This represents just about one third of all homeowners nationwide, according to a new report from Zillow, a real estate information, sales and mortgage website.

Demographics, home prices and geographical location all seem to play into “free-and-clear” home ownership, according to Zillow’s survey.

Out of the nation’s top 30 housing markets, Pittsburgh, Tampa, New York, Cleveland and Miami had the highest percentage of free-and-clear homeowners. A high number of all-cash, foreign buyers probably plays into New York and Miami. The other cities have relatively low home values, compared to the rest of the nation, making it easier for homeowners to either buy their homes outright or pay off their mortgages more quickly.

Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Las Vegas, Denver and Charlotte had the lowest percentage of homeowners with no mortgage. Las Vegas, hard hit by the housing crash, saw many of its homes go to foreclosure and those homes then go to all-cash investors. (Read More: Banks Pay Big for Robo-Signing…Again.)

Article source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100370046

Green costs more, and today’s already-skittish potential home buyers are not willing to shell out more cash for a greener standard of living.

At least that’s the finding of a survey by Chicago Agent Magazine.

The magazine did a green survey last year and then repeated the same questions this year to compare trends. Last year 33 percent of agents surveyed reported that they had clients specifically seeking out properties with green features. This year that number dropped to 15 percent.

“I believe that buyers appreciate ‘green’ features, but they are not yet ready to pay extra for them,” Bob Parris, broker/owner of Manchester Realty told the magazine.

The survey asked agents how many had completed “green transactions” in the past two years. 77 percent answered, none. That’s up from 64 percent who said none last year. Apparently more agents this year said green in just a “marketing term” and more say the term doesn’t make a difference to potential buyers. It’s not surprising therefore that fewer agents reported getting their “green designations.”

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