Australia’s Heating Housing Market Pressures Monetary Policy

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 11, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) The Australian Bureau of Statistics released its December, 2014 data on housing finance in Australia. The data show that first-time home buyers continue to decline as a percentage of all dwellings … Read more

Hard to Blame the Weather for the Drop in Home Builder Sentiment

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 17, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for February came in at 55. The biggest change in the index came from a large drop in the component … Read more

Why Home Builders Are Off to A Relatively Strong Start In 2015

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 9, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) It is still very early in the new year, but I cannot help notice the relative strength exhibited by iShares Trust – iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) and several major … Read more

The Squeeze On Renters And Implications for the Housing Market

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 7, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) I tracked down an article posted in Boston.com called “Renters Suffer as Evictions Surge in U.S.” after hearing the topic referenced in a recent Slate Money podcast. One of the guests … Read more

Million-Dollar Plus Homes and A Race for Affordability In California

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 11, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) Last month, I wrote about the strong sales activity in million dollar plus homes in Canada that are occurring despite poor jobs growth in the country. It was an interesting study … Read more

Millennials Are Poised to Deliver the Next Critical Juncture for the Housing Market

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 3, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) Demographic shifts can be key drivers of housing trends. To date I have spent more time examining the impact of aging Baby Boomers on the housing market than aging millennials, defined … Read more

The Canadian Dollar Hangs in the Balance Between Weak Jobs Growth and Strong High-End Housing Demand

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on July 14, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) Employment picture remains lackluster On Friday, Statistics Canada painted another disappointing jobs picture for the country. Instead of the 20,000 additional jobs expected by the “consensus” for June, the Canadian economy … Read more

Some Chart Reviews Before Earnings Potentially Change Everything: RAX, MLNX, DBA, JJA, KBH, BBY, IBM, VLO

Technical analysis becomes particularly precarious during earnings season, but there are some intriguing charts I felt compelled to post anyway. Some telling and strong stories here… Rackspace Hosting, Inc. (RAX) RAX has given back all its gains from the initial excitement over the potential for “strategic alternatives.” Bears have added insult to injury by rushing … Read more

Australia’s Central Bank Is Not Overly Concerned With Having One of the Most Expensive Housing Markets In the World

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on July 6, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) The IMF recently established an informative web site called “Global Housing Watch” that promises to provide quarterly updates on housing conditions around the world. The update for Q4 of 2013 shows … Read more

Home Builder Sentiment Springs Back to Life

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on June 15, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) It appears the National Association of Home Builders(NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) has indeed stabilized. Last month, I interpreted a small recovery in the HMI from a March plunge as … Read more