The Federal Reserve's Labor Market Conditions Index (LMCI) rose 4 points last month, the central bank reported, matching September's revised improvement. The index covers 19 separate indicators, including the national unemployment rate, average hourly earnings, and the transition rate from unemployment to employment.
Read More »Survey: Another Few Years Left for Recovery as Housing Faces Headwinds
In a quarterly survey of more than 100 real estate experts and economists, real estate data firm Zillow found 40 percent of respondents believe it will take another three to five years for the housing market to normalize, based on current home price trends and homebuyer activity.
Read More »Home Value Growth Tops 2% in October
Based on appraisal data from around the country, Quicken Loans reported Tuesday that home values were up 2.03 percent from September to October. At the metro level, values were up month-to-month in 15 of the 27 largest markets.
Read More »Florida’s Housing Market Stays the Course in Q3
Florida's housing market continued on a steady growth track throughout the third quarter, though improvements were slightly subdued compared to spring and early summer. Florida Realtors' chief economist, Dr. John Tuccillo, said the quarterly numbers reinforce trends the group has seen on a month-to-month basis.
Read More »Experts Discuss Impact of Changing Demographics on Housing
In a panel at the 2014 Realtors Conference and Expo, experts discussed the changing face of American homebuyers and the potential effects of these changes on the housing market. One of the biggest topics for the panel was the state of millennial homeownership.
Read More »More Potholes for Housing Recovery
While home sales prices posted moderate gains in September, the housing market recovery as a whole is moving slowly, according to the Wells Fargo Economics Group Housing Wrap Up for October 2014.
Read More »Housing Markets Inch Closer to Recovery
For months, NAHB has been reporting that recovery in the national and in most metro markets is inching its way back to normal levels. The latest report virtually mirrors the LMI report released in August, which stated that 56 of 350 metros were at or better than normal, and the national housing market overall was 89 percent of where it should be.
Read More »Americans’ Financial Optimism Grows; Housing Presents Mixed Picture
Forty percent of American consumers polled in Fannie's latest National Housing Survey said they believe the economy is on the right track at the moment, flat from September's survey but up 13 percentage points over the past year. Housing attitudes were decidedly more mixed, however.
Read More »Employers Add 214K Jobs in October; Unemployment Dips to 5.8%
U.S. employers added 214,000 jobs last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday morning. Economists had expected payrolls would increase by 240,000, a slight decline from September's preliminary estimate of 248,000 new jobs added.
Read More »Mortgage Rates Up for Second Week
In its weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Freddie Mac reported the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) slid up to 4.02 percent (0.5 point) for the week ending November 6. It was the first time the 30-year fixed average measured above 4 percent in nearly a month.
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