Tag Archives: Service Providers

While price gains may paint a picture of a recovery well on its way, construction figures aren't as encouraging, according to an analysis from Trulia. While prices are up 11 percent year-over-year in August, according to Trulia, which monitors list prices, construction activity is lagging. Additionally, when it comes to price gains and increases in construction, markets tend to be experiencing one or the other, with markets reporting price growth seeing meager construction.

According to the Zillow Digs Fall Home Improvement Trend and Spending Survey, 52 percent of homeowners have some sort of home project in the works for the coming months. That number is down from 60 percent in summer, when people are more drawn to work outdoors. The survey's findings show homes with children are far more active in project planning, with 31 percent (versus 19 percent of those without children) planning three or more home improvements. Homes with children are also planning to spend a bit more.

Billing itself as the first group of its kind, America's Homeowner Alliance was launched by a team of industry veterans and an advisory board of housing industry professionals as well as prominent consumer groups and fair housing organizations.

As the market trudges toward recovery, housing starts remain depressed due to a shortage of vacant lots, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The Department of Labor reported an estimated 323,000 initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ending August 31, a drop of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 332,000.

Residential construction spending edged up in July, according to numbers from the Census Bureau. Overall, construction spending was at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of $900.8 billion in July, 0.6 percent above June's revised estimate of $895.7 billion and 5.2 percent ahead of July 2012's $856.3 billion. Spending on residential construction was at a pace of $340.6 billion, up 0.5 percent from June and 16.8 percent from July 2012.

Continuing to shrug off sequester cutbacks, but feeling the effects of adverse weather, the nation's economy "continued to expand at a modest to moderate pace" from early July though late August, the Federal Reserve reported in its Beige Book assessment. Residential real estate activity "increased moderately" and "demand for nonresidential real estate increased," though "lending activity weakened a bit." Lending standards have largely remained unchanged, while credit quality has improved.

Having served in an acting capacity since January 2013, Steven Antonakes has been officially named deputy director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the agency announced.

Mortgage application volume continued to suffer throughout August as interest rates increased, but analysts at Capital Economics note bigger factors at play may aid lending in the near future.

In San Diego, ReverseVision, Inc., has updated its flagship ReverseVision product to integrate its powerful new ReverseAccessVision (RAV) module.