Dive summary:
- Recovering housing values make some owners think about selling, but they also drive up business in the remodeling portion of the construction industry, according to data analysts at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.
- With sales up almost 9% in 2012 and prices rising in most markets, the center finds that owners are feeling more confident about investing in renovations.
- One consequence of the situation, Remodeling Futures Program Director Kermit Baker said, is that the home improvement industry is facing a skilled worker shortage and materials prices are "unusually volatile."
From the article:
In February, Zillow ... launched Zillow Digs, a home improvement marketplace intended to give home shoppers and homeowners visual inspiration and understanding of the cost of remodeling projects. ...
