May’s Consumer Confidence Index hits 17-year high

By | General

NEW YORK – May 29, 2018 – The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index increased in May following a modest decline in April. The Index now stands at 128.0; in April, it was 125.6. The Present Situation Index increased from 157.5 to 161.7, while the Expectations Index that gauges consumers’ expectations six months from now, improved… Continued

May 30, 2018

Fla. ranks No. 1 as ‘Best state for military retirees’

By | General

NEW YORK – May 22, 2018 – On May 21, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2018’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees, which ranked Florida as the best state in the U.S. for retired veterans. WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 27 key indicators of retirement-friendliness… Continued

May 23, 2018

Low inventory pushes median home price up 5.7% in Q1

By | General

WASHINGTON – May 14, 2018 – Inventory levels hovering at all-time lows weighed down home sales and fueled faster price appreciation during the first three months of the year, according to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). The national median existing single-family home price in the first quarter was $245,500,… Continued

May 15, 2018

NAR: U.S. existing-home sales climb 1.1% in March

By | General

WASHINGTON – April 23, 2018 – Existing-home sales grew for the second consecutive month in March, but lagging inventory levels and affordability constraints kept sales activity below year-ago levels, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Total existing-home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 1.1 percent… Continued

April 24, 2018

Fla. building permits rose 20.8% year-to-year

By | General

WASHINGTON – March 23, 2018 – Single-family permits – a gauge of future construction – jumped 15 percent on a year-over-year basis in the first month of 2018, according to released U.S. Census Bureau data. From January 2017 to January 2018, 32 states and the District of Columbia posted growth in single-family permits, and 20… Continued

March 26, 2018

Fla.’s housing market continues positive track in Feb. 2018

By | General

ORLANDO, Fla. – March 21, 2018 – Florida’s housing market reported more closed sales, more new listings and higher median prices in February even as for-sale inventory remained tight, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. “Florida’s economy continues to grow, with more jobs being created – the state’s unemployment rate was… Continued

March 22, 2018

U.S. consumer confidence hits 18-year high

By | General

BOSTON – Feb. 27, 2018 – The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index surged higher in February following a modest increase in January. The Index now stands at 130.8, up from 124.3 in January.  The Present Situation Index increased from 154.7 to 162.4, while the Expectations Index that gauges attitudes about the economy six months from… Continued

February 28, 2018

Cash sales hit post-recession high

By | General

CHICAGO – Feb. 5, 2018 – Cash sales accounted for 8 percent of new-home sales in the fourth quarter of 2017, matching a high not seen since 2014, the National Association of Home Builders reports on its Eye on Housing blog. Cash sales make up an even larger share of existing-home sales – about 20… Continued

February 6, 2018