northeast, Great Lakes and South regions into the Midwest and West.
- Virginia Beach jumped farthest up the list from 2024, leapfrogging over 23 markets.
SEATTLE, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Buffalo, New York, will be the hottest major housing market in 2025, according to a new analysis by Zillow®, the first time a market has held the title in back-to-back years. Relative affordability and few homes for sale are common threads among what should be the most competitive markets for buyers this year. 
“Construction that keeps pace with an area’s growth remains a crucial piece of keeping homes available and accessible. In chilly Buffalo, competition among buyers will remain hot, with employment growing far faster than builders are adding homes,” said Skylar Olsen, Zillow chief economist. “Shoppers nationwide should see more options for sale than in recent years, along with slow and steady price growth. That’s the good news. But both buyers and sellers should expect unpredictable mortgage rates.”
This hotness ranking of the nation’s 50 most populous metros takes into account Zillow’s forecast for local home value growth and how quickly homes are selling. It also considers job growth per new home permitted and expected growth in owner-occupied households.
Zillow forecast Buffalo to be the hottest market in 2024, and that prediction proved prescient. Sellers held a strong advantage in negotiations there throughout last year, according to Zillow’s market heat index.
Buffalo has the most new jobs per new home permitted — a measure of expected demand. New jobs often mean new residents, which raises competition and drives up prices unless builders can match the additional demand.
Although affordability has improved slightly compared to last year, it’s still top of mind for buyers. Lower-than-average home prices and rent costs in Buffalo as well as Midwest metros like Indianapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City have bolstered demand in these areas, helping push them to the top of the list.
Relative affordability is a powerful force, too. Nearby alternatives to expensive Northeastern metros like New York and Boston dominated Zillow’s list of the most popular cities among home shoppers in 2024. Metropolitan areas in the same vein — Providence, Hartford and Philadelphia — rank high on this list as well.
Hartford, Providence, Indianapolis and Charlotte are all among the top five in Zillow’s forecast for home value appreciation in 2025. Hartford leads the pack with 4.2% expected growth. But home value growth is set to largely level out this year — even these standout metros look tame compared to the double-digit annual appreciation seen in 2021 and 2022.
Rising fastest in the ranks from 2024’s hottest markets list is Virginia Beach, which leapfrogged over 23 markets to the No. 13 spot this year, driven by job growth that has far outpaced new home permitting. Memphis fell the farthest by the same token, dropping 30 places, as new home permitting has eclipsed low job growth.
After the entire western half of the country was shut out of last year’s top 10, Salt Lake City nudged its way onto this year’s list at No. 10. San Diego was the only other Western metro in the top 20, at No. 19.
Mortgage rates are likely to continue on their bumpy path in 2025, and swings will have a major impact on which homes shoppers can afford or even qualify for. Zillow Home Loans’ BuyAbilitySM tool tracks rates in real time to show users which homes fit their budget.
| 2025 Hottest Markets Rank | Metropolitan Area | Change in Rank from 2024 | Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) 2024 | ZHVI Year over Year Growth, 2024 | 2025 Home Value Growth Forecast | Jobs per New Home Permitted | Change in Inventory Versus 2018–2019 Averages |
| 1 | Buffalo, NY | 0 | $260,537 | 5.7 % | 2.8 % | 2.0 | -46.1 % |
| 2 | Indianapolis, IN | 2 | $275,639 | 3.6 % | 3.4 % | 0.5 | -16.1 % |
| 3 | Providence, RI | 2 | $484,019 | 6.7 % | 3.7 % | 1.3 | -62 % |
| 4 | Hartford, CT | 15 | $363,298 | 6.5 % | 4.2 % | 1.1 | -68.6 % |
| 5 | Philadelphia, PA | 6 | $362,744 | 4.6 % | 2.6 % | 1.5 | -46 % |
| 6 | St. Louis, MO | 9 | $250,141 | 4.2 % | 1.9 % | 1.3 | -43.8 % |
| 7 | Charlotte, NC | 0 | $377,450 | 1.6 % | 3.2 % | -0.5 | 17.5 % |
| 8 | Kansas City, MO | 10 | $299,118 | 3.8 % | 2.7 % | 0.2 | -36 % |
| 9 | Richmond, VA | 11 | $368,957 | 4.1 % | 2.9 % | -0.1 | -43.3 % |
| 10 | Salt Lake City, UT | 18 | $543,324 | 2.8 % | 2.3 % | 0.5 | -4.8 % |
| 11 | Cincinnati, OH | -9 | $281,887 | 4.6 % | 2.9 % | -0.2 | -32.8 % |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | -9 | $310,746 | 3.8 % | 3.1 % | -0.8 | -20.5 % |
| 13 | Virginia Beach, VA | 23 | $349,186 | 4.6 % | 2.5 % | 1.2 | -42.6 % |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | -6 | $228,140 | 6.4 % | 2.8 % | 0.6 | -52.6 % |
| 15 | Miami, FL | 10 | $486,056 | 1.0 % | 3.5 % | 1.0 | -4.4 % |
| 16 | Boston, MA | 10 | $694,494 | 4.7 % | 2.1 % | 0.1 | -45.8 % |
| 17 | Oklahoma City, OK | 21 | $230,466 | 2.5 % | 2.4 % | 0.7 | -2.5 % |
| 18 | Detroit, MI | 6 | $248,126 | 4.8 % | 1.7 % | 0.1 | -34.1 % |
| 19 | San Diego, CA | 10 | $939,174 | 3.8 % | 2.5 % | -0.4 | -32.9 % |
| 20 | Birmingham, AL | 21 | $247,509 | 0.7 % | 1.3 % | 0.4 | -13.9 % |
| 21 | Raleigh, NC | -4 | $441,066 | 1.1 % | 1.7 % | -0.7 | -13.5 % |
| 22 | Riverside, CA | 12 | $583,420 | 3 % | 2.4 % | -0.3 | -25. % |
| 23 | Orlando, FL | -14 | $391,924 | -0.3 % | 2.2 % | -0.6 | 17 % |
| 24 | Atlanta, GA | -18 | $379,262 | 0.3 % | 2.6 % | -0.7 | -3 % |
| 25 | Pittsburgh, PA | -9 | $208,583 | 2.8 % | 0.6 % | 1.0 | -32.3 % |
| 26 | Louisville, KY | -12 | $255,206 | 4.7 % | 1.9 % | -0.4 | -27.1 % |
| 27 | Phoenix, AZ | 8 | $454,001 | -0.3 % | 1.7 % | -0.4 | -7.9 % |
| 28 | Washington, DC | 11 | $567,825 | 4.4 % | 0.8 % | -0.1 | -38.8 % |
| 29 | Tampa, FL | -19 | $372,170 | -2.5 % | 2.2 % | -0.6 | 7.3 % |
| 30 | Dallas, TX | -9 | $368,683 | -0.4 % | 1.0 % | -0.4 | 1.5 % |
| 31 | Nashville, TN | 2 | $436,301 | 1.7 % | 2.2 % | -0.8 | -10.8 % |
| 32 | Seattle, WA | 0 | $735,683 | 5.1 % | 1.9 % | -1.0 | -23.5 % |
| 33 | Baltimore, MD | 10 | $386,001 | 3.6 % | 0.8 % | -0.2 | -46.9 % |
| 34 | Los Angeles, CA | -11 | $949,057 | 4.6 % | 1.7 % | -0.4 | -26.1 % |
| 35 | Las Vegas, NV | -23 | $428,725 | 5.1 % | 1.1 % | 0.2 | -18.3 % |
| 36 | San Antonio, TX | 13 | $280,603 | -1.8 % | 0.3 % | 0.2 | 22.7 % |
| 37 | Sacramento, CA | -10 | $577,630 | 2.1 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 | -29.9 % |
| 38 | Houston, TX | 9 | $306,191 | 0.6 % | 0.6 % | -0.3 | 1 % |
| 39 | Chicago, IL | -17 | $321,484 | 5.4 % | 1.2 % | -0.5 | -48.6 % |
| 40 | Jacksonville, FL | -9 | $353,501 | -0.9 % | 1.9 % | -0.8 | 14.1 % |
| 41 | New York, NY | 4 | $677,368 | 6.4 % | 1.3 % | 0.3 | -55.9 % |
| 42 | Milwaukee, WI | 2 | $343,920 | 5.3 % | 2.4 % | -1.6 | -27.1 % |
| 43 | Memphis, TN | -30 | $233,885 | 1.1 % | 2.3 % | -1.7 | -1.2 % |
| 44 | Denver, CO | 4 | $579,604 | 0.8 % | 0.1 % | -0.6 | 4.3 % |
| 45 | Minneapolis, MN | 1 | $368,562 | 2.5 % | 0.2 % | -0.8 | -26.7 % |
| 46 | Austin, TX | -6 | $444,248 | -3.2 % | -0.4 % | -0.6 | 33.7 % |
| 47 | Portland, OR | -10 | $543,814 | 1.8 % | 0.3 % | -1.3 | -19.3 % |
| 48 | San Jose, CA | -6 | $1,588,186 | 7.9 % | -0.2 % | -1.3 | -34.8 % |
| 49 | San Francisco, CA | -19 | $1,140,718 | 2.7 % | -1.7 % | -1.1 | -3.5 % |
| 50 | New Orleans, LA | 0 | $235,657 | -1.4 % | -3.8 % | -0.9 | 61.1 % |
About Zillow Group:
Zillow Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make home a reality for more and more people. As the most visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow and its affiliates help people find and get the home they want by connecting them with digital solutions, dedicated partners and agents, and easier buying, selling, financing, and renting experiences.
Zillow Group’s affiliates, subsidiaries and brands include Zillow®, Premier Agent®, Zillow Home Loans℠, Zillow Rentals®, Trulia®, Out East®, StreetEasy®, HotPads®, ShowingTime+℠, Spruce®, and Follow Up Boss®.
All marks herein are owned by MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). © 2025 MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate.
(ZFIN)
Consumer Corner
Getting Your Wood-Burning Fireplace Ready for Winter
As cold temperatures creep in, you might be dreaming about cozy fall and winter evenings in front of a glowing, crackling fireplace. Before you (literally) fire it up for the first time, consider these steps to make sure your wood-burning fireplace is ready to heat your home cleanly, safely and efficiently.
Getting Your Wood-Burning Fireplace Ready for Winter
(Feature Impact) As cold temperatures creep in, you might be dreaming about cozy fall and winter evenings in front of a glowing, crackling fireplace. Before you (literally) fire it up for the first time, consider these steps to make sure your wood-burning fireplace is ready to heat your home cleanly, safely and efficiently.
Clear Out Old Ash and Debris
When you haven’t used your fireplace for a while, it can build up dust, soot and debris. As the first step of your annual checkup, clean out last season’s leftovers but leave about a 1-inch layer of ash at the bottom of the firebox to provide insulation and make it easier to get wood burning.
Schedule Professional Maintenance
Chimney sweeps still exist, although they don’t look like the soot-smudged lads from old movies anymore – and these days they come with a collection of high-powered modern tools to remove buildup from chimneys and flue systems. Experts can also look for ventilation issues, cracks in the masonry and other potential hazards. The National Fire Protection Association recommends getting your chimney inspected once a year and cleaned or maintained as needed.
Consider Efficiency Upgrades
To keep your fireplace working better for longer or improve its energy efficiency, explore your options for upgrades suited to your fireplace type. Glass fireplace doors, new dampers or a high-efficiency fireplace insert can all help reduce energy loss and improve heating performance. Adding or replacing a chimney cap and applying waterproof sealant to the bricks every five years can help protect your chimney from moisture damage over time.
Burn the Right Kind of Wood
Not all wood burns alike, so you can improve the warmth and efficiency of your fires simply by choosing the right kinds of logs. Stock up on seasoned hardwood dried for 6-12 months and store it in a dry, well-ventilated area away from your home so it doesn’t attract pests like mice who may want to take up residence. Avoid burning painted or treated lumber, wet wood or household trash, which can produce excess smoke and harmful pollutants.
Use Safe Fireplace Equipment
Beyond the fireplace itself, check your setup and tools to make sure you have everything you need to safely start and maintain your fires. If you have an open fireplace, make sure to use a sturdy fireplace screen to contain any stray sparks. A good-quality poker, tongs, shovel and brush can also help you control logs and embers, manage ash and keep your fireplace clean throughout the season.
Discover more home maintenance and upgrade ideas at eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
SOURCE:
Automotive
Slate Truck Gets Real: First Experience Center Opens Ahead of Planned Deliveries
Slate Auto’s first permanent Experience Center gives consumers an up-close look at its customizable electric truck ahead of planned customer deliveries.
Slate Auto’s new Chicago location gives prospective buyers a permanent place to see the minimalist electric pickup, explore customization options and learn about demo opportunities—but it is not yet proof that customer deliveries have begun.
CHICAGO — October 20, 2026 — The Slate Truck is moving out of computer renderings and temporary roadshow stops and into a permanent retail setting. Slate Auto opened its first Experience Center on October 15 at 1053 W. Grand Avenue in Chicago, giving consumers a year-round location to get an up-close look at the company’s highly anticipated electric pickup.
The Near West Side facility occupies a former Tesla location and includes showroom, retail and garage space, along with electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. For Slate, the opening represents an important step in turning strong online interest into a more tangible buying experience as the startup works toward launching its first vehicle.
Visitors can examine the truck’s compact dimensions, deliberately simple cabin and accessory-driven design in person. The center also showcases Slate’s personalization strategy, including exterior wraps, add-on accessories and digital design tools intended to let owners configure the truck around their needs.
Slate has also promoted demonstration opportunities connected with the location, although availability may be limited or appointment-based as the company continues to prepare its fleet. Early media access included passenger rides rather than unrestricted customer test drives, so prospective visitors should confirm current availability before making a special trip.
Why the Chicago opening matters
Until now, most consumers have encountered the Slate Truck through online reservations, media coverage or temporary appearances. A permanent showroom gives buyers a chance to judge details that are difficult to evaluate on a screen, including seating position, bed access, cabin materials and the overall size of the vehicle.
That is especially important for a product built around an unconventional value proposition. Slate is promoting a basic two-seat, two-door electric truck with manual crank windows and no factory-installed infotainment screen or stereo. The company’s strategy is to keep the starting price low and let buyers add features later through accessories and conversion kits.
The physical location also gives Slate a place to explain that approach directly. Rather than presenting the truck as an unfinished vehicle, the company can demonstrate how its modular accessories, wraps and planned SUV-style conversion components are meant to expand the vehicle’s usefulness over time.
Chicago is a logical first market for that effort. The city offers access to a large Midwestern customer base and is within the broader region of Slate’s planned manufacturing operation in Warsaw, Indiana. Reusing a former Tesla store also gives the startup a space already suited to displaying and servicing electric vehicles.
The roadshow continues beyond Chicago
The Experience Center is opening as Slate expands its public demonstration schedule. The company’s events calendar lists a Boston-area demo ride event from October 21 through October 25 at The Shops at Chestnut Hill, followed by an appearance at RADwood in Alameda, California, on October 24 and a New Jersey demo ride event in Freehold from October 28 through October 31.
Slate also lists future stops in Washington, D.C., Raleigh, Atlanta, Miami and Orlando. Together, the permanent Chicago center and the traveling events suggest the company is moving into a broader customer-education phase ahead of planned deliveries.
What has—and has not—changed
The showroom opening does not change Slate’s headline pricing or range claims. The truck is still advertised with a base price of $24,950 before taxes, registration and destination charges. With the currently listed $1,450 destination fee, the entry price would be approximately $26,400 before other costs or optional equipment.
Slate also continues to advertise an estimated range of up to 205 miles. That figure remains an estimate rather than a final EPA-certified rating.
Most importantly, Slate has not publicly confirmed that regular customer production has started or that the first retail deliveries have occurred. Limited deliveries have been reported as possible before the end of December 2026, while many reservation holders may receive later delivery windows in 2027. The Chicago opening is therefore a commercialization milestone, not a manufacturing milestone.
For customers and industry observers, the next major signals will be the start of production at the Warsaw factory, final specifications and EPA range ratings, and confirmed handoffs to paying buyers.
The bottom line
Slate Auto now has a permanent place where consumers can see and evaluate its unusually simple electric truck. That makes the product feel more real and gives the company a platform to explain a customization-heavy business model that may be unfamiliar to traditional truck buyers.
Still, the biggest questions remain unanswered. Opening a showroom demonstrates progress in marketing and customer engagement; producing vehicles at scale, holding the promised price and delivering a 205-mile truck to reservation holders will determine whether Slate can convert enthusiasm into a viable automotive business.
Sources and more information
- Slate Auto events and demo schedule
- Electrek: Slate opens its first Experience Center in Chicago
- Autoblog: Slate opens its first U.S. showroom
- Slate Auto
Category: Consumer Corner / Automotive
Automotive
The New Tire-Buying Playbook: AI Insights Meet Human Advice
New Tire-Buying Playbook: A tire purchase can start with a familiar moment: a dashboard warning light, a repair shop visit, worn tread or realizing the current set is nearing a mileage milestone. When it’s time to replace tires, drivers have more ways than ever to research options, including classic search engines and AI chatbots.
The New Tire-Buying Playbook: AI Insights Meet Human Advice
(Feature Impact) A tire purchase can start with a familiar moment: a dashboard warning light, a repair shop visit, worn tread or realizing the current set is nearing a mileage milestone. When it’s time to replace tires, drivers have more ways than ever to research options.
New research from Hankook Tire’s Gauge Index Survey found drivers are utilizing multiple methods for research, from search engines and AI assistants to asking someone they trust for advice. Two-thirds of respondents said they always or often research multiple sources before buying tires, suggesting many shoppers want to weigh several opinions before deciding to buy a new set, including turning to fellow drivers.
As tools like classic search engines and AI chatbots continue to evolve, the most useful strategy for tire shopping may be less about choosing between technology and human expertise, and more about knowing how each fits into the research process. Here are a few ways drivers can confidently conduct tire research.
Start broad then narrow the search.
For many drivers, the process begins online. One-quarter of respondents said they typically begin their tire research with a search engine, the most common starting point reported in the survey. Retailer or dealer websites are the next at 16%, followed by recommendations from a mechanic at 15%.
That range of starting points reflects how personal a tire purchase can be. A search engine can help a driver organize initial questions and identify the types of information they want to compare. Retailer and dealer sites offer another place to review available options – and reviews from other drivers. A mechanic can help put the vehicle and driver’s specific needs into context.
Drivers can also use their initial search to create a short list of requirements, such as tire size, type and available warranties.
Use AI as one research tool – but not the only one.
AI is a growing part of any research. About 4 in 10 drivers (42%) said they have used an AI tool to research or compare tires more than once. Another 11% said they have not used one yet but plan to the next time they buy tires.
Conversely, just 5% of respondents said an AI assistant or chatbot would be their typical first stop when researching tires, suggesting many drivers may add AI later in the process to help sort through information or frame comparisons.
AI can help turn a general concern into a clearer list of questions. A driver might use it to identify terms to research, compare categories of information or prepare for a conversation with a retailer, dealer or repair professional.
Keep trusted people in the research loop.
Despite drivers’ increased reliance on digital tools, trusted advice is still important. More than one-quarter of drivers said they would typically begin tire research with a recommendation from a mechanic (15%) or from friends or family (12%).
Friends and family may share firsthand experiences, while a mechanic may help a driver better understand the questions that matter for their vehicle. More than 1 in 5 respondents (21%) list advice from a repair shop among the top three reasons that would prompt them to buy new tires, showing the role professional guidance can play when a purchase becomes necessary.
Find the full survey and approach your next tire research process with clearer questions, more confidence and a better sense of what matters most for the road ahead at HankookTire.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
