The decline in housing numbers reported for December on Wednesday is tied to the dwindling available supply of housing for purchase. Pending home sales reported by the National Association of Realtors through December 2019 decreased 4.9% month over month; however, the year-over-year comparison shows a ... READ MORE >
Real estate
Housing to start 2020 with a bang
When Boeing announced on Monday that it would halt production of its troubled 737 Max in January, it raised the prospect that the economy could take a hit in early 2020. But Tuesday's announcement of stronger-than-expected housing starts could ease some of those concerns. The Commerce Department ... READ MORE >
How senior housing developers can respond to sagging demand
Developers eager to fill the demand for senior housing created by an aging U.S. population are facing a new and unexpected challenge in the form of rapidly advancing technologies that allow seniors to stay in their homes longer. It’s called “aging in place,” and a host of disruptors have set their ... READ MORE >
As recession looms, U.S. homebuilders show strength
Even as slowing global growth and rising trade tensions have increased the odds that the American economy will enter a recession, one sector – homebuilding – has emerged as a bright spot. Thanks to a focus on the domestic economy and the resilient spending of the American consumer, the homebuilding ... READ MORE >
Real estate dry powder hits record levels amid stock market volatility, rising property values
No one wants to pay top dollar for real estate. A volatile stock market that has left investors looking for safe haven, with many allocating dollars to real estate fund managers. However, real estate funds have not yet deployed that capital, in part due to escalating property values. As a result, ... READ MORE >
Is the next mortgage bubble imminent? Not so fast, the debt data tells us
Residential mortgages totaled $9.4 trillion as of June 30 and overall consumer debt reached an all-time high of $13.86 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Residential mortgage debt eclipsed the 2008 peak of $9.29 trillion, fueling the belief among some market watchers that a ... READ MORE >
Low treasury rate is a boost for home builders, neutral for commercial real estate
Bonds have been declining in recent weeks following a 25-basis-point rate cut from the Federal Reserve and expectations of further cuts amid rising concerns over an impending recession. Recession concerns were underscored Wednesday by the inversion of the U.S. and U.K. two- and 10-year yield curves and ... READ MORE >
Homebuilder confidence indicators rise but still lag 2018
The homebuilder confidence index rose to 65 in July, according to the National Association of Homebuilders, as a dovish Federal Reserve is expected to reduce interest rates later this month and potentially two more times by the end of 2019. But while confidence has increased, homebuilders are still facing ... READ MORE >
Real estate investors hope for the best, prepare for the worst—KAYO conference
"We don’t know.” That was the response of Denise Olsen, managing director at GEM Realty Capital, when asked about where the real estate industry is in the business cycle at the recent KAYO Women’s Private Equity Real Estate Summit in Chicago. The truth is, economic cycles and real estate cycles ... READ MORE >
Cautious builders continue to mute housing supply
Key government housing metrics continue to show year-over-year declines. Housing starts fell 11.2% in May, according to the Commerce Department, while permits declined 3.8%. These numbers strongly imply there will be a fall back toward 1.22 million housing completions on an annualized basis in the coming ... READ MORE >