Articles

Annual expenditures for improvements and repairs to owner-occupied homes are projected to decrease this year and into Q1 2025, but at a moderating rate, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Read More

"The Wall Street Journal’s latest quarterly survey of business and academic economists shows forecasters ratcheting up their expectations for economic growth, inflation and the level of future interest rates. Read More

Privately‐owned housing starts in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,321,000, 14.7% below the revised February estimate of 1,549,000 and is 4.3% below the March 2023 rate of 1,380,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Read More

"It has been two years since forecasters felt this good about the economic outlook,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Read More

Consumer sentiment declined 1.9% in early April to 77.9 but rose 22.3% YOY, according to preliminary estimates from the University of Survey of Consumers. Read More

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for Q1 2024, posting a reading of 66, down one point compared to the previous quarter. Read More

In the first two months of 2024, total U.S. imports of ceramic tile were 26.3 million square meters, a decline of 14.7% from the same period in 2023 when imports were 30.9 million square meters, according to Grosser Consulting. Read More

"Renovation markets have historically seen up to a year delay in rebounding from recessions after new construction turns,” reports Truist. “This would put the industry on pace to see a rebound in '24 given the mid-year '23 new housing starts rally. Read More

The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, fell 8.6% in March to 164.0 from the revised February reading of 179.5. Over the month, commercial planning fell 3.2% and institutional planning dropped 17.2%. Read More

The U.S. ceramic tile market contracted for the second straight year in 2023, as the U.S. housing market with which it is closely linked continued to struggle due to high mortgage rates, inflation, and labor shortages. Read More