Mixed results came from the housing sector in October as housing starts inched down by 0.7% while building permits rose sharply by 4.0% on the month. … READ MORE >
Real estate
Despite Zillow’s retreat, iBuyers show promise
Zillow’s exit from its iBuyer venture prompted the question: Is the business model flawed? As recent earnings reports from two of Zillow’s competitors showed, it’s too early to write it off. … READ MORE >
How the construction industry can work toward a net-zero future
The construction industry has been resilient through the pandemic even as it confronts shortages of workers and raw materials, and rising inflation. But these challenges will pale in comparison to the ones that contractors will face as nations race to meet aggressive goals in reducing carbon emissions. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Home affordability continues to drop
Strong homebuyer demand and limited housing supply have continued to push median sales prices for existing single-family homes higher across the United States. … READ MORE >
Multi-family dwellings drive Canada building permit value up 8.2%
The value of building permits in Canada grew to CA$10.14 billion in September, an 8.2% increase compared to August, driven by the increasing value of multi-family residential permits, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Tuesday. … READ MORE >
iBuyers, offering convenience at a price, disrupt home sale market
A new breed of real estate technology companies is seeking to make buying and selling a home easier. They are known as iBuyers, and their goal is nothing less than to change the way people buy and sell homes. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Pending home sales dipped in September
The pending home sales index fell 2.3% to 116.7 in September after a strong gain of 8% in August, a sign of a modest pullback in home buying as some purchases are delayed until next year. … READ MORE >
New home sales highest since March
New home sales increased by 14% in September to 800,000, the highest since March, indicating that strong demand for new houses continued to drive the market. … READ MORE >
Existing home sales rebounded in September to highest level since February
The sales number was an upside surprise to earlier estimates of 6.1 million units, pointing to a stronger-than-expected housing market last month. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: U.S. housing starts and permits slowed amid shortages
Housing starts and permits stayed below expectations in September, signaling a supply slowdown because of shortages of materials and labor. … READ MORE >