Robert Dietz

Further Downshift for the Fed

Further downshifting its pace of tightening of monetary policy, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee raised the federal funds target rate by 25 basis points, increasing that target to an upper bound of 4.75%. This marked a smaller increase after four previous 75 basis point hikes and a decelerated 50 basis point increase last December….

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Builder Confidence Uptick Signals Turning Point for Housing Lies Ahead

A modest drop in interest rates helped to end a string of 12 straight monthly declines in builder confidence levels, although sentiment remains in bearish territory as builders continue to grapple with elevated construction costs, building material supply chain disruptions and challenging affordability conditions. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in…

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Construction Job Openings Likely Peaked

The count of open, unfilled jobs for the overall economy declined slightly in November, falling from 10.51 million open positions to 10.46 million. This represents a decrease from a year ago (10.92 million), a sign the labor market is slowing in response to tighter monetary policy. The degree of this slowing will be critical for…

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Top Posts of 2022: Concrete Prices, Volatility Continue Torrid Pace as Lumber Normalizes

With the end of 2022 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In December, David Logan reported the most recent data on building material prices. These monthly building material updates were among the top viewed posts in 2022.   The prices of building materials…

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