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US Rental Rate Increases
USA Today reported Tuesday that apartment lease renewals hit an all-time high of nearly 54 per cent in 2016. This is up from 52.9 per cent last year and a more-conventional 45 per cent in the mid 2000s. US Rental Rates Millennials are faced with student debt and expensive home buying options, which drives…
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US House Prices, Construction Spending
The Case-Shiller (CS) National Home Price Index, reported by S&P Dow Jones Indices Wednesday, continued its upward trend in June. The index rose at a 2.5 per cent seasonally adjusted annual pace, faster than the 1.6 per cent in May. Elsewhere, NAHB analysis of Census Construction Spending data Thursday shows that total private residential construction…
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US Negative Equity Rate, Home Property Values
According to the Zillow Negative 2Q Equity Report, released Thursday, the overall US negative equity rate as of the end of 2Q 2016 – the share of homeowners that were underwater, owing more to their lenders than their home was worth – was 12.1 per cent. That’s down from 12.7 per cent in 1Q and…
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US Household Debt: 2Q 2016
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data Tuesday issued its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, which reported that household debt increased by US$35 billion (a 0.3 per cent increase) to US$12.29 trillion during 2Q 2016. This moderate growth was driven by increases in auto loan and credit card debt,…
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US Housing Affordability: 2Q 2016
According to the National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, solid home price appreciation more than offset a modest reduction in mortgage interest rates to push housing affordability lower in 2Q 2016. The national median home price increased from US$223,000 in 1Q 2016 to US$240,000 in 2Q. Meanwhile, average mortgage rates…