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Are You Prepared for the Coming Recession?

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Photo of stressed guy at deskFive Steps to Take Now to Protect Your Business

Occasionally, I’ll chat with an integrator or other industry colleague about that ugly shared nightmare experience, otherwise known as the recession of 2007-2009. This recession, unlike others in the past, zeroed in like a torpedo on the residential construction market and dramatically reshaped the custom integration industry. For those of you joining the industry since that time, you dodged the bullet…but you also missed the lessons that survivors were forced to learn in order to keep afloat.

Why you need to prepare now for the next recession… [Read more…] about Are You Prepared for the Coming Recession?

Housing Starts in 3-Month Slide

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Housing Prices PhotoSeptember housing starts, the government’s measure of new residential construction activity, showed an overall decline to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,127,000 units. This rate is down 4.7% from the revised August rate of 1,183,000 units. This is the third monthly decline in a row indicating a softening in the construction of new homes – and the lowest level of construction since September 2016.

See more on this latest report on housing starts… [Read more…] about Housing Starts in 3-Month Slide

Good Economic Sign: November Housing Starts Shoot Up

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Photo of construction workersIn a result that exceeded economists’ estimates, November overall housing starts jumped an impressive 10.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.173 million units.  Well over the revised October rate of 1.062 million units, it also exceeded the 1.007 million units in November last year by 16.5%.

More importantly for our industry, single-family home construction rates jumped as well.

See more on this encouraging economic data… [Read more…] about Good Economic Sign: November Housing Starts Shoot Up

Economists Predict Rapid Ramp-Up in Residential Construction

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NAHB LogoWe were fortunate enough to receive an invitation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) allowing us to participate in their annual Fall Construction Forecast presentation, a webinar put on for the benefit of  their members last week. Boy! Are we glad we attended! Not only did the organization offer up a roster of world-class economists with really interesting insight into what’s going on in the economy – they also offered reams of really valuable data delineating the latest trends in construction.

Their predictions were – to put it mildly – shocking! Read below to find out why…

[Read more…] about Economists Predict Rapid Ramp-Up in Residential Construction

Builders Group Holds Mid-Year Construction Forecast Meeting; Economists Cautiously Optimistic

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Mid-Year construction title slideThe Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., (ABC) a builders trade association, held their third annual Mid-Year Construction Forecast presentation this week…inviting economists from three industry-related associations to present their outlook on the construction industry. This year, the invited economists included Kermit Baker (American Institute of Architects, AIA), David Crowe (National Association of Home Builders, NAHB), and their own Anirban Basu (ABC).

The economists this year were, overall, cautiously optimistic – with a heavy emphasis on caution.

See more on the presentations from the construction industry economists… [Read more…] about Builders Group Holds Mid-Year Construction Forecast Meeting; Economists Cautiously Optimistic

Startling Jump in November Housing Starts; Are Happy Days Here Again?

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Photo of construction workersNewly released data from the Commerce Department shows that housing starts took what many are characterizing as a startling jump in November – rising 23% overall above the October rate and almost 30% above the November 2012 rate. Analysts are struggling to explain the gains other than to say these numbers show a durable housing recovery – welcome news considering the fact that the housing construction industry is a key driver of the overall economy.

The news is good…but is it a real recovery, or just an outlier?… [Read more…] about Startling Jump in November Housing Starts; Are Happy Days Here Again?

Residential Construction Rebound Getting More Convincing Based on December Data

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Census Bureau LogoThe U.S. Census Bureau released residential construction data for the month of December and the results provide further – and perhaps more convincing – proof that the housing market is showing consistent signs of improvement. Some analysts even call this a housing rebound as overall residential construction starts increased to 954,000 units or 12.1% over the revised November rate of 851,000 units.

There’s even more good news in this report that lends credibility to the housing rebound… [Read more…] about Residential Construction Rebound Getting More Convincing Based on December Data

Contrary to Other Housing Data, New Home Sales Decline in October

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Photo of newly constructed homeIn a somewhat surprising reversal of fortune for the housing market, new data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that sales of new single family homes actually declined in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 368,000 units. This rate is a decline of 0.3% below the revised September rate of 369,000 units.

What does this new data mean for the housing recovery?… [Read more…] about Contrary to Other Housing Data, New Home Sales Decline in October

A Major Housing Starts Surprise – Highest Level in 4 Years

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Photo of home under constructionThe U.S.Commerce Department released new data today detailing an unexpected uptick in housing “starts” or the number of homes that had begun construction during the month of October. According to the report, starts in October increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 894,000 units or 3.6 percent higher than the revised September level of 863,000.

See more on this results which were well above estimates, surprising economists… [Read more…] about A Major Housing Starts Surprise – Highest Level in 4 Years

After Years of Free-Fall, Housing Finds a Solid Bottom It Can Build From

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Photo of housing under constructionThe U.S. Commerce Department released the latest data on new residential construction today and the results caught most off-guard as it was significantly better than expected with September overall housing starts increasing to 872,000 units – an amazing 15% over the revised August figure of 758,000. This data clearly suggests the nightmare of the 2007 housing market collapse can start to become a memory as the market recovers from a very scary bottom reached in the middle of 2009 when starts were at the lowest levels ever recorded since 1959.

More good news as housing’s outlook brightens… [Read more…] about After Years of Free-Fall, Housing Finds a Solid Bottom It Can Build From