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RATE RISE

With markets now showing a 90% chance of a rate rise in nine days, only a torrent of dreadful data will hold back the Fed. Survey data show solid gains in consumer and small business optimism, unemployment is nearing the Fed's target, and all this despite deliberately...

MEATY MANPOWER

February's net job growth was 235,00 and January's number was revised up 11,000 to 238,000! The unemployment rate declined to 4.7%, the labor force grew by 340,000, Y-o-Y wage growth rose from 2.6% to 2.8%, those working part-time involuntarily declined by 136,000,...

WEAK WITHDRAWAL

Despite a prolonged rise in house prices, bringing them back to where they were prior to the Great Recession, mortgage equity withdrawal (MEW) is a pittance compared to a decade ago. Between 2003 and 2007, MEW averaged 7% of disposable personal income. From 2012...

HOT HOUSING

February pending home sales surprised, rising 5.5% M-o-M, and are at their highest reading since 5/06, while house prices rose a strong 5.7% during the three months ending 1/17. Moreover, February new home sales were 592,000 seasonally adjusted, their second-best...

SMART WAYS TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH FIX AND FLIP INVESTMENTS

In recent years, to invest in the fix and flip business is a great choice to get better ROI with your investment dollars. Like other investments, this also involves some risk factors. Here, the reward comes through purchasing a property that has a higher potential...

HISTORIC HOUSING

April housing starts were OK. Single-family starts were up 8.8% Y-o-Y, 7.4% YTD, and, somewhat surprisingly, have been flat since 10/16. Importantly, trends have emerged. Comparing 15Q1 - peak house size - to today, median and average house sizes are down 130 and 108...