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SEATTLE, Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Austin will be America’s hottest housing market in 2021, leading a list of mostly Sun Belt cities expected to continue heating up faster than the nation’s large coastal markets, according to a new Zillow® survey of experts.

The booming Texas destination heads a lineup of sunny and relatively affordable metro areas — Phoenix, Nashville, Tampa and Denver — that are most likely to outperform the nation in home value growth, according to a panel of economists and real estate experts recently surveyed by Zillow. 

The Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey, sponsored by Zillow and conducted quarterly by Pulsenomics LLC, asks a large panel of economists, investment strategists and real estate experts for their predictions about the U.S. housing market. The Q4 survey also asked about their expectations for 2021 home value growth in 20 large markets compared to the nation¹.

An overwhelming 84% of those surveyed said Austin values would out-perform the national average, compared to just 9% who believe it would fare worse. Phoenix came in second with 69%, followed by Nashville (67%), Tampa (60%), and Denver (56%). Page views on Zillow for-sale listings in Austin by out-of-town searchers were up 87% in November compared to 2019. 

The top-five metros are all affordable options compared to expensive coastal areas that have led home appreciation ranks in recent years, providing relative value for Millennials looking to take advantage of low mortgage rates to buy their first home. The top five are also, for the most part, sunny locales. Four of the five counties holding the largest cities in these MSAs all rank in the top-third of counties in the contiguous U.S. for average daily sunlight, according to NASA data analysed in The Washington Post. Davidson County, home to Nashville, ranked just below the midline. 

«The pandemic has not upended the housing market so much as accelerated trends we saw coming into 2020,» said Zillow senior economist Jeff Tucker. «These Sun Belt destinations are migration magnets thanks to relatively affordable, family-sized homes, booming economies and sunny weather. Record-low mortgage rates and the increased demand for living space, coupled with a surge of Millennials buying their first homes, will keep the pressure on home prices there for the foreseeable future.»

An improved economic outlook thanks to COVID-19 vaccine roll-outs and better treatments was pegged as the most likely tailwind for the housing market in 2021, followed by sustained strength in first-time home buying among Millennials. It proved a powerful demand driver in 2020 and is expected to persist for years to come. 

Those looking for homes — especially their first — will enter a competitive market. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage, working with a trusted agent and taking advantage of online research tools are a few tips shoppers can use to get a leg up.

Austin was predicted to be the hottest market in last year’s survey, and that proved true. By mid-December the median list price for homes in the Austin metropolitan area was up 23.6% year over year — the largest rise among the 50 largest U.S. markets. 

«During the pandemic I think a lot of people spending a big portion of their paycheck on rent or mortgage in cities like New York and San Francisco started working from home and suddenly had options. Their dollar goes a lot further in the South, the climate is better, and Austin has a lot to offer — from the food scene to outdoor activities and live music,» said Thomas Brown, a Zillow Premier Agent in Austin and CEO of The Agency Texas. «Those factors are going to continue drawing people into the Austin market in 2021.»

Expensive coastal cities are predicted to fall short of the national average — 82% of respondents said New York would see sub-par growth in 2021. San Francisco (77%) and Los Angeles (67%) round out the bottom of the 20-city list. 

Tight supply conditions and affordability concerns were each cited by 29% of the panelists as the greatest headwind. 

«While sustained tailwinds are forecasted this year across most of the shifting U.S. housing landscape, certain densely populated markets with high-priced real estate face prevailing headwinds,» said Terry Loebs, founder of Pulsenomics. «Accordingly, home value appreciation rates within coastal cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are projected to see a downshift from last year’s remarkable levels.» 

About Zillow Group:
Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make it easier to unlock life’s next chapter. 

As the most-visited real estate website in the U.S., Zillow® and its affiliates offer customers an on-demand experience for selling, buying, renting or financing with transparency and nearly seamless end-to-end service. Zillow Offers® buys and sells homes directly in dozens of markets across the country, allowing sellers control over their timeline. Zillow Home Loans™, our affiliate lender, provides our customers with an easy option to get pre-approved and secure financing for their next home purchase. Zillow recently launched Zillow Homes, Inc., a licensed brokerage entity, to streamline Zillow Offers transactions.  

Zillow Group’s affiliates and subsidiaries include Zillow®, Zillow Offers®, Zillow Premier Agent®, Zillow Home Loans™, Zillow Closing Services™, Zillow Homes, Inc., Trulia®, Out East®, StreetEasy® and HotPads®. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). 

About Pulsenomics:
Pulsenomics LLC (www.pulsenomics.com) is an independent research firm that specializes in data analytics, opinion research, new product and index development for institutional clients in the financial and real estate arenas. Pulsenomics also designs and manages expert surveys and consumer polls to identify trends and expectations that are relevant to effective business management and monitoring economic health. Pulsenomics LLC is the author of The Home Price Expectations Survey™, The U.S. Housing Confidence Survey, The Housing Confidence Index, and The Transaction Sentiment Index. Pulsenomics® , The Housing Confidence Index™, The Transaction Sentiment Index™, and The Housing Confidence Survey™ are trademarks of Pulsenomics LLC.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zillow-survey-predicts-austin-will-be-the-nations-hottest-housing-market-in-2021-leading-a-sunbelt-surge-301209745.html

SOURCE Zillow

ASPEN, Colo., Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The deadline is fast approaching to apply for the 2021 Keeling Curve Prize, which will award $25,000 to each of 10 projects designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon uptake. The prestigious competition is open until Feb. 10 to applicants from around the world.

Previous winners have fixed carbon into stone in Iceland, produced biofuels in Kenya, and helped corporations around the world set and achieve emissions goals.

«Each year, the Keeling Curve Prize laureates inspire us with creative, practical approaches to reducing Earth’s greenhouse gas burden and staving off the worst effects of global warming,» said Jacquelyn Francis, executive director of the Keeling Curve Prize and the organization that administers it, the Global Warming Mitigation Project. «Our goal is to shine a spotlight on these solutions and accelerate their development.»

The 2021 Keeling Curve Prize application period closes at midnight GMT on Feb. 10. Francis says the application, which can be found at https://www.globalwarmingmitigationproject.org/apply, is intentionally straightforward and can be completed in a matter of a few hours.

Prizes will be awarded to two projects in each of the following five categories:

• Capture & Utilization 
• Energy 
• Finance 
• Social & Cultural Pathways 
• Transport & Mobility 

The growing Global Warming Mitigation Project recently expanded its leadership. Andrei Ruckenstein, Ph.D. — physics professor, vice president and associate provost for research at Boston University — has been named to the organization’s board of directors. Marilyn Waite of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been named to the Keeling Curve Prize’s advisory council. And Valorie Aquino, former national co-chair and organizer of the world’s first March for Science, has joined the staff as program and development director.

The Keeling Curve Prize is named after scientist Charles David Keeling’s iconic graph showing a sharp increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere since the 1950s.

Keeling Curve Prize finalists and winners are chosen by a panel of esteemed judges including Achala Abeysinghe, Ph.D., of the International Institute for Environment and Development; Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, Ph.D., of the Union of Concerned Scientists; Paul Holthus, World Ocean Council; Kara Hurst, Amazon; Edward Mungai, Kenya Climate Innovation Center; and Robin Newmark, National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Media Contact: Carina Daniels
carina@storyandreach.com
510-847-1617

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tackling-global-warming-apply-for-the-keeling-curve-prize-by-feb-10-301211123.html

SOURCE Keeling Curve Prize

LONDON, Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Navigator Holdings Ltd. («Navigator») (NYSE: NVGS) announced today the first carbon-neutral Handysize LPG voyage. Navigator Capricorn, a 20,550cbm semi-refrigerated gas carrier, loaded LPG for U.S. midstream company Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminal L.P. on 18^thJanuary 2021. The voyage commenced at the Marcus Hook export terminal located in Pennsylvania, U.S., and is set to transport cargo safely, reliably and efficiently across the Atlantic to Morocco. In collaboration with the Norwegian climate and technology company CHOOOSE, Navigator has committed to offset 1,068 metric tonnes of CO2 by supporting a UN-verified renewable energy project. The IslaSol Island Solar Power project in the Philippines is intended to bring daytime power to approximately 200,000 homes throughout the year, whilst focusing on reducing emissions in the region.

«Carbon reduction is a key strategic objective for our company and follows our mission of connecting the world today, creating a sustainable tomorrow,» said Oeyvind Lindeman, Chief Commercial Officer at Navigator. «We continuously strive to reduce our carbon emissions through innovations in the way we manage our company and in the way we operate our assets. Offsetting is one of several tools we choose to use in order to deliver a true carbon-neutral voyage. We are looking at ways to further promote and develop similar voyages in collaboration with our stakeholders whilst always keeping the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in mind.»

In addition to industry-led technological and regulatory developments in reducing its carbon footprint, Navigator Gas looks forward to further harnessing the potential of similar projects in the future to provide carbon offsetting to its customers in an effort to abate the current carbon emissions associated with day-to-day shipping activities, whilst future solutions are developed and deployed.

«Navigator is taking the lead in applying new solutions to address the existing carbon footprint associated with seagoing vessels. Their effort marks a landmark change in the global maritime sector by moving from words to tangible action, and we believe many more will follow their example. At CHOOOSE, we are proud to be participating in this global change led by Navigator by building technology that makes the global maritime sector a part of the solution,» said Andreas Slettvoll, CEO and co-founder at CHOOOSE. 

Navigator Holdings Ltd. is the owner and operator of the world’s largest fleet of Handysize liquefied gas carriers and a global leader in the seaborne transportation of petrochemical gases, such as ethylene and ethane, liquefied petroleum gas («LPG») and ammonia. We play a vital role in the liquefied gas supply chain for energy companies, industrial consumers and commodity traders, with our sophisticated vessels providing a safe, efficient and reliable ‘floating pipeline’ between the parties. Please visit www.navigatorgas.com for more information.   

For further information:
Investor Relations Department – investorrelations@navigatorgas.com
Oeyvind Lindeman, Chief Commercial Officer, +44 (0)20 7340 4575
Niall Nolan, Chief Financial Officer, +44 (0) 20 7340 4852

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/navigator-holdings-ltd-continues-its-drive-to-pioneer-sustainability-in-the-shipping-sector-and-decarbonise-the-maritime-supply-chain-by-announcing-its-first-carbon-neutral-voyage-301211033.html

SOURCE Navigator Gas