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More housing stock means the market may be shifting in favor of buyers

Mar 18, 2024
New home listings hit a 17-month high in February, and as more sellers sell, housing prices could flatten, says Conor Sen at Bloomberg Opinion.
"We're seeing inventory really grow off the very low levels of last year," says Bloomberg's Conor Sen. "And in a market that's very undersupplied, that's becoming a meaningful amount of inventory."
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Lower mortgage rates open the door for homebuilders

Jan 25, 2024
Some builders are starting to see more interest from buyers, including those who spent 2023 on the sidelines, waiting for better rates.
"It feels like there’s some pent-up demand," for homebuilding, says Clint Mitchell of Estridge Homes in Indianapolis. Above, home construction in Vermont.
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The housing sector is coming out of the doldrums. But will it keep improving through 2024?

Dec 20, 2023
We jumped into the Marketplace time machine to ask some experts how things look from next December.
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Atlanta Fed president: "This economy has even exceeded my expectations of resilience"

Dec 15, 2023
"Wage growth now is greater than inflation," Bostic says. "But I don't think people feel like they've caught up all the way and that's just going to take some time."
In the fight to bring down inflation, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic emphasizes being  "patient, cautious and resolute."
Courtesy Atlanta Federal Reserve

For some business owners, higher interest rates are a non-issue

Dec 4, 2023
The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates for almost two years now, affecting virtually everyt;hing in the economy. But some businesses have been relatively insulated from rate hikes.
Bryan Hughes, owner of a snake removal and relocation service in Arizona, says his business isn't sensitive to how the broader economy is doing. "Our customers are largely driven by behavior of the animals," he said.
Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images

With many homebuyers priced out, builders try to sweeten the deal

Oct 25, 2023
A lot of homebuilders are working with lenders to offer lower mortgage rates — or they're offering other incentives like money towards closing costs.
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What the Fed's Summary of Economic Projections can reveal

Sep 20, 2023
The quarterly report gives clues about how members of the Federal Open Market Committee see the economy and what future steps they might take.
In addition to an announcement on interest rates, the Federal Reserve will release its Summary of Economic Projections on Wednesday.
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What comes after a soft landing?

Aug 16, 2023
There are only so many options. Ideally, they don't include a boom or a bust.
If the Federal Reserve tames inflation and avoids a recession, it will want to maintain the status quo — without a boom or a bust.
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What kind of signal does FOMC unanimity send to markets and others watching the economy?

Aug 16, 2023
Dissent on interest rate decisions might send mixed messages to Wall Street about where the economy is headed.
Under Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, the FOMC has not had a single dissenting vote on interest rates since June of last year, which former FOMC member Tom Hoenig wasn't surprised by.
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