The median U.S. home value rose 8.7 percent to $215,600 in April, the fastest year-over-year climb since June 2006, when the housing market was slowing from its bubble-driven, double-digit growth. By September 2007, the median home value had begun to decrease.

By contrast, the current gain is part of a general upward trend that started in early 2015, when values were climbing at less than 5 percent year-over-year. They picked up steam that summer and, aside from occasional pauses and slight declines, have not looked back.

Among major markets, San Jose, Calif., led year-over-year home value growth in April, with its median rocketing 26.2 percent to $1.26 million. Las Vegas had the second fastest growing median home value, but for an opposite reason: While San Jose is a pricey coastal hub with home values driven by well-paid tech workers, Las Vegas continues to climb back from the recession. Its median home value gained 16.5 percent in April to $260,800 – but is still not at its pre-recession (2006) peak of $316,800.

Netflix’s promotional tagline is “See what’s next” — a nod to the numerous titles that are instantly available to watch at the click of a remote. For the streaming entertainment giant, “what’s next” is changing in dramatic ways.
While it once depended almost exclusively on old licensed titles from other studios such as “Breaking Bad,” “South Park” and “The Walking Dead,” Netflix is betting that a steady diet of original content will sustain its business.
A Times analysis shows a surge in “Netflix Original”-branded titles in the U.S. over the last three years. The number of new original titles released so far this year is more than triple the number from the same period in 2016. In August, more than 53% of new releases will be Netflix Originals — the first time the company has added more original than licensed content on a monthly basis.