Confidence
Consumer Confidence Up Slightly in August Due to Economy and Inflation
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which measures American opinions of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months, rose in August to 103.3, from an upwardly revised 101.9 in July, while the Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—improved to 134.4 from 133.1. The Expectations… […]
Consumer Confidence Reverses Course and Decreases in June
As consumers continue to see little relief from inflation—with the Consumer Price Index registering no change in May and the Fed again holding the line with no rate changes—confidence reversed course and fell slightly in June. Consumer confidence decreased from 101.3 in May to 100.4 in June, according to the latest data from The Conference… […]
Consumer Confidence Sees Little Change in March
Consumer confidence saw little movement in March, falling slightly from 104.8 in February to 104.7, according to the latest data from The Conference Board. This follows a large drop in February, which was a shock after January’s two-year high. “Confidence rose among consumers aged 55 and over but deteriorated for those under 55,” said Dana… […]
BCI Notches Historic Increase as Consumer Confidence Surges
The start of the new year is coinciding with a huge swell of optimism from real estate leaders, as RISMedia’s Broker Confidence Index (BCI) saw its largest single-month increase ever in January, shooting up from 5.5 to 6.5 against a backdrop of positive economic data and signs of new life in many markets. After falling… […]
Builder Confidence Plunges on Rising Interest Rates, Growing Affordability Woes
In a sign that the housing market is now slowing, builder confidence took a steep drop in May, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released this week. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell eight points to 69 in May, and this… […]
Broker Confidence Continues to Decline Month-Over-Month
At a macro level, 2022 has been a year of ups and downs for the U.S. economy. Supply chain issues are still prevalent. Inflation continues to rise, although some experts suggest it may have peaked. Thirty-year mortgage rates topped a 5% average. Loan applications have dipped week-over-week. And, of course, fuel prices continue to soar, […]
Broker Confidence Remains Stable, Despite New Challenges and Continued Uncertainties
The first quarter of 2022 has been anything but predictable. This is true for business and society at large. The year is still young, but it has already seen geopolitical turmoil, rollercoaster economics, entertainment follies and busted brackets. And that was just March. But, real estate, too, has certainly had its share of ups and […]
More Than 1 Million Loans in Forbearance Scheduled to Expire in June; Builder Confidence Stays Steady
The number of loans in active forbearance plans dropped by 2.7 percent last week. Black Knight says this continues a recent trend of strong improvements in the forbearance numbers in the early part of each month. The 61,000 loans that exited the program during the week ended May 11 leaves 2.16 million loans still in […]
Buyer Demand Provides Modest Boost to Builder Confidence
New home builders seem to be slowly getting their mojo back. After recovering from the hit they took in the first days of the pandemic, they encountered labor shortages, supply chain issues, and rising material costs. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said that builder confidence in the new home market, driven by strong […]
Lumber Prices and Rising Rates Take a Toll on Builder Confidence
Escalating costs took a toll on builder confidence this month. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said its Housing Market Index dipped two points from its February level. At 82 it is down 8 points from the all-time high it established last November. NAHB’s chief economist Robert Dietz said, while there is still a high […]