Tag Archives: Consumer Confidence

U.S. consumer confidence jumped up more than four points from June to July, signaling a brighter economic outlook among Americans. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index reached 90.9 in the group's July survey, up from 86.4 in June. As of July, the index stands at its highest level since before the Great Recession.

Consumers believe that their outlook is getting better. But they are not necessarily ready to participate in the housing market just yet. The June Housing Survey released by Fannie Mae shows that consumer sentiment toward the housing market is continuing to improve as the overall economic outlook improves but it still sits well below the level necessary for the market to normalize.

In its latest monthly National Housing Survey, Fannie Mae found 57 percent of Americans still believe the economy is on the wrong track, flat from April's survey. Meanwhile, 38 percent said the economy is on the right path, up from 35 percent in the last survey but still down from last year's highs.

"Consumer confidence improved slightly in May, as consumers assessed current conditions, in particular the labor market, more favorably," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board. "Expectations regarding the short-term outlook for the economy, jobs, and personal finances were also more upbeat."

With concerns about employment easing, Americans are increasingly optimistic about the housing market, reports Fannie Mae in its April National Housing Survey. And, according to the mortgage buyer, this climbing optimism may foreshadow an upswing in housing activity through the summer months.

The Wells Fargo Economics Group released a recent report outlining consumer confidence in the Sunshine State. The data from April suggests consumer sentiment slipped in Florida one point to 79 for the month, largely due to increased concerns about current economic conditions.

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, considered one of the preeminent measures among home price indicators, shows prices among 20 of the nation's biggest markets grew 0.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in February, matching January's rate of growth. Unadjusted, the index was unchanged month-over-month, though even that was an improvement over a 0.1 percent drop to start the year.

Freddie Mac released its U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook for April, noting that the housing market continues to be "noisy," giving mixed signals heading into Spring. The government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) did offer some specific market projections for the upcoming buying season.

More than 4 million first-time buyers want to enter the market, but they face some tough issues as market conditions aren't exactly favorable to new buyers. This conclusion came from the Zillow Housing Confidence Index (ZHCI), a new calculation released by Zillow and Pulsenomics.

Prudential Real Estate released results of its fourth quarter Consumer Outlook Survey. The survey showed that consumers perceive residential real estate favorably, and more are committed to buying and selling homes in 2014 than in the previous year.