Compared with the first quarter of 2002, remodelers' views of current market conditions and their expectations for the future receded in the early part of 2003. Consumer confidence Consumers reacted very positively to the result of the war with Iraq. More
Existing home sales rose again in January, breaking the 6 million unit mark for the first time ever. This is down from a 2.9% rise in December 2002 but still represents good growth. More
The National Association of Realtors' Housing Affordability Index rose dramatically in the fall. The Consumer Confidence Index dropped sharply in December. The current level of 80.3 is perilously close to October's 79.6, when the index dropped precipitously to its lowest level since November 1993. More
The Conference Board's index went from 79.6 in October to 84.1 the following month. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for construction workers this October is nearly 10%, up significantly from 8.3% a year ago. More
At 49.3 in the third quarter, the RMI for current conditions is down from 52.7 in the second quarter; the Future Expectations Index dropped to 48.0 from 52.2 a quarter earlier. Consumer confidence Consumer confidence fell for the fifth straight month in October. Second mortgage interest rates were about 5.13% in October vs. the record low of 5.11% in September. More
Consumer confidence fell for the fourth straight month in September, according to The Conference Board. Sales of existing homes declined by 1.7% in August, even as already very low mortgage rates continued to drop. Another sign that the economic recovery is threatened comes from a third straight drop in The Conference Board's Index of Economic Indicators in August. More
Confidence falters Consumer confidence fell for the third straight month in August to its lowest level since last November, according to The Conference Board. Leading economic indicators Down for the second straight month was The Conference Board's July Index of Economic Indicators. This reinforces the expectation for a limiting of the economic revival over the next several months Per capita disposable income A July drop in inflation-adjusted income marked the end of what had been a positive factor in the economy since May 2001. More
Consumer confidence fell again in July, according to The Conference Board. Inflation-adjusted per capita disposable income rose at very strong annual growth rates of about 6% in May and June. More
More evidence of a less than vigorous recovery for the remainder of this year is apparent in the recent performance of The Conference Board's Index of Economic Indicators, which fell in April after being flat in February and March. More
One sign that the economic recession may be over comes from The Conference Board, whose Consumer Confidence Index for March jumped to 110.2 (from 95.0 in February). Housing prices moderated in February but were still 8.2% above those of a year ago. More
