Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Single-Story Home Construction Continued to Increase in 2019
Information obtained from the US Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) and tabulated by NAHB, shows that the share of two or more stories homes started is greater than one story homes in 2019, although the share of two-story homes decreased slightly in 2019. The greatest concentrations of two-or- more story homes were in divisions along the coasts of the… Read More ›
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Pending Home Sales Up 5.9% in July
As record-low mortgage rates continue to fuel housing demand, pending home sales increased for a third straight month in July. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts. The PHSI rose 5.9% from 115.3 in June to 122.1 in July. On a year-over-year basis, sales were… Read More ›
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Existing Home Sales Continue Record Rebound in July
Boosted by historically low mortgage rates, existing home sales, as reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), posted another record increase in July and surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Total existing home sales, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, soared 24.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.86 million in July, the largest monthly gain on record and the… Read More ›
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Business Application Shows Growth in Q2 2020
Housing creates jobs, and housing in turn follows job growth from business activity. Thus, tracking the growth of enterprise provides a guide to future home building. The Census Bureau recently released its Second Quarter 2020 Business Formation Statistics Report (BFS). The report provides timely and high-frequency data on business applications and employer business formations measured by applications for an Employer… Read More ›
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Pending Home Sales Edge Up in June
After the biggest monthly gain on record last month , pending home sales surged back to pre-pandemic levels, as homebuyers rushed back to the market, taking advantage of record-low mortgage rates. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts. The PHSI climbed 16.6% from 99.6 in… Read More ›
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Existing Home Sales Post Record Rebound in June
Boosted by historically low mortgage rates, existing home sales, as reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), rebounded sharply in June, showing a strong sign of a market turnaround after three months of decline. Total existing home sales, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, jumped 20.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.72 million in June, the… Read More ›
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Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households (Part 2)
The Federal Reserve Board recently released its Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households. The report provided results from the responses to the 2019 Survey of Household Economics and Decision making (SHED) which was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the responses to a smaller follow-up survey conducted in April 2020 to better understand the financial disruptions… Read More ›
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Consumer Confidence Increases in June
After a sharp decline in April, consumer confidence improved in June for a second straight month, as the economy began to reopen and unemployment claims showed improvement. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board, rose 12.2 points from 85.9 to 98.1 in June, the largest monthly gain since November 2011. The Present Situation Index jumped 17.8 points from… Read More ›
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Pending Home Sales See Biggest Increase on Record in May
After two months of sharp decline, pending home sales surged the most on record in May, as homebuyers rushed back to the market after the phased reopening of the economy. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts. The PHSI edged up 44.3% from 69.0 in… Read More ›
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Existing Home Sales Drop for a Third Month
Existing home sales, as reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), fell for the third straight month in May as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country’s economic activity and hit the labor market. However, because existing sales are a reflection of closed contracts, sales likely reached a recession low point in the May data. Total existing… Read More ›