Housing starts in Canada fell 4.42% to 251,151 in September, another sign of the continuing shortages of raw materials and labor that have gripped the economy. The drop, the fourth monthly decline in a row, was led by dramatic decreases in Ontario (9,380 units), Alberta (4,730 units) and most notably ... READ MORE >
Real estate
Lessons from the American Dream mega-mall
What happens when a real estate investor does not look at changing consumer preferences when undertaking a new project? More often than not, it ends in disappointment, and lost money. One project that is heading down this path is New Jersey’s American Dream mega-mall. The unfinished property, which ... READ MORE >
Americans spent more on building homes than on building anything else for the first time in 14 years
In another sign of the housing market’s continued strength, U.S. spending on residential buildings—both private and public—increased by 0.4% in August to $795.5 billion, while nonresidential spending declined by 0.4% to $788.6 billion, on a seasonally adjusted annual rate. The data points directly ... READ MORE >
Building permits in Canada continued to fall with material shortages
The value of building permits in Canada decreased by 2.1% in August from July to a seasonally adjusted 9.66 billion Canadian dollars as developers continued to feel the effect of supply and labour shortages. August’s decline, which fell short of forecasts, continued the downward trend from the peak in ... READ MORE >
Flood insurance premiums to increase for coastal property owners
After years of mounting losses from hurricanes and rising water levels, the federal flood insurance program will begin phasing out subsides starting on Oct. 1. The long-sought changes to the National Flood Insurance Program are designed to shift the cost of owning properties in flood-prone areas onto ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Pending home sales rose a surprising 8.1% in August
Pending sales of homes bounced back strongly in August with an 8.1% increase after two consecutive months of declines, according to data released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors. While the increase exceeded analysts' forecast of 1.8%, it comes as housing inventory has increased ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Sales of existing homes drop amid high prices
Existing home sales in August inched down by 2.0% to 5.88 million, following an upwardly revised 6.00 million in July, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors. The new data continued to point to signs of deceleration in the housing market, but it is still a ... READ MORE >
Home builders, facing shortage of materials, can’t meet soaring demand
Even as the housing market continues to lead the economic recovery in the United States, home builders, whipsawed by more than a year of dramatic changes fueled by the pandemic, are facing new pressures as they try to meet surging demand. Already, builders have been scrambling to find enough workers to ... READ MORE >
What the U.S. government’s openness to remote work means for contractors and real estate
After many industries saw productivity remain stable with employees working from home, organizations across the country are evaluating their office real estate needs. The U.S. government, the largest office tenant in the United States, is no different, and having the largest checkbook in the world affords ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Mortgage rates resume their downward march
Ten-year U.S. Treasury yields have drifted lower over the past couple of months, bringing mortgage rates to the lowest levels in nearly six months and well below historical levels. The average rate for a 30-year loan was 2.77% on Aug. 5, the lowest since Feb. 11. The historically low borrowing costs, ... READ MORE >