Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Prices of Building Materials Decline
Prices received for four key building materials (prior to sales to consumers)—softwood lumber, OSB, gypsum products, and ready-mix concrete—all fell in October according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. OSB prices declined 0.5% in October, ending a 7-month trend that had made the commodity the most expensive it had been in over… Read More ›
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Key Building Materials Remain Stubbornly Expensive
Inflation in prices received for building materials (prior to sales to consumers) was mixed in September according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although their monthly changes were relatively modest, the prices of OSB and ready-mix concrete have been trending upward for quite some time and remain at historically high levels. OSB… Read More ›
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Housing Share of GDP: Housing Services Offsets Slight RFI Decline
With the release of the final estimates of second quarter 2016 GDP growth (revised up three-tenths to a 1.4% growth rate), housing’s share of gross domestic product (GDP) held steady at 15.7%. The home building and remodeling component—residential fixed investment—as a share of GDP declined slightly to 3.5%. Housing-related activities contribute to GDP in two basic ways. The first is… Read More ›
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FOMC Statement: All Eyes on December
The statement released following the September meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) fell in line with market expectations as the committee chose to keep the federal funds rate unchanged. The Committee’s assessment of the economy remained positive, leaving a December rate hike very much in play. In the statement, the Committee continued its upbeat assessment of labor and economic activity…. Read More ›
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Building Materials Prices Continue to Climb
Inflation in prices received by producers (prior to sales to consumers) held steady in August after a striking 0.4% decline in July. The flat reading was the result of a 0.1% increase in prices for services combined with a 0.4% drop in goods prices, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (more weight is… Read More ›
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Producer Prices Surprise in July
Contrary to economists’ expectations of a small gain, inflation in prices received by producers (prior to sales to consumers) fell 0.4% in July, nearly erasing June’s 0.5% increase. According to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the decline was a result of nearly identical drops in prices of services and goods of 0.3%… Read More ›
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New Home Sales: Financing Source Shares Hold Steady
NAHB analysis of the most recent Census estimates concerning sources of financing for new home sales reveals that the share of mortgages financed through conventional, FHA, and VA loans, as well as cash, held steady in the second quarter of 2016 while the number of new homes sold grew by 22%. According to data from the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Sales by Price… Read More ›
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Producer Price Index Posts Broad-Based Gains
Inflation in prices received by producers (prior to sales to consumers) increased 0.5% in June according to the latest Producer Price Index release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The increase was driven by a 0.4% increase in the price of services, while the final demand index for goods rose 0.8% (the price of services is weighted roughly double the… Read More ›
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Property Tax Revenue Grows Over Four Percent
NAHB analysis of the Census Bureau’s quarterly tax data shows that $524 billion in taxes were paid by property owners over the four quarters ending in Q1 2016. This represents a $22 billion—or 4.4%—increase over the previous trailing four quarters, the largest percentage increase since 2009. Property taxes accounted for 39.3% of state and local tax receipts, the largest share… Read More ›
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Housing Share of GDP Expands
With the release of the final estimates of first quarter 2016 GDP growth (revised up two-tenths to a 1.1% growth rate), housing’s share of gross domestic product (GDP) ticked up slightly to 15.4%. The home building and remodeling component – residential fixed investment – as a share of GDP expanded to 3.4%. Housing-related activities contribute to GDP in two basic… Read More ›