Construction started on more homes in January than in the same month a year ago. The U.S. saw 1.07 million new housing starts in January, an increase of about 19 percent from January 2014, according to data from the National Association …
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2015 Prediction: Uptick In Retail Sales
The National Retail Federation predicts that consumers will spend more money in 2015 than last year, with sales rising 4.1 percent. This expected increase would be the biggest sales uptick since 2011, the organization reports in a news release. “Already facing far fewer …
Read More »U.S. Adds 257,000 Jobs in January
During the month of January, the U.S. added 257,000 jobs to its labor force, while the unemployment rate increased slightly, the U.S. Department of Labor reports. As the job market has improved, it’s important to note that people who have been unemployed for awhile are now rejoining the job search, …
Read More »Millennials More Likely to Shop Local
Most reports about millennials have shown that this younger age group is delaying major purchases and life changes due to the recession and an immense amount of college debt. Most millennials are single, pay rent and spend less on items …
Read More »U.S. Home Sales Down Overall in 2014
Fewer homes sold in 2014 in the U.S. than in 2013, and home prices rose, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors. About 3 percent fewer homes sold overall, a drop from 5.09 million sales to 4.93 year-over-year, the …
Read More »2014 Was a Year of Growth for House-Hasson
House-Hasson Hardware Company helped customers design and build more than 20 percent more new and remodeled hardware stores and lumberyards year-over-year. The store-set increase to 37 projects in 2014 was accelerated by a trend that began in earnest in 2013 for two reasons, …
Read More »Holiday Sales Totals Highest Since 2011
The National Retail Federation’s look back on the 2014 holidays shows that combined sales from November and December beat 2013’s total by 4 percent. Holiday retail sales were $616.1 billion during the 2014 holiday season, nearly reaching predicted growth of 4.1 …
Read More »Consumer Confidence to Lead to New Homebuyers
As the economy continues to strengthen, a growing group of young professionals is expected to buy real estate. The number of first-time homebuyers was at a 30-year low in 2014, but Douglas Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae, predicts the improving economy …
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