Tag: housing: Page 4

Business

Home starts stumble 10% in June while single-family permits hit highest rate in 5 years

In what’s beginning to become a sustained pattern of ups and downs, the start of construction on new homes in the U.S. fell 9.9 percent in June, according to data from the Commerce Department Wednesday. June’s stumble likely resuscitates fears that the housing recovery isn’t as healthy as many thought a few months ago. May […]

July 17, 2013

Business

Builder confidence reaches highest level since 2006

For the first time since April 2006, more U.S. home builders say they view the market  as “good” rather than “poor.” The sentiment comes through the June edition of the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. The Index’s rating of builder confidence rose eight points in June to a 52. The NAHB says […]

June 20, 2013

Workforce

Sioux Falls women finding work they love in construction industry

After seeing the results of a Pew Research survey saying 40 percent of U.S. moms are now the breadwinners in their households, news station KSFY out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, did some digging and filed an interesting report about the number of women in the area now doing construction work. KSFY talked to several women […]

June 17, 2013

Business

Home prices see biggest gains in 7 years

In May, home prices saw their biggest gains in 7 years, according to a report from the New York Times citing data from the Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller home price index. The index of home prices, which covers 20 U.S. cities, indicated a 10.9-percent gain over last year at the same time. That’s the biggest increase […]

June 12, 2013

Workforce

Skilled labor shortage slows Michigan’s response to growing demand for new homes

After 60,000 of Michigan’s skilled home builders were put out of work during the recession, many left the state to find work elsewhere while some left the trade entirely, reports the Detroit Free Press. Michigan is the latest of several states around the country to report skilled labor shortages as demand for construction rebounds. The […]

June 11, 2013

Business

Construction spending up 0.4% in April despite another dip in government spending

Spending on construction projects in the United States rose 0.4 percent in April, continuing a volatile trend in 2013 of ups and downs, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department Monday. After dropping 4 percent in January, spending rose in February only to drop again in March. But in April things are back […]

June 3, 2013

Business

U.S new-home sales rise; home prices jump to highest level in 7 years

The number of new homes sold in April rose 2.3 percent to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 454,000, the highest mark since the summer of 2008, the Associated Press and CNBC report. Compared to a year ago, new home sales are up 29 percent, according to Commerce Department data. However, the number is still well […]

May 28, 2013

Business

Housing starts tumble 16.5% in April, but surge in permits suggests continued recovery

The start of construction on homes fell drastically in April, one month after reaching a level of home starts the country had not seen since before the recession. However, a surge in building permits hints that the damage might not be too bad. Construction began on homes at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 853,000, […]

May 16, 2013

Business

Builder confidence up on strengthening housing market, but majority rate still rate it “fair” or “poor”

Though the reading is not at a point where more home builders view the current market for newly-built, single-family as “good” than “poor,” builder confidence improved three points to a 44 on the May edition of the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.   The monthly survey asks home builders to rate current […]

May 15, 2013

Business

Construction economists: spending on slow upward march, housing has long way to go

There are several pluses and minuses in today’s construction spending front, although the overall picture is trending upwards, agreed three construction economists participating in a Reed Construction Data forecast webinar today. “Construction is growing, but it is growing unevenly,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America. Simonson sees growth in […]

May 10, 2013

Business

U.S. rental construction, lack of first-time home buyers a sign of “inferior housing recovery”?

Despite recent dips in construction spending and employment, the mood in the industry is, well, better. Better than it was last year anyway as 151,000 jobs have been added since then, the unemployment rate is down to 13.2 percent and spending is up 5 percent. As we’ve noted before, a lot of this has to […]

May 8, 2013

Business

Construction spending dips 1.7% in March due to drop in government building; up 4.9% annually

According to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department Wednesday, construction spending dropped 1.7 percent during March to its lowest mark since August 2012. Following a housing-fueled boost of 1.2 percent in February, construction spending was measured in March at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $856.7 billion. According to the data, the monthly drop, […]

May 1, 2013