Reading Real Estate Tea Leaves: What Housing Market Data Shows
Buying a house is the ultimate indicator of consumer confidence; building more of them is an early hint at an economic upturn. So what are the housing reports pointing to now?
HomeBuilders
U.S. Homebuilders' Confidence Climbs in May
Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rebounded in May, reflecting improved sales trends during the spring home-selling season.
Economic Growth Picks Up in 1Q But Not as Much as Hoped
U.S. economic growth accelerated from January through March, buoyed by the strongest consumer spending in more than two years.
Fed to Announce Which Banks Can Raise Payouts, Buy Back Stock
The Federal Reserve will announce this afternoon which banks will be eligible to raise their dividends and buy back stock. Some analysts say regional banks are likely to be the big beneficiaries. Evercore Partners says Keycorp, State Street and Northern Trust are the ones most likely to raise their payouts.
U.S. New-Home Sales Fell in Dec., Sales for Year Up
The housing market is back, but how strong will it be this year? New home sales were weaker than expected in December, down nearly eight percent from a year earlier. But the housing recovery for all of 2012 was surprisingly strong after the collapse that started four years earlier.
Homebuilder Confidence Hits Highest Level Since 2006
Confidence among U.S. homebuilders remains at its highest level in six years, reflecting improved optimism over the strengthening housing market this year and a pickup in visits by prospective buyers to builders' communities.
U.S. Home Sales Jump to Highest Level Since May 2010
U.S. sales of previously occupied homes jumped in August to the highest level in more than two years, adding momentum to the housing recovery. Sales rose 7.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.82 million, the National Association of Realtors said.
New Home Sales Surge Ahead in May at Fastest Pace in 2 Years
Americans bought new homes in May at the fastest pace in more than two years. The 7.6% increase suggests a modest recovery in the housing market is continuing, despite weaker job growth.
KB Home: Why This Homebuilder Will Never Be Great Again
Most homebuilders saw their shares pop higher Tuesday after heavyweight Lennar released better-than-expected quarterly numbers -- but not KB Home. In fact, its shares actually fell. Here's why KB isn't invited to the housing recovery party.
What to Watch This Week: Real Earnings Reports and Fake Window Dressing
Here's what may shape the week ahead for Wall Street: Earnings reports from Best Buy and Walgreens may disappoint, while Lennar and Red Hat probably won't. And fund managers will jump into last quarter's winners to fool clients into thinking they're more clever than they are.
Buyer Interest Leaves Homebuilders Less Gloomy
U.S. homebuilders are growing less pessimistic about the housing market, despite tighter lending standards that have slowed home sales. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose four points to 25 in January. That's the highest level since June 2007. It's just the third time the index has been at 20 or above in two years.
What to Watch This Week: New CEOs, Cars, Homes, Tech
It'll be an interesting week in the news of the new: Yahoo has a fresh CEO, auto shows and the CES will show off the latest in cars and tech, and a major homebuilder will tell us how new construction is doing. (Oh, and JP Morgan will give us a clue about how the banks are faring.)
One Sign That the Housing Market Has Hit Bottom
It has been a rough few years for homeowners, and an even worse time for real estate developers. But in a small encouraging sign, luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers is acquiring Seattle-based CamWest Development.
What's Behind the Drop in Mortgage Applications?
The Mortgage Bankers Association said they tumbled 10.5% last week, the biggest fall-off in four months. While the foreclosure crisis may be playing a role in the decline, rising interest rates are also partly to blame.
