economy: NAR: 2012 home sales will be strongest in past 5 years
- 03/28/12 09:33 PM
The National Association of REALTORS® is predicting existing-home sales will jump 7 to 10 percent in 2012 to the highest level in five years, based on an "uneven but higher sales pattern" so far this year. Pending home sales fell a seasonally adjusted 0.5 percent from January to February, which was up 9.2 percent from the same time a year ago, NAR said today in releasing its latest Pending Home Sales Index. Last week, NAR reported a similar trend for existing-home sales, which were down 0.9 percent from January to February, but up 8.8 percent from a year ago. The … (0 comments)
economy: Housing is economy's elephant in the room
- 02/08/12 03:07 AM
In a double surprise, the job market may at last have begun to revive, but the double-the-forecast, 243,000-job surge in January has done little harm to mortgages. We are still near 4 percent; with 10-year Treasury notes up from 1.82 percent but holding nicely at 1.95 percent. Ordinarily a payroll jump like this would have killed us, especially in combination with strong results in the two Institute for Supply Management surveys for January: manufacturing to 54.1 from 53.1 in December, and the service sector way up to 56.8 from 52.6 last month.
Some of the calm reaction in markets … (1 comments)
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) commends President Obama for offering proposals in the recent State of the Union address to help families stay in their homes and stanch foreclosures, and is urging policymakers to take additional actions to mend the housing market and boost the economy.
“President Obama’s refinancing plan offers an opportunity for continued exploration of ways to aid struggling home owners and tackle the foreclosure crisis,” said NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder from Reno, Nev. “We look forward to working with the White House and Congress to tackle this issue and continue … (1 comments)
The number of housing markets showing measurable improvement nearly doubled in January with the addition of 40 new metros to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI).
The IMI now boasts 76 improving markets, up from 41 in December, with 31 states and the District of Columbia represented by at least one entry.
The index identifies metropolitan areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months. New entrants to the list in January include the following (listed alphabetically by state): … (2 comments)
economy: 7 in 10 Americans Optimistic About the Future of Household Finances
- 09/14/10 02:17 AM
Despite the economy's sluggish recovery, a new national survey from Weber Shandwick with KRC Research found that nearly seven in 10 Americans (69 percent) have an optimistic outlook about their household finances for the next two years. Nearly one quarter (23 percent) are very optimistic. Since the downturn two years ago, the vast majority of Americans (81 percent) say they are more responsible with their household's money today than two years ago, with nearly half (46 percent) considering themselves much more responsible. Many indicated they've changed their financial habits, including buying items on sale (80 percent), becoming more concerned about saving … (3 comments)
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