September Job Openings Surge; Construction up 0.2%

Job openings in September jumped by more than a half-million from August, showing there are 1.9 job openings for every available worker, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Tuesday in the first of four major jobs reports this week.

September New Home Sales Down 11%

New home sales fell by nearly 11 percent in September, HUD and the Census Bureau reported Wednesday, as rising interest rates discouraged home buyers.

September Housing Starts Down 8%

September housing starts took back the temporary momentum it gained in August, falling by more than 8 percent, HUD and the Census Bureau reported Wednesday.

August Housing Starts Rise; Drop in Permits Casts Shadow

The good news: August housing starts beat expectations, rising by more than 12 percent from July. The bad news: housing permits fell just as dramatically, lending uncertainty to an already volatile 2022 housing market.

July Construction Spending Tapers

Construction spending fell in July, marking the second consecutive monthly drop, the Census Bureau reported Thursday.

July New Home Sales at 6-1/2 Year Low; Price Growth Decelerates

New home sales fell to their slowest pace in six and a half years, while inventories stockpiled, HUD and the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. In a separate report, RE/MAX, Denver, said median home sales prices fell for the first time since January

July Housing Starts Take Sharp Hit

It already hasn’t been a good week for housing. On Monday, the National Association of Home Builders reported its Housing Market Index fell for the eighth straight month to two-year low. And on Tuesday, HUD and the Census Bureau reported housing starts fell in July by nearly double digits to its slowest pace since 2020.

MBA Chart of the Week Aug. 8, 2022: Mortgage Payment to Rent Ratio

This MBA Chart of the Week examines the relationship between mortgage payments and asking rents since the second half of 2009. MBA’s national mortgage payment to rent ratio compares the national median and 25th percentile mortgage payments to the national median asking rent.