Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Optimistic Consumers in March
Consumer confidence, reported by the Conference Board, increased in March. Consumers were very optimistic about both the current situation and the near term outlook. The Consumer Confidence Index increased to 125.6 in March, from 116.1 in February. Both the present situation index and the expectations index reached post-recession highs. The present situation index rose from 134.4 to 143.1 and the… Read More ›
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Home Prices in the First Month of 2017
S&P Dow Jones Indices released the Home Price Index for January 2017 today. The Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index rose at a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 7.9%, slower than the 9.2% increase in December. House prices dropped to the lowest level in the first month of 2012. Five years later, house prices surpassed the pre-recession peak of… Read More ›
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Consumer Price Index Rose Slightly in February
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), rose in February. The CPI rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.5% in February, the smallest increase since July 2016. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, “core” CPI increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.5%, following the 3.8% increase in January. The… Read More ›
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Consumer Confidence Rebounded in February
Consumer confidence increased in February after a decline in January. Consumers were more optimistic about both the current situation and the near term outlook. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board, increased to 114.8 in February, from 111.6 in January. Both the present situation index and the expectations index rose in February. The present situation index rose from… Read More ›
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Consumer Price Index in January – Headline Inflation Surged With Energy Prices
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose in January. The CPI rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.8% in January, a big jump from the 3.1% in December. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, “core” CPI increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.8%, faster than the 2.7% in December…. Read More ›
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Consumer Confidence Decreased in January
Consumer confidence decreased in January after reaching a 15-year high in December. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board, decreased to 111.8 in January, from a downwardly revised 113.3 in December. The present situation index rose from 123.5 to 129.7 and the expectations index declined from 106.4 to 99.8. Compared with last month, consumers were quite optimistic about… Read More ›
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Home Prices Continued to Rise in November
S&P Dow Jones Indices released the Home Price Index for November. The Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index rose at a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 10.4%, up from a revised 10.1% pace in October. House prices have accelerated since May and surpassed the pre-recession peak of 2006. Tight inventory and high demand pushed up prices at a rapid… Read More ›
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Homeownership Rate Bottoming Out?
According to the Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS), the U.S. homeownership rate was 63.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis in the fourth quarter of 2016, a small increase from the third quarter of 63.4%. This is the second consecutive increase, following a 50-year low of 63.1% in the second quarter of 2016. Homeownership rates increase with age, rising from… Read More ›
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Who is (Not) in the Labor Force
The number of people not in the labor force has been growing. As of December 2016, 95.1 million people, aged 16 or older, were not in the labor force, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). An aging population is responsible for this growth, but what are the other reasons individuals cite for not being in the… Read More ›
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Consumer Price Index Rose in December
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose in December. Both headline inflation and core inflation rose. The CPI rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.4% in December, following a 2.4% increase in November. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, “core” CPI increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.8%, faster… Read More ›