What the Homebuilders Said to Close Out 2013: All Eyes On the 2014 Spring Selling Season

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 6, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) {snip} The above quote pretty much sums up the attitude of homebuilders (ITB) going into 2014. It sounds like a classic sales pitch from a real estate agent, but the evidence … Read more

Pent-Up Demand Pushes Up Housing Market Index

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on December 17, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) The latest National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) surged to 58 from 54. The NAHB pointed to pent-up housing demand from the government shutdown as a … Read more

The Coming Upward Pressure On Mortgage Rates In 2014

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on November 26, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) On Monday (November 25, 2013) the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported a fifth straight month of declining pending home sales. NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun projects that 2013 will end … Read more

The Housing Market Index: Strong Trends, Correlated Components, and A Weak Northeast

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on November 19, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) just released its November, 2013 report on builder confidence: the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). It showed no change from … Read more