SEATTLE, Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- After a housing recession that eclipsed the Great Depression, many markets are again experiencing home value appreciation sparked by high demand but a low supply of homes. What are the sources of this situation, and how long will it last? What will come next? What should real estate professionals and consumers know about this "new" housing market?

To help answer some of these questions, Zillow®, the leading real estate information marketplace, and the University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate will host the half-day "Forum on California's Housing Market: Navigating the Post-Bottom Landscape" Oct. 12 at San Francisco's Palace Hotel.

"When it comes to today's housing market, it's a confusing time for professionals and consumers alike," said Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries. "The sheer size of California's real estate market, along with the fact that cities in the state were among the first to enter the housing recession, combine to make California a kind of bellwether for what to expect as other major housing markets begin to stabilize and recover. We're thrilled to host an esteemed group of national and California-based experts to discuss the state of the market and issues of particular relevance to California."

"With rising rents and historically low mortgage rates, owning a home appears to be very appealing," said Richard Green, Lusk Chair in Real Estate at USC. "But underwater borrowers are reluctant – or unable – to sell, tying up supply in a high-demand environment. We look forward to discussing the implications of these factors on the housing market."

This will be the second housing forum hosted by Zillow this year. The first, "America's Housing Crisis: Private-Sector Responses and Public Policy Innovation," was held in New York in April.

Full details of the San Francisco event are below, and guests can register for this free forum at http://cahousingforum.eventbrite.com. More information and updates about speakers can be found at www.zillow.com/blog/category/housing-forum.

Other speakers include:

• Spencer Rascoff, CEO, Zillow
• John Burns, CEO, John Burns Real Estate Consulting
• Bert Selva, President, Shea Homes
• Eric Gutshall, President and COO, Haven Realty Capital
• Dowell Myers, Professor, Director, Population Dynamics Research Group, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

With a special overview of the nation's housing market by Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries.

About Zillow, Inc.

Zillow (NASDAQ: Z) is the leading real estate information marketplace, providing vital information about homes, real estate listings and mortgages through its website and mobile applications, enabling homeowners, buyers, sellers and renters to connect with real estate and mortgage professionals best suited to meet their needs. In addition, Zillow operates an industry-leading economics and analytics bureau led by Zillow's Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries. Dr. Humphries and his team of economists and data analysts produce extensive housing data and research covering more than 150 markets at Zillow Real Estate Research. Zillow, Inc. operates Zillow.com®, Zillow Mortgage Marketplace, Zillow Mobile, Postlets®, Diverse Solutions™ and RentJuice®. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

Zillow.com, Zillow, Zestimate, Postlets and RentJuice are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc. Diverse Solutions is a trademark of Zillow, Inc.

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SOURCE Zillow.com