housing conditions: Housing Market Recovery - Forward! - 07/01/13 12:26 AM
Colleagues,
Just published the June/July '13 edition of Bowden's Market Barometer. It's becoming an increasing pleasure to put it together as there is so much positive news, and it's spreading across the majority of the major markets.
In addition to the usual housing market and economic highlights set specifically in the context of our industry, (which you can read at Bowden's Beat or Bowden'sMarketBarometer.com  -- just click on Current Climate) this issue's cover story focuses on the factors that point to a sustainable recovery, while recognizing that not all markets are created equal. There's also a discussion about the resurfacing … (0 comments)

housing conditions: Bowden's Market Barometer -- All the trends fit to follow . . . - 05/01/13 02:15 AM
Just published the April/May edition of Bowden's Market Barometer.  Great cover story -- all about "bubbles."  
Bowden’s MARKET BAROMETER
Vol. XXII / #1 – April/May 2013
  Bowden’s Market Barometer is an “Insider” news forum. It is unique. It is diagnosis – the prescription for a challenging news environment where confusing and often contradictory data, misinformation, and biased opinions serve to waste time.  We do the work -- distilling and verifying the myriad data -- so you the decision-maker have a clear understanding of today’s market dynamics.
 Inside this edition . . .
  Barometric Beat – … (0 comments)

housing conditions: Bowden's Market Barometer - April 2013 - 04/30/13 02:52 AM
The real estate industry seems to have achieved stablized momentum at this juncture.  While economic conditions have not changed measurably since our last report, the way Washington is acting, we’re lucky it hasn’t worsened.  The housing recovery is in full swing despite reports of another bubble, which we discuss at length in the latest issue, and the “new norm” includes some pretty encouraging statistics.  Click here to read the April/May "Current Climate and Housing Highlights."  
 
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housing conditions: Welcome to the Housing Recovery! - 03/03/13 10:33 PM
Bowden's Market Barometer is closing out its 21st year in publication with this edition, which is "chock full" of good news and good trends.  Visit Bowden's Beat for an overview of what's inside this edition.  While there, click on "Current Climate" for current economic and housing news.  Welcome to Recovery!
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housing conditions: Current Climate Housing Highlights - 01/07/13 03:16 AM

Lookin’ Good! 
Builder confidence has been gaining momentum for eight consecutive months and now sits at an index level of 47, up 21 notches since July -- and there are valid, and sustainable, reasons.  To name just a couple: 
 
 §Demand has begun to outpace supply.  There are just 2.14 million homes available for sale in the US, the lowest level in ten (10) years.
 
 §Estimates call for approximately one (1.0) million new US household formations in 2012, up 37% from 630,000 last year, and a significant improvement over the five-year average of 570,000.
 
 
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housing conditions: Economic and Housing Conditions - 07/31/12 02:18 AM
While all reports have us heading for a fiscal cliff, the truth is, we have made significant progress over the last many months.  Our cover story in the June/July issue of Bowden's Market Barometer speaks to the many positive indicators.  (Read more . . . )
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housing conditions: Housing Conditions - The Recovery Room - 04/27/12 02:50 AM

Looks like we're out of surgery and in the recovery room -- and a positive pulse prevails. Hot off the press data show pending home sales increased 4.1% in March, month-over-month.  The index currently stands at 12.8% above March 2011. 
 
Forecasts from a variety of sources support the strengthening pulse thesis. Barclays Capital recently noted that the spring selling season appears to have arrived with enough strength to “kick-start a positive feedback loop in housing for the first time since 2005.” Barclays forecasts . . . (read more at Bowden's Beat).
 
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housing conditions: Current Economic and Housing Conditions - 04/24/12 05:12 AM
 
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® increased for the sixth straight month in March, up 0.3%, following a 0.7% increase in February. Forecasts call for continued economic momentum “past the summer months.” And -- Total housing inventory declined 21.8% in March, year-over-year, to 2.37 million homes representing a 6.3-month supply at the current pace.  Inventory has now declined 41.3% from a record 4.04 million in July 2007. Much more at www.bowdensmarketbarometer.com.  Click on Current Climate for complete rundown.  
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housing conditions: Barometric Beat 09/01/11 - 09/01/11 03:02 AM

If there is one thing we at BMB are sure of, it’s that the chaos our industry has been subjected to for what seems like eons now, has been consistently fueled by the mass production and misinterpretation of short-term trends.  It is relatively rare to find comprehensive data analysis that goes back any further than one year – and even that benchmark is often elusive.  Read more . . .
 
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housing conditions: Housing Highlights - 03/08/11 07:21 AM
According to the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE), foreign interest in U.S. real estate is at a ten-year high .. . (read more)
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housing conditions: February Edition of Bowden's Market Barometer - 02/08/11 12:35 AM
Things are looking up on both the economic and housing fronts and this issue is full of positive insight and trends.  Click here to sneak a peak inside. 
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housing conditions: Housing Highlights - 01/20/10 01:03 AM
Builder outlook on sales conditions has remained steady for the last three months in spite of new home sales taking an 11.3% month-over-month dive in November.  This translates to a seasonally adjusted sales pace of 355,000 new home sales, 9% below the same month one year ago.  But the good news is that existing home sales rose again in November, up 7.4% on the heels of a 10.1% jump in October, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.54 million units.  Regionally, the West led the fray with a 10.6% increase, followed by the Midwest (+8.4%); the Northeast (up 6.6%) and … (0 comments)

housing conditions: Housing Highlights - Nov/Dec 2009 - 12/02/09 02:45 AM
And here is the conundrum.  In spite of stabilizing economic conditions, consumer confidence continues downward, falling to a reading of 47.7 in October from a revised September figure of 53.4. This is the second month in a row that the index has declined and is the lowest it has been since July.  Nevertheless, the reading is up from 38.8 this time last year.  The East North Central and Mountain regions were the only two regions to post monthly increases in consumer confidence, rising 24.14% and 22.98%, respectively. 
 The nation's homebuilders have similar contentions.  Based on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, … (0 comments)