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HOMEOWNER EQUITY TURNS BACK UPWARD ACROSS U.S. IN SECOND QUARTER OF 2024 AS HOME VALUES SURGE

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Half of Mortgaged Homeowners Once Again Equity-Rich; Portion of Owners Seriously Underwater Drops to Five-Year Low

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property, and real estate data, today released its second quarter 2024 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, which shows that 49.2 percent of mortgaged residential properties in the United States were considered equity-rich in the second quarter, meaning that the combined estimated amount of loan balances secured by those properties was no more than half of their estimated market values.

The portion of mortgaged homeowners in equity-rich territory during the second quarter of 2024 rose from 45.8 percent in the first quarter of 2024, matching a high point reached in the Spring of last year. The increase reversed a series of three straight quarterly declines and marked one of the best gains in the past five years.

While equity-rich levels improved, the report also reveals that the portion of home mortgages that were seriously underwater in the U.S. declined to 2.4 percent during the second quarter, or just one in 42. That was down from 2.7 percent in the prior quarter to the lowest level since at least 2019. Seriously underwater mortgages are those with combined estimated balances of loans secured by properties that are at least 25 percent more than those properties’ estimated market values.

The second-quarter equity gains came as home prices spiked during the 2024 Spring buying season, with the median national price shooting up 9 percent quarterly to a new record of $365,000. Rising prices helped raise equity levels throughout most of the country by widening the gap between the estimated value of homes and the amounts homeowners owed on their loans.

“Homeowner wealth took a notable turn for the better during the second quarter as equity levels piggybacked on some of the biggest home-price spikes we’ve seen in recent years,” said Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM. “After a period where equity seemed stagnant or even declining, this brought another boost of good news for homeowners from the enduring housing market boom. Supplies of homes for sale remain limited these days and buyer demand is typically elevated during the Summertime. So, it should be no surprise if home values go even higher and take equity along for the ride.”

The latest market pattern reflects a period when the housing market rebounded from several sluggish quarters of price gains and losses. Values surged amid a tight supply of homes combined with the usual Springtime increase in buyer demand. Additional help came from relatively stable home-mortgage rates that hovered back and forth around 7 percent for a 30-year fixed loan as well as a national unemployment rate that fell below 4 percent and investment markets that hit new highs.

Equity-rich shares of mortgages climb throughout U.S.
The portion of mortgages that were equity-rich increased in 48 of the 50 U.S. states from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2024, commonly by more than two percentage points. Measured annually, equity-rich levels were up in 31 states as the nationwide figure of 49.2 percent equity-rich in the second quarter of this year matched the portion from the second quarter of 2023. 

The biggest quarterly increases came in lower-priced markets, mainly across the South and Midwest regions, led by Kentucky (where the portion of mortgaged homes considered equity-rich increased from 28.7 percent in the first quarter of 2024 to 37.4 percent in the second quarter of 2024), Illinois (up from 28.3 percent to 36.1 percent), Missouri (up from 38.3 percent to 45.5 percent), Oklahoma (up from 28.1 percent to 34.5 percent) and Alabama (up from 35.7 percent to 41.9 percent).

At the other end of the scale, equity-rich levels remained the same in two states (staying at 54 percent in Utah and 51.5 percent in South Dakota). The smallest increases were in North Dakota (up from 31.5 percent to 32 percent), California (up from 58.6 percent to 59.4 percent) and Louisiana (up from 20.1 percent to 21 percent).

Seriously underwater mortgage levels also improve in most states
The portion of mortgaged homes considered seriously underwater declined nationwide during the second quarter of 2024 to one in 42. That was down from one in 37 in the first quarter of 2024 and one in 36 in the second quarter of last year – well below the ratio of one in 15 recorded in 2019. The rate decreased in 47 states quarterly and 37 states annually.

As with rising equity-rich levels, the biggest decreases in seriously underwater mortgages were clustered mainly in the South and Midwest. The largest quarterly decreases were in Wyoming (share of mortgaged homes that were seriously underwater down from 8.8 percent in the first quarter of 2024 to 2.5 percent in the second quarter of 2024), Kentucky (down from 8.3 percent to 6.3 percent), Illinois (down from 5.2 percent to 4 percent), Oklahoma (down from 6.1 percent to 5 percent) and Alabama (down from 3.6 percent to 2.8 percent).

On the flip side, two states saw slight increases in the percentage of seriously underwater homes from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2024. They were Utah (up from 2.1 percent to 2.2 percent) and South Dakota (up from 3 percent to 3.1 percent). The rate was unchanged in three states: New Mexico (2.6 percent), Kansas (2.9 percent) and Idaho (2.4 percent).

Largest levels of equity-rich homeowners still in higher-priced markets of Northeast and West
The 10 states with the highest levels of equity-rich mortgaged properties around the U.S. during the second quarter of 2024 again were in the Northeast or West regions. Those with the largest portions were Vermont (83.5 percent of mortgaged homes were equity-rich), Maine (61.5 percent), New Hampshire (61.1 percent), Montana (61.1 percent) and Rhode Island (60.2 percent).

Nine of the 10 states with the lowest percentages of equity-rich properties during the second quarter of 2024 were in the Midwest or South. The smallest portions were in Louisiana (21 percent of mortgaged homes were equity-rich), Alaska (31 percent), North Dakota (32 percent), West Virginia (33.6 percent) and Oklahoma (34.5 percent).

Among 107 metropolitan statistical areas around the nation with a population of at least 500,000, upscale markets where median home values topped $400,000 again dominated the list of places with the highest portion of mortgaged properties that were equity-rich during the second quarter. (See ATTOM’s latest Q2 2024 U.S. home sales report)

Those markets were led by San Jose, CA (70.4 percent equity-rich, with a second-quarter median home price of $1.6 million); Miami, FL (65.4 percent, with a median price of $485,000); San Diego, CA (65.4 percent, with a median price of $910,000); Los Angeles, CA (65.3 percent, with a median price of $963,500) and Portland, ME (65.1 percent, with a median price of $499,411).

The leader in the Midwest continued to be Grand Rapids, MI (57.2 percent equity-rich, with a median price of $325,000).

The metro areas with the lowest percentages of equity-rich properties in the second quarter of 2024 remained mostly in low-priced markets of the South and Midwest. The smallest levels were in Baton Rouge, LA (17.5 percent of mortgaged homes were equity-rich, with a second-quarter median home price of $235,000); New Orleans, LA (27.1 percent, with a median price of $255,000); Jackson, MS (29.2 percent, with a median price of $262,421); Virginia Beach, VA (30.3 percent, with a median price of $329,000) and Little Rock, AR (32.5 percent, with a median price of $224,268).

The portion of mortgaged homes considered equity rich increased from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2024 in 99 of the 107 metro areas with sufficient data (93 percent), but was still down from the second quarter of 2023 to the same period of 2024 in 57 percent.

Top equity-rich counties again concentrated in Midwest, Northeast and West
Among 1,747 counties that had at least 2,500 homes with mortgages in the second quarter of 2024, the top 30 equity-rich locations were spread across the Midwest, Northeast or West regions, with Michigan and Vermont leading the way.

Counties with the highest share of equity-rich properties were Chittenden County (Burlington), VT (90.8 percent equity rich); Benzie County (Beulah), MI (89.2 percent); Manistee County, MI (86.6 percent); Washington County (Montpelier), VT (86.3 percent) and Marquette County, MI (85.4 percent).

Counties with populations of at least 500,000 and the highest equity-rich levels were Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA (71.4 percent equity-rich); Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (69.9 percent); Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach), FL (68.2 percent); Miami-Dade County, FL (67.6 percent) and San Diego County, CA (65.4 percent).

Nineteen of the 20 counties with the smallest share of equity-rich homes in the second quarter of 2024 were in the South. The lowest were in Vernon Parish (Leesville), LA (5.4 percent equity rich); Long County, GA (south of Savannah) (9.2 percent); Ascension Parish, LA (outside Baton Rouge) (9.7 percent); Acadia Parish, LA (outside Lafayette) (10 percent) and Arkansas County, AR (east of Little Rock (10.7 percent).

Counties with populations of at least 500,000 and the smallest equity-rich portions were Cook County (Chicago), IL (34.8 percent equity-rich); Hennepin County (Minneapolis), MN (38.6 percent); Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), OH (39 percent); Philadelphia County, PA (40.6 percent) and New York County (Manhattan), NY (43.1 percent).

At least 50 percent of all mortgaged properties considered equity-rich in almost half of all U.S. zip codes
Among 9,120 U.S. zip codes that had at least 2,000 residential properties with mortgages in the second quarter of 2024, there were 4,263 (46.7 percent) where at least half the mortgaged properties were equity-rich.

Among the top 50 zip codes, 41 were in California, Florida or Texas, including five each in Santa Barbara, CA, and Irvine, CA. The largest shares were in zip codes 49855 in Marquette, MI (87.1 percent of mortgaged properties were equity-rich); 93110 in Santa Barbara, CA (86.2 percent); 92657 in Newport Coast, CA (85.9 percent); 57702 in Rapid City, SD (85.5 percent) and 76115 in Fort Worth, TX (85.4 percent).

Largest shares of seriously underwater mortgages continue in Midwest and South
The Midwest and South regions had 18 of the top 20 states with the highest shares of mortgages that were seriously underwater in the second quarter of this year. The top five were Louisiana (10.5 percent seriously underwater), Mississippi (6.8 percent), Kentucky (6.3 percent), Arkansas (5.4 percent) and Iowa (5.2 percent).

The smallest shares were in Vermont (0.7 percent seriously underwater), Rhode Island (0.9 percent), New Hampshire (1 percent), Massachusetts (1.1 percent) and California (1.2 percent).

Among 107 metropolitan statistical areas with a population greater than 500,000, those with the largest shares of mortgages that were seriously underwater in the second quarter of 2024 were Baton Rouge, LA (11 percent); New Orleans, LA (7.4 percent); Jackson, MS (6.1 percent); Little Rock, AR (4.7 percent) and Lexington, KY (4.7 percent).

More than 20 percent of residential mortgages seriously underwater in less than 1 percent zip codes
Among the 9,120 U.S. zip codes that had at least 2,000 homes with mortgages in the second quarter of 2024, there were only 19 locations where more than 20 percent of mortgaged properties were seriously underwater.

The top five zip codes with the largest shares of seriously underwater properties in the second quarter of 2024 were 39180 in Vicksburg, MI (38.8 percent of mortgaged homes were seriously underwater); 42445 in Princeton, KY (36 percent); 71446 in Leesville, LA (33.4 percent); 44108 in Cleveland, OH (32.7 percent) and 44112 in Cleveland, OH (30 percent).

Report methodology
The ATTOM U.S. Home Equity & Underwater report provides counts of properties based on several categories of equity — or loan to value (LTV) — at the state, metro, county and zip code level, along with the percentage of total properties with a mortgage that each equity category represents. The equity/LTV is calculated based on record-level loan model estimating position and amount of loans secured by a property and a record-level automated valuation model (AVM) derived from publicly recorded mortgage and deed of trust data collected and licensed by ATTOM nationwide for more than 155 million U.S. properties. The ATTOM Home Equity and Underwater report has been updated and modified to better reflect a housing market focused on the traditional home buying process. ATTOM found that markets where investors were more prominent, they would offset the loan to value ratio due to sales involving multiple properties with a single jumbo loan encompassing all of the properties. Therefore, going forward such activity is now excluded from the reports in order to provide traditional consumer home purchase and loan activity.

Definitions
Seriously underwater: Loan to value ratio of 125 percent or above, meaning the property owner owed at least 25 percent more than the estimated market value of the property.

Equity-rich: Loan to value ratio of 50 percent or lower, meaning the property owner had at least 50 percent equity. 

About ATTOM
ATTOM provides premium property data to power products that improve transparency, innovation, efficiency, and disruption in a data-driven economy. ATTOM multi-sources property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties covering 99 percent of the nation’s population. A rigorous data management process involving more than 20 steps validates, standardizes, and enhances the real estate data collected by ATTOM, assigning each property record with a persistent, unique ID — the ATTOM ID. The 30TB ATTOM Data Warehouse fuels innovation in many industries including mortgage, real estate, insurance, marketing, government and more through flexible data delivery solutions that include ATTOM Cloudbulk file licensesproperty data APIsreal estate market trendsproperty navigator and more. Also, introducing our newest innovative solution, making property data more readily accessible and optimized for AI applications– AI-Ready Solutions

Media Contact:
Megan Hunt
megan.hunt@attomdata.com 

Data and Report Licensing:
datareports@attomdata.com

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SOURCE ATTOM

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Amwell Receives Frost & Sullivan’s 2026 United States Technology Innovation Leadership Recognition for Technology-Enabled Care Platforms

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Amwell® is transforming virtual care delivery through its unified Amwell Platform, combining interoperability, clinical integration, and intelligent orchestration to improve access, efficiency, and outcomes.

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As healthcare organizations move beyond fragmented telehealth solutions toward connected virtual care models, Amwell is helping redefine how digital care is delivered at scale. Frost & Sullivan is pleased to recognize Amwell with the 2026 United States Technology Innovation Leadership Recognition in the Technology-Enabled Care Platforms industry for its ability to address healthcare fragmentation through a unified platform that connects patients, health plan members, clinicians, and partner ecosystems across the care continuum.

Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across two core dimensions: strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. Amwell excelled in both, demonstrating its ability to align strategic initiatives with evolving healthcare needs while executing with flexibility, scalability, and measurable customer impact. “The combination of reliability, flexibility, and clinically integrated workflows positions the Amwell Platform as a strategic enabler for organizations seeking to reduce fragmentation, improve member engagement with covered programs, expand access to care, and create more connected healthcare experiences,” said Sagar Mukhekar, Industry Analyst, Frost & Sullivan.

Guided by a strategy centered on connected care, interoperability, and continuous, digital innovation, Amwell has positioned the Amwell Platform as an operating layer for next-generation healthcare delivery. Rather than relying on disconnected point solutions, the platform integrates technology, services, and clinical intelligence to orchestrate personalized care experiences across virtual primary care, urgent care, behavioral health, chronic condition management, and specialized digital programs.

Backed by 20 years of technology-enabled care innovation, more than 90 million covered lives, and over 38.7 million virtual visits, Amwell continues to help health plans and healthcare organizations modernize digital care delivery at scale.

“As healthcare becomes more digital, it risks becoming more fragmented. Health plans need more than point solutions. They need enterprise infrastructure, clinical integration, and an open platform that brings partners and programs together. Our vision at Amwell is that technology creates value when it improves access, engagement, quality, and efficiency, and produces measurable clinical and business outcomes. We’re honored by this recognition from Frost & Sullivan,” said Dan Zamansky, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Amwell.

Amwell’s enterprise scale includes supporting the digital transformation of the Defense Health Agency’s Military Health System, serving approximately 9.6 million beneficiaries. The company’s commitment to measurable outcomes is also reflected in a landmark National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded study, published in Nature Human Behaviour and among the largest studies of its kind. The study found that students offered SilverCloud® by Amwell® engaged in mental healthcare at more than double the rate of traditional care, experienced lower rates of mental health disorders, and generated an estimated $1.18 million in avoided costs for the study population.

The company further differentiates its platform through intelligent orchestration and navigation, helping guide members to appropriate programs while giving clinicians visibility across care plans. Amwell also evaluates integrated third-party programs for clinical effectiveness, scalability, and enterprise readiness.

Frost & Sullivan commends Amwell for setting a high standard in competitive strategy, execution, and technological innovation. The company’s unified approach to digital care is helping reduce fragmentation, improve access, strengthen operational efficiency, and support more equitable and sustainable healthcare delivery.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Technology Innovation Leadership Recognition to a company that demonstrates outstanding strategy development and implementation, resulting in measurable improvements in market share, customer satisfaction, and competitive positioning. The recognition identifies forward-thinking organizations that are reshaping their industries through innovation and growth excellence.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Recognition

Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Recognitions honor companies across regional and global markets that exhibit exceptional achievement and consistent excellence in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer experience, and strategic product development. Each recognition is the result of a rigorous analytical process in which Frost & Sullivan industry experts benchmark performance through comprehensive interviews, deep-dive analysis, and extensive secondary research. The goal is to identify true best-in-class organizations that are driving transformative growth and setting new industry standards.
Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:
Ashley Shreve
E: ashley.weinkauf@frost.com 

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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MiniTool Released MovieMaker 8.9 with Advanced Keyframe Animation

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VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MiniTool Software Limited has released MiniTool MovieMaker 8.9, a significant update to its video editing software. The latest version focuses on empowering creators with advanced keyframe animation controls, a more streamlined installation experience, and an optimized export button for a smoother experience.

Precise Control with Keyframe Animation

The hallmark of MiniTool MovieMaker 8.9 is the introduction of keyframe animation for video, images, and elements. Users can now set keyframes for position, scale, and rotation at different points. As a result, they can easily generate smooth, cinematic motion effects.

The position parameter supports accurate X- and Y-axis adjustments, allowing flexible horizontal and vertical movement of clips to achieve natural screen scrolling and displacement effects. The scale feature allows for seamless zoom-in and zoom-out transitions, enabling users to zoom in on a clip and highlight key visual elements. Coupled with rotation control, which supports precise angle adjustments, the three tools work together to deliver smooth, dynamic visual effects.

Designed with simplicity and accessibility in mind, this update brings intuitive keyframe animation tools without complex settings. It balances powerful editing capabilities and ease of use, allowing users to easily bring static photos to life and create custom movements for high-quality visual content.

Installation Package Optimization for Faster Setup

MiniTool MovieMaker 8.9 places a strong emphasis on the installation package. In this latest release, the development team has reduced the overall installation package size, enabling a faster, more streamlined download and setup experience. This enhancement not only saves disk space but also improves application launch speeds. As a result, creators can quickly run the software and start working on their projects with minimal delay.

Enhanced Export UI for a Seamless Final Step

The final export stage is crucial to the editing workflow. This time, MiniTool MovieMaker 8.9 brings a new export button with a redesigned interface. This update optimizes the export button and provides intuitive guidance. Therefore, users can quickly locate the button for exporting their projects, whether they are absolute beginners or experienced editors.

About MiniTool MovieMaker

MiniTool MovieMaker is an easy-to-use video editing program designed for beginners, featuring a clean interface and a variety of effects, text templates, stickers, filters, and transitions for quick video creation.

The software offers a flexible multi-track timeline where users can layer and independently manage video tracks and audio tracks to create complex compositions, such as picture-in-picture (PiP) effects and video collages. Users can also place visual elements on different layers and lock tracks to prevent accidental edits.

More importantly, this editing tool can export videos in 1080P or 4K for free and without watermarks, ensuring high-quality, professional-looking results.

About MiniTool® Software Ltd.

MiniTool® Software Ltd. is a software development company specializing in providing software services across multiple fields, including video editing, screen recording, video conversion and compression, video enhancement, as well as disk partition management.

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SOURCE MiniTool® Software Limited

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From Trust to Value: Miles Group Signs Bo Jin and Isaac Lam, Launching into the Athlete Representation Track

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HONG KONG, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Miles Group, specializing in international sports marketing, announced today the signing of two outstanding professional golfers, Bo Jin and Isaac Lam. This milestone concurrently marks the official launch of the company’s athlete representation business.

Founded in 2012, Miles Group has spent over a decade providing Asian market marketing services for premier global golf brands, including Major Championships, the LPGA Tour, and the United States Golf Association (USGA). In 2026, the group’s domestic arm, Miles Shanghai, launched its proprietary tournament IP—the Junior Charity Classic—which offers top Asian junior golfers a direct pathway to elite junior tournaments in the United States.

“I have always believed that elite athletes are among the rarest and most valuable brand assets, yet their commercial potential remains vastly underestimated. Miles Group is entering the talent representation arena not simply to sign established names, but to leverage our 15 years of international sports marketing expertise. Our mission is to build a dedicated value-amplification system for Asia’s athletes, empowering them to command top-tier commercial influence far beyond the field of play.” said Smile Xu, founder of Miles Group and a top-tier marketing strategist.

“Having known Smile for ten years, I’ve watched her grow from an industry rising star into someone who drives real change. I have absolute faith in her capabilities, but what I admire most is her vision—helping more players use innovative methods to unlock true, long-term value, and even rewrite the rules of the industry,” said 24-year-old Bo Jin, who currently competes on the China Tour. “Entering my second year as a professional, I chose Miles Group because I believe in the future she sees, and it’s a future I want to be part of.”

Bo is the first Chinese player to reach the finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur, a member of the 2019 Junior Presidents Cup International Team, the individual runner-up at the 2021 NCAA D1 Championship, and the runner-up at the 13th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in 2022. Turning professional in 2025, Bo delivered a remarkable rookie year, capturing two runner-up finishes on the China Tour and placing in the top 20 during his DP World Tour debut.

Isaac Lam, 27, hails from Hong Kong, China, and turned professional in 2024. Now an active competitor on the China Tour, he boasts the title of a two-time Tour champion. Following his maiden China Tour victory at the 2025 Wuyishan International Open, Lam lifted his second trophy this past August at the Fanling Golf Classic in front of his home crowds.

“On the course, I am a champion, but in the business world, I am a complete novice. Two China Tour titles didn’t bring the commercial breakthrough I had anticipated,” Lam shared. “Since my amateur days, Smile has always given me unconditional advice. Joining Miles Group now is a choice born from seeing her selfless dedication to young players. She brings both the wisdom to sharpen my direction and the resources and capability to translate a championship title into real commercial value.”

Play Beyond • More than just the game—from amateur to professional, from trust to value! In launching its talent representative agency business, Miles Group is dedicated to systematically developing athletes’ multidimensional commercial value off the course. Moving forward, Miles Group will leverage precise resource matching and long-term strategic planning to create sustainable growth opportunities for players, while introducing high-value sports IPs to partners for mutual empowerment.

About Miles Group

Miles Group is a marketing agency headquartered in Hong Kong that has been deeply rooted in the Asian market for 15 years. With teams across Mainland China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and Thailand, it focuses on the sports and lifestyle sectors. The group provides one-stop services covering public relations, digital media, content creation, KOL management, and event management for top global clients. Its client portfolio includes industry benchmarks such as USGA, LPGA, LIV Golf, BLAST and more. Since 2025, the group has focused on developing its own tournament IPs and content; its inaugural Junior Charity Classic immediately became an industry market benchmark. 思迈超牛 is the affiliated operating company of Miles Group in Mainland China.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/from-trust-to-value-miles-group-signs-bo-jin-and-isaac-lam-launching-into-the-athlete-representation-track-302870107.html

SOURCE Miles Group

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