Tag: home building: Page 3

Business

Is construction “dead in the water”? Greenspan comment highlights industry’s mixed feelings about recovery

Despite many positives in the industry right now, Alan Greenspan is pointing a finger of blame in construction’s direction. According to a report from Bloomberg, Greenspan, who served as chairman of the Federal Reserve between 1987 and 2006, said Tuesday the U.S. economic rebound from the recession that ended five years ago has been held […]

September 10, 2014

Business

Nonresidential projects push construction spending to largest monthly gain in more than 2 years in July

After seeing its first drop in one year during June, construction spending in the U.S. fully recovered and then some in July, with its largest monthly gain in more than two years. Construction spending rose 1.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $981.3 billion in July, according to preliminary estimates by the Commerce […]

September 2, 2014

Business

It’s time for contractors to turn the tables on Angie’s List with a website that rates clients

A lot of contractors in the residential arena are steamed about the website Angie’s List, where homeowners can rate contractors on the quality of their work. A bad review can shoot holes in a contractor’s marketing plan no matter how unfair or wrongheaded the reviewer. The home building magazines are full of articles on how […]

August 27, 2014

Business

Home starts jump 15.7% in July as builder confidence strengthens

It would appear that despite a couple of rough months, homebuilder confidence in the U.S. housing market was not misplaced. Following two months of decreases, construction on new homes in the U.S. made up quite a bit of ground in July, rising to the second highest level this year. Home starts rose 15.7 percent last […]

August 19, 2014

Business

Rochester sees increase in female home builders as industry rebounds

Women are having a big impact on the housing market in Rochester, New York, and not in the traditional sense. The city has seen a sizable increase in the number of home development firms led by women. According to a report from the Democrat & Chronicle, two of the seven homes recently shown at a showcase […]

July 28, 2014

Business

Home starts fall 9.3% to 9-month low in June, but builder confidence is on the rise

After gains in Spring jumpstarted what many hoped would be a high-activity construction season following a harsh winter, construction on new homes in the U.S. was down for the second consecutive month in June. Home starts fell 9.3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 893,000—the lowest pace in nine months. The Commerce […]

July 17, 2014

Business

If you don’t know how to build a house, how can you build a country?

Last week the New York Times ran a story lamenting the loss of quality and craftsmanship in houses built today. The author also linked that questionable observation (with cringe-worthy logic) to the declining quality of our infrastructure. It’s not a new complaint. But the ignorance of the writer and the editors on what constitutes a […]

July 2, 2014

Business

Home starts fall 6.5% in May as apartment construction and permits slow

May represented a down month for residential construction in the U.S. as both home starts and permits decreased. U.S. home construction starts fell 6.5 percent in May as new construction on both single-family homes and apartments saw sizable declines. Builders started new homes at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.001 million, down from April’s […]

June 17, 2014

Business

Homebuilding declines but construction spending up 0.1% in February

Construction spending in the U.S. ticked up 0.1 percent in February despite a decline in homebuilding, according to preliminary data from the Commerce Department. Total spending rose in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $945.7 billion from the revised January figure of $944.6 billion. Due to the revision of that figure, what was a […]

April 1, 2014

Business

Construction expected to grow 8% this year with “groundhog”-like growth from nonresidential

Construction industry consultant FMI has released what it calls a “cautiously optimistic” outlook for the industry in 2014 in its latest quarterly report. The report predicts construction put-in-place to grow 8 percent this year and for the next few years. “Just like the spring, despite all odds and nasty economic weather, the nation needs to […]

March 27, 2014

Business

Housing starts fall 16% in January after major revision to December estimate

Housing starts in the U.S. suffered a large fall in January, according to preliminary data from the Commerce Department. Housing starts were at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 880,000, 16 percent below the revised December estimate of 1.048 million. The January figure is 2 percent below the January 2013 figure of 915,000. That December figure […]

February 19, 2014

Business

Housing starts fall 10% in December, capping off best year since 2007

Following the largest monthly gain in 24 years in November, housing starts fell back to earth in December. Housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 999,000 in December, according to data from the Commerce Department. That’s a 10 percent drop from November’s revised estimate of 1.017 million. December’s drop was the largest since […]

January 17, 2014