What will it take in the coming year for the economy to regain its momentum?
Read More »Housing Outlook Stays Positive Despite Predicted Moderate Economic Expansion
The predicted moderate economic expansion does not change the Conference Board’s outlook for housing, which is largely positive. Ozyildirim told DS News earlier in the week that, “The single family housing market seems to be heating up, despite some potential volatility. Construction companies and workers are busy while home prices and mortgage rates remain favorable.”
Read More »Ask the Economist: Consumers, Labor Market Improvements Have Built Momentum in Housing
Ask the Economist is an ongoing series in which DS News talks with an economist about the most pressing issues facing the nation's housing industry and the economy. This installment features Ataman Ozyildirim, Economist and Director, Business Cycles and Growth Research at The Conference Board.
Read More »Leading Economic Index Spikes In April Driven By Housing Improvements
Economists have remained positive but cautious for 2015's outlook despite the Q1 growth they termed as "paltry." They were particularly positive in the area of housing; a substantial increase in housing permits was largely responsible for the April spike in the Conference Board's LEI.
Read More »Consumer Sentiment Strong; Attitudes Positive Toward Wage Gains, Homebuying
While consumers remained positive toward homebuying conditions in the latest survey, the reason for the positive outlook has shifted – prospective homebuyers are now dependent on low mortgage rates as opposed to low home prices. In Q1 2015 surveys, the percentage of consumers citing low home prices was at its lowest level since 2006, while the percentage of consumers who cited low mortgage rates was at a 10-year high.
Read More »Consumer Sentiment Tumbles in February After Hitting 11-Year High in January
While Fannie Mae's February 2015 Economic Outlook released on Thursday predicted a boost for housing this year based on strong economic growth, consumers may not be quite convinced, based on two consumer sentiment indices released this week.
Read More »Leading Economic Indicators Grow at Moderate Pace
Manufacturing growth slowed from December to January, according to an early February report from the Institute for Supply Management. Meanwhile, permits for future home construction dropped 0.7 percent month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.05 million, the Commerce Department said.
Read More »Despite Slight Downturn, Consumer Sentiment Still at Highest Level in 11 Years
According to a report from the group, more consumers reported improvements in their finances in January than any other time in the past decade, and four in 10 cited income gains as the primary reason. Notably, more of those gains are being reported among households with incomes under $75,000, a group that has seen relatively little of the recovery so far.
Read More »Brighter Outlook for Economy, Job Market Push Consumer Confidence to Seven-Year High
The survey's index measuring sentiment about present-day conditions rose more than 10 points from December, hitting 112.6, the Conference Board said. The number of respondents saying business conditions are currently good rose nearly four points to 28.1 percent, while the share of those saying jobs are plentiful climbed nearly three points to 20.5 percent.
Read More »Leading Economic Indicators Advance for Fourth Month in a Row
Despite recently seeing their strongest year in more than half a decade, housing starts are still running below their long-term average of about 1.5 million annually—and that situation isn't expected to normalize for at least another few years, if economists' forecasts are right.
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