Consumer Confidence

February 25, 2025 . The Conference Board reported that consumer confidence fell 7.0 points in February to 98.3,after declining 4.3 points in January and 3.2 points in December.  After hitting a peak in November confidence has plunged as consumers worry about the...

Case Shiller Index of Home Prices

February 25, 2025 The seasonally adjusted Case Shiller Index of Home Prices in 20 cities fell 0.1% in December after  having declined 0.1% in November.  This is the fifth consecutive month that home prices have declined.   Prices have `risen 4.5% in the past year but...

Existing Home Sales

February 21, 2025 . Existing home sales fell 4.9% in January to 4,080 thousand after rising 2.9% in December  After rising for three straight months sales declined in January.  Our expectation is that a steady increase in jobs will boost income, mortgage rates should...

Housing Starts

February 19, 2025 Housing starts plunged by 9.8% in January to 1,366 thousand after having jumped 16.1% in December.  While a dramatic decline it was not unexpected given the brutally cold, snowy weather that existed in that month and the wildfires that devasted much...