by sslifer | Feb 21, 2025 | Commentary for the Week, NumberNomics Notes
February 21, 2024 The housing market has been in a slump for the past two years as opposing forces tug in opposite directions. First time homebuyers are struggling with the combination of higher home prices and higher mortgage rates. The possibility of home ownership...
by sslifer | Feb 21, 2025 | Housing, NumberNomics Notes
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...
by sslifer | Feb 20, 2025 | Employment, NumberNomics Notes
February 20, 2025 Initial unemployment claims rose 5 thousand in the week ending February 15 to 219 thousand after declining 6 thousand in the previous week. This series has changed very little in the past ten months. The 4-week average of claims was 210 thousand...
by sslifer | Feb 19, 2025 | Housing, NumberNomics Notes
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...
by sslifer | Feb 18, 2025 | Housing, NumberNomics Notes
February 18, 2025 This series fell 5 points in February to 42 after rising 1 point in January. This is the lowest reading for this index since September. Builders are worried about the imposition of tariffs, still high mortgage rates, and the cost of materials. ...
by sslifer | Feb 14, 2025 | Commentary for the Week, NumberNomics Notes
February 14, 2025 The available data available for January are so distorted that it is impossible to get a good reading on the performance of the economy or inflation in the early part of the year. The CPI data for January were higher than expected and made investors...
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