With federal figures furloughed, builders estimated housing starts themselves

The U.S. Census Bureau may put out housing construction figures soon now that employees are back to work, but the National Association of Home Builders has come up with its own.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 17, 2013

An icon of housing-price reports says they are not smart as investments

Anyone in the home market probably knows the name of Robert Shiller of the Case-Shiller Index. But did you know he does not like homes as investment vehicles?

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 16, 2013

Buyers' confusion about market blamed for softening home sales

An online broker, Redfin, said it saw purchase offers sink 11.8% from August to September, and the company thinks buyers cannot figure out what the market is doing.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 16, 2013

Homes slipping from middle-class buyers's reach in some places

The National Association of realtors cites a study that found houses are getting less affordable for middle-class potential buyers in several large metro areas.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 14, 2013

Some builders are baiting their hooks with incentives in bid for buyers

For all the recent resurgence in home sales since the recovery began, more  builders now are offering incentives of cash or products to encourage buyers.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 14, 2013

Shopping centers: Roaring back with reconstruction work

Retail centers are feeling the effect of a recovery and some that have suffered badly need work to get back into the game.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 13, 2013

Could a national bank for infrastructure lead the way to improvements and employment?

Perhaps with a starter investment from the government, a bank chartered for infrastructure funding could generate projects and jobs that the U.S. needs.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 13, 2013

Latest Turner index shows construction costs up 4.3% in a year

Turner Construction Co. says in its 3rd-Quarter report for 2013 that prices for non-residential work have "cautiously increased" this year.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 9, 2013

NAHB unveils its new housing market measurements

The National Association of Home Builders has shifted from "improving" to "improved" markets with a new Leading Market Index that compares three present indicators to pre-recession norms.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 8, 2013

Road supporters explain how bum roads in cities cost drivers more

A new report shows that substandard pavement on interstates, arterials and other city roads may cost drivers hundreds of dollars.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 8, 2013

Housing growth should keep climbing, with a little luck, NAHB forecasts

The growth in housing construction should continue and be stronger in 2014 and 2015—as long as appraisals work and the U.S. avoids going into default this month.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 6, 2013

Labor shortage threatens Fla. construction—and economy

In Sarasota, Fla., construction is considered the bellwether of the area's economy, but contractors say they see a tough future finding labor to lead the charge.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 3, 2013

U.S. demand for design services keeps expanding, but unevenly

Industrial design work grew again in August, institutional architecture kept up its slow growth, and even residential work was up just a little, the American Institute of Architects reports.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 2, 2013

Construction data falls victim to U.S. government shutdown

If you were waiting on construction spending data this week, you may have noticed that something was missing on the first of the month. Thank Congress.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 1, 2013

Cash, institutional home purchases rose in mid-summer

The percentage of homes sold for cash went up to 45% in August, RealtyTrac reported, and institutional investors accounted for 10% of home sales.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 1, 2013

Shiller says data show no housing bubble—for the moment

Yale Professor Robert J. Shiller says an annual survey of new buyers and a look at price data do not put the U.S. in "bubble" territory, but his confidence is muted.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 30, 2013

Builders get creative with loan incentives

As interest rates increase, buyers are becoming more hesitant to purchase homes; in an effort to turn these customers into homeowners, builders are enticing them with loan incentives instead traditional options like kitchen upgrades.

By Nicole Wrona • Sept. 30, 2013

August Construction Rises 2 Percent

At a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $490.2 billion, new construction starts in August advanced 2% relative to July, it was reported by McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial.

Sept. 27, 2013

After the current federal fiscal fight, Highway Transit Fund woes loom

ARTBA says road and bridge contractors will be contributing to joblessness, not employment, if Congress does not find a way to keep the Highway Trust Fund in business.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 26, 2013

Construction confidence measure breaks annual pattern of third-quarter collapse

The Construction Industry Confidence Index compiled by Engineering News Record did slide back two points to 67, but this is the first time in four years that the quarter has remained strongly positive.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 26, 2013

Nice August for sales of new homes

Sales of new homes last month were up 7.9% from July, though part of the size of that gain is due to July having been slack.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 25, 2013

Economist tells equipment industry that good times are 12 to 18 months out

Construction equipment sales got ahead of the recovery in 2012, so they have slowed, but a construction recovery is in store through 2018, and sales will go up again.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 24, 2013

Returning business means 2 big truck problems for contractors

A lot of companies got rid of rolling stock in the downturn, but just buying new trucks as business grows does not get a fleet back to what it was.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 24, 2013

A look at 2012 mortgages: Still a lot of refinancing, not buying

A Federal Reserve study found that total mortgages were the best since 2009, but loans for people buying houses did not increase nearly as quickly as re-fi mortgages.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 23, 2013

A slowdown in home-price increases should comfort buyers, not worry them

Apparently prospective home-buyers got jumpy when month-to-month home-price increases slowed recently, but economists argue that they should be relieved of bubble fears.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 23, 2013