Even as the labor market remains tight, signs of a slowdown continue to appear in different pockets of the economy. The mixed signals from Thursday's data on initial jobless claims and existing home sales added to an economic picture that resembles a soft landing when the economy bends but does not ... READ MORE >
Real estate
Housing starts fall to three-year low amid 7% mortgage rate
Housing starts in the United States fell by a sharp 11.3% in August, the second double-digit drop in three months, signaling more strain on the housing market because of elevated mortgage rates that exceed 7%. August's number was the lowest since June 2020 as the pandemic set in, according to Commerce ... READ MORE >
New home sales remain bright spot in housing, rising on strong supply
New home sales remain a bright spot in a housing market that has cooled amid the surge in mortgage rates. Sales of new homes increased by 4.4% in July to 714,000, according to Commerce Department data released on Wednesday. The rebound in new home sales has continued for more than a year with July's ... READ MORE >
Existing home sales fall near January low as rates surge
Sales of existing homes fell in back-to-back months as multi-decade high mortgage rates continued to suppress demand and supply. The data from the National Association of Realtors certainly added more risks to our call that a housing bottom has passed. Read more of RSM's insights on the real estate ... READ MORE >
Industrial production and housing rebound in July, affirming GDP growth outlook
Industrial production, housing starts and permits in July have set the tone for a robust third quarter, as GDP growth is expected to be stronger than the long-run level of 1.8%. Industrial production rose 1% on the month, while housing starts and permits rose 3.9% and 0.1%, respectively, according to ... READ MORE >
Housing starts and permits drop in June as rates surge
Housing starts and permits dropped in June after surging in May amid market volatility because of interest rate increases. New residential starts fell by 8% on the month, while permits for new buildings declined by 3.7%, the Commerce Department reported on Wednesday. The drop came as mortgage ... READ MORE >
Housing starts and permits spike in May as sentiment improves
Housing starts and permits came in much stronger than expected in May as the housing market continued to improve off its low in 2022. The upside surprise raises our forecast for gross domestic product in the second quarter from a 1.5% increase to 1.8%. There were 1.6 million new housing ... READ MORE >
Jobless claims and housing starts come in hotter than expected
Jobless claims and housing starts blew past forecasts in the most recent reports released Thursday, both showing stronger-than-expected results amid a looming economic downturn. New jobless claims fell by 20,000 last week to 192,000 following an unexpected spike in the previous week, ... READ MORE >
Generative AI: Disruptive or flawed innovation for real estate?
It’s hard to imagine the passage above is a direct output of innovative technology, ChatGPT. We were intrigued by what the chatbot driven by generative artificial intelligence could tell us about digital transformation in real estate, and it took only seconds for it to come back with the ... READ MORE >
Fed’s survey of loan officers points to caution in the middle market
Even as financial conditions have eased in recent months, helping to spur a rally in equity markets, one area of America’s real economy has been flashing warning signs: the commercial and industrial loan market. Demand for these loans, an important engine of growth, plunged last year as lending ... READ MORE >