July construction spending surge signals 'solid economic momentum'

An ABC economist attributed the spending bump to strong job growth, a rush of business and recreational travel, the rallying auto sector and low construction material prices.

By Emily Peiffer • Sept. 2, 2015

Take a hike: 5 reasons homebuilders will survive a Fed interest rate increase

Don't let the inevitable bump in rates get you down: Job growth, consumer confidence and still-low mortgage rates are likely to sustain homebuying.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 31, 2015

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Labor

A roundup of articles about issues affecting the workforce.

By Construction Dive staff

July pending home sales barely rise as affordable inventory remains 'elusive'

An increase so slight is a contrast to the surge of sales in the first six months of the year and could be a sign that buyer momentum is slowing down, the NAR said.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 28, 2015

MBA: Housing demand set to soar over next decade

Baby boomers, millennials and Hispanics will start to form substantially more households after "a lull in the growth of the working-age population."

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 27, 2015

Home sales climb as prices moderate

Both figures could be good news for the housing economy.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 26, 2015

Home prices hit new peaks in 13 metros

Black Knight found that across the U.S., values rose 0.9% in June.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 25, 2015

Will market turmoil keep Chinese investors from buying U.S. property?

The country's recent economic volatility has raised questions about the $29 billion-a-year that comes from those international sales.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 25, 2015

Median San Francisco home price swells to $1.15M

That’s 225% more than a typical household in the area can afford, the California Association of Realtors reported.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 25, 2015

Housing stocks fare worse than overall stock market

Of the major homebuilders, KB Home saw the greatest loss Monday. But the real impact could involve the Fed's impending interest rate hike decision.

By Emily Peiffer • Aug. 24, 2015

Industry's 'uneven growth' continues as 28 states add construction jobs in July

The AGC reports that contractors are struggling to fill those newly created positions with qualified workers.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 24, 2015

Booming Hawaii construction industry led by influx of commercial, industrial permits

A government report predicted the state's construction growth will continue into 2016.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 24, 2015

NAHB economist: Proposed DOL overtime regulations would exacerbate industry's labor woes

In a guest post, Robert Dietz examines the proposed new rules state-by-state and brings up concerns regarding their impact on stakeholders in the sector.

By Robert Dietz • Aug. 21, 2015

Share of 1st-time buyers slides despite overall July existing-home sale growth

Some real estate agents have reported waning demand as tight inventory and rising prices have kept entry-level buyers out of the market.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 21, 2015

July foreclosure activity rises for 5th consecutive month

RealtyTrac found that most of it involved bank repossessions of homes that had been in the process for up to nearly two years.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 21, 2015

Volatile nonresidential construction starts plummet 27.7% in July

Nearly all sectors of the industry slowed down last month, with the only bright spots in government office and warehouse construction, the CMD Group found.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 19, 2015

'Real estate to the rescue': Public builders rally in shaky stock market

Investors have warmed to homebuilder stocks in response to spikes in industry optimism and housing starts.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 19, 2015

Single-family construction boosts July housing starts to near 8-year high

The Commerce Department reported a 12.8% increase of single-family groundbreakings, while multifamily fell 17%.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 18, 2015

'Slow but steady': Homebuilder optimism rises slightly in August

An NAHB measure of industry confidence exceeded July’s number, which was the highest in nearly a decade.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 18, 2015

Zillow: First-time homebuyers renting for 6 years before buying

They are also older, less likely to be married and tend to spend more of their annual incomes on their first homes.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 18, 2015

Building material prices fall despite rising construction spending

That paradox is "unprecedented," an ABC economist said.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 17, 2015

Americans spending a record-high percentage of income on rent

Even if interest rates climb to 6% next year, it will still be easier to pay a mortgage than a monthly rent, according to Zillow.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 14, 2015

CoreLogic: Despite slight bump in June, foreclosure inventory at near 8-year low

Those properties account for about 1.2% of homes with a mortgage.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 13, 2015

Construction job vacancies slide in June but remain high

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the industry currently has 143,000 empty positions.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 13, 2015

Private construction industry's contribution to GDP dwindles

2014 proved to be a more difficult year for the industry than forecasters had initially predicted.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 12, 2015

Draining the talent pool? Construction sector adds 6K new jobs in July

Despite the seemingly positive report, the AGC cautions that filling those new positions continues to be a struggle, as unemployment in the industry dips to a 14-year low.

By Sharon O'Malley • Aug. 10, 2015