The latest data from the United States Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey show the homeownership rate rose to 65.3%. Despite this quarterly increase, the trend continues to reflect significant affordability challenges. With mortgage interest rates remaining elevated and housing supply …
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HIRI Gives Insight on Future of Large-Scale Home Improvement Projects
Independent retailers are coming into 2026 with a cooling renovation market and a cost-sensitive customer with a shift toward DIY. Dave King, executive director of the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI), says those pressures hit independent retailers differently than big-box …
Read More »Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates for the Third Time in 2025
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a vote of 9-3, a smaller margin than typically seen. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the panel of Federal Reserve officials responsible for setting monetary policies, dropped the interest rate range to …
Read More »The Home Depot Details 2026 Outlook and Market Recovery Expectations at Investor Conference
The Home Depot recently discussed key priorities and a preliminary outlook for 2026 at its 2025 Investor and Analyst Conference, discussing financial and company goals for the upcoming year. The company reaffirmed its fiscal 2025 guidance, noting a forecasted sales …
Read More »Construction Job Openings Hold Steady in October
The number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry was relatively unchanged in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The current level of open jobs is down from two years ago …
Read More »Import Cargo Volumes Expected to Decline in 2026 Amid Trade Uncertainty
Year-over-year declines in import cargo volume seen at the nation’s major container ports in recent months are expected to continue in 2026, according to the Global Port Tracker report recently released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates. …
Read More »Costello’s Ace Hardware Expands in Pennsylvania
Costello’s Ace Hardware recently announced plans for a new retail location in Abington, Pennsylvania, continuing the store’s expansion in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The nearly 12,000-square-foot retail space will feature one of Ace’s experiential store designs. “We are excited to …
Read More »Mortgage Rates Hit One-Year Low in November
In November, the average mortgage rate dropped to its lowest rate in over a year, according to Freddie Mac and an Eye on Housing analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.24% in November, …
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