Combine the recent spike in real estate agents with the high-demand environment and the existing home supply has not been able to keep pace. … READ MORE >
housing
CHART OF THE DAY: New home sales cool as inventory remains limited
New single-family home sales dropped 3.5% month over month as the robust market began to cool heading into the fall months. … READ MORE >
There is no cooling the housing market as homebuilder confidence surges
The U.S. homebuilder confidence index continued to reach new heights, rising to 85 in October, according to data from the National Association of Home Builders released on Monday. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Home builder optimism reaches record high
Many industries are still recuperating from the impact of the pandemic, but housing has been fortunate to experience a V-shaped recovery. Not only has the Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders recovered to pre-pandemic levels, it has now matched December 1998 for an all-time high in the index’s 35-year history. … READ MORE >
Housing market follows the severe contraction of the broader economy
The residential construction and home improvement industries, which were so promising heading into 2020, now will be among those sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus. … READ MORE >
Housing was set to soar. Then the coronavirus hit.
Housing starts fell 1.5% in February, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,599,000, which is less than anticipated as forecasters projected a 4.3% decline. … READ MORE >
Americans face housing affordability crisis as paltry inventory sends costs higher
The decline in housing numbers reported for December on Wednesday is tied to the dwindling available supply of housing for purchase. While low unemployment and modest wage growth are driving strong demand, housing inventory is lacking. … READ MORE >
Housing to start 2020 with a bang
November housing starts rose by 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.365 million in November, exceeding expectations. The news kept on rolling with housing permits, a leading indicator of future starts, rising to 1.482 million – the highest in 12½ years. … 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 months. … READ MORE >
Tenants score win with NY rent regulations; laws could signal broader U.S. trend
On June 11, New York State lawmakers passed landmark new rent laws designed to protect the rights of tenants. The biggest impact will be on rent-regulated apartments, … READ MORE >