Tag Archives: Jobs

Commercial real estate (CRE) patterns are expected to continue on a steady but modest growth path, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) predicted Friday in its quarterly CRE forecast. "Jobs are the key driver for commercial real estate, and the accumulation of 7 million net new jobs from the row point a few years ago is steadily showing up as demand for leasing and purchases of properties," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun. However, Yun said, "the difficulty of accessing loans remains a hindrance to a faster recovery."

Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows the average interest rate for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) climbing to 4.35 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending November 14.

Despite the partial government shutdown threatening growth, the nation's economy added 204,000 jobs in October, with prior months seeing major upward revisions, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed Friday in its Employment Situation Report. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg put out a median forecast of 120,000 new nonfarm payroll jobs.

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, conducted for the group by Nielsen, fell to 71.2 in October after a moderate decline to 80.2 in September. "Consumer confidence deteriorated considerably as the federal government shutdown and debt-ceiling crisis took a particularly large toll on consumers' expectations," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators for the Conference Board. Franco noted recent history shows similar declines in response to government battles.

Wingspan Portfolio Advisors, a diversified mortgage services company operating in Dallas, was named for the second straight year in Inc. Magazine's Hire Power Awards, a list of the top 100 businesses in America for job creation.

Depressed construction activity is expected to continue weighing down both housing and the larger economy, Freddie Mac predicts in its latest Economic and Housing Outlook.

The unemployment rate edged down to 7.2 percent in September as the economy added 148,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed in its monthly Employment Situation Report. The report, released weeks late as a result of the partial government shutdown, also showed revisions in job growth for July (down from 104,000 to 89,000) and August (up from 169,000 to 193,000).

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment declined to a nine-month low in its preliminary October reading, but analysts say the drop wasn't as bad as it could have been. The index plunged to 75.2 in the mid-month report, down from 77.5 at the end of September. The fall in the headline index was due entirely to a drop in consumer expectations. The Surveys of Consumers' Index of Consumer Expectations fell to a 2013 low of 63.9 from September's 67.8.

A new index from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and First American suggests that about one in seven housing markets have returned to or surpassed their pre-recessionary levels of activity. According to the association, the index registered a score of 0.85 nationwide, indicating that the national housing market is running at 85 percent of normal activity. Of the nearly 350 metro markets examined, 52 have reported levels of activity at least equal to those before the recession hit.

HomeVestors of America and Local Market Monitor together released a ranking of the most promising investment markets for the third quarter of 2013.