THE BOYS' BRIGADE

From CoreLogic: CoreLogic Reports 254,000 US Properties Regained Equity in the First Quarter of 2015

CoreLogic ... today released new analysis showing 254,000 properties regained equity in the first quarter of 2015, bringing the total number of mortgaged residential properties with equity at the end of Q1 2015 to approximately 44.9 million, or 90 percent of all mortgaged properties. Nationwide, borrower equity increased year over year by $694 billion in Q1 2015. The total number of mortgaged residential properties with negative equity is now at 5.1 million, or 10.2 percent of all mortgaged properties. This compares to 5.4 million homes, or 10.8 percent, that had negative equity in Q4 2014, a quarter-over-quarter decrease of 4.7 percent. Compared with 6.3 million homes, or 12.9 percent, reported for Q1 2014, the number of underwater homes has decreased year over year by 1.2 million, or 19.4 percent.

... Of the more than 50 million residential properties with a mortgage, approximately 9.7 million, or 19.4 percent, have less than 20 percent equity (referred to as “under-equitied”), and 1.3 million, or 2.7 percent, have less than 5 percent equity (referred to as near-negative equity). who are “under-equitied” may have a more difficult time refinancing their existing homes or obtaining new financing to sell and buy another home due to underwriting constraints. Borrowers with near-negative equity are considered at risk of moving into negative equity if home prices fall. ...
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the break down of negative equity by state. Note: Data not available for some states. From CoreLogic:

"Nevada had the highest percentage of mortgaged residential properties in negative equity at 23.1 percent, followed by Florida (21.2 percent), Illinois (16.8 percent), Arizona (16.8 percent) and Rhode Island (15.7 percent). Combined, these five states accounted for 31.4 percent of negative equity in the U.S."

Note: The share of negative equity is still very high in Nevada and Florida, but down from a year ago (Q1 2014) when the negative equity share in Nevada was at 29.4 percent, and at 26.9 percent in Florida.

The second graph shows the distribution of home equity in Q1 2015 compared to Q4 2014. Close to 4% of residential properties have 25% or more negative equity.

In Q1 2014, there were 6.3 million properties with negative equity - now there are 5.1 million.  A significant change.