Author: Brad Beckett

CNBC is reporting that while homeowner’s insurance premiums vary widely from state to state, they are all going up.  They say that according to experts, increasingly severe storms and other disasters, combined with rising housing costs, are pushing rates higher.  In fact, California’s recent wildfires could cause insurance premiums to go up by 21% across the state. “An event like that in California just has a really significant impact on how much we project premiums to go up,” said Chase Gardner, data insights manager at Insurify. He added that when insurance companies “are paying out more than they’re bringing in…

Several states across the nation are holding sales tax holidays during the back-to-school season. Whether you think this is good or bad public policy is for another day; the bottom-line is saving your hard-earned money! The data has been provided by the Sale Tax Institute and actually covers the entire year – as well as many more products than just school supplies & clothing. Be sure to read your state’s “fine-print” for this exemption at their corresponding web site. This list is subject to change and some states have already had sales tax holidays in 2025. 2025’s Upcoming States: Alabama…

In their new State of the Nation’s Housing Report, Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies says the US housing market is shrouded in uncertainty. Among their conclusions, they say high home prices and interest rates have pushed sales to their lowest level in 30 years; insurance premiums and property taxes are rising; and high rents have left many cost burdened. “There must be a concerted effort to do more to address the affordability and supply crises…The potential consequences of inaction are simply too harmful to the macroeconomy and the millions of households striving for a safe, affordable place to call…

Recent analysis from the Associated General Contractors said construction employment increased year-over-year in 33 states and the District of Columbia in May.  In addition, Association officials noted that employment gains in the industry have been muted amid questions about a range of federal labor, tax and trade policies. “Construction has been in a holding pattern for several months, with gains in a small majority of states…Uncertainty over tariffs, immigration, federal funding, taxes and other policy shifts is causing many types of projects to be put on hold across the country.”  Said Ken Simonson, the AGC’s chief economist. Texas added the…

The Visual Capitalist asks; How much do prices actually differ across America?  Today’s graphic takes a look at price parity across the U.S. by looking at things like the price of food, bills, gas, and other living costs.  Not surprising, California is the nation’s most expensive state with Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma being the least expensive.  Stay safe, watch your wallet and have a Happy Friday!!! Hat tip to the Visual Capitalist.

According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, personal income in May decreased $109.6 billion (0.4% at a monthly rate). Disposable personal income (DPI – personal income less personal current taxes) decreased $125 billion (0.6%) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) decreased $29.3 billion (0.1%).  Personal outlays (the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments) decreased $27.6 billion in May. Personal saving was $1.01 trillion in May and the personal saving rate (personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income) was 4.5%. Click here to read the full report at the Bureau of…

The Rental Housing Journal is reporting that a federal court recently ruled that landlords are due compensation and have a right to pursue compensation claims for losses suffered during the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eviction ban moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit denied the federal government’s petition for a rehearing in Darby v. United States, a case claiming the CDC’s eviction moratorium was unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment.  Indeed… “The decision marks a significant victory for property owners. By upholding the Darby ruling, the court maintains the legal framework…

According to the ADP National Employment Report for June, 2025, private sector employment increased by 33k jobs and annual pay was up 4.4% year-over-year. The ADP National Employment Report is an independent and high-frequency view of the private-sector labor market based on the aggregated and anonymized payroll data of more than 25 million U.S. employees. “Though layoffs continue to be rare, a hesitancy to hire and a reluctance to replace departing workers led to job losses last month. Still, the slowdown in hiring has yet to disrupt pay growth.”  Said ADP chief economist Dr. Nela Richardson. Click here to read…

Rental information site Zumper recently released their latest monthly National Rent Report for June, 2025.  According to their data, median rent for 1-bedroom apartments was $1520 and $1,910 (up 0.2%) for two-bedrooms. Be sure to check out their list of the top 100 metro areas.  In addition, they said on an annual basis, one-bedroom rent dipped 0.4%, marking the first year-over-year decline in 14 months. “The current plateau seen in our national rent prices likely reflects a more deliberate and strategic approach by property owners…This isn’t a sign of weak demand, renters are still out there, but with so much…

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 147k in June, 2025 with the unemployment rate dropping lightly to 4.1%.  In addition, the report says Job gains occurred in state government and health care.  However, contrary to what was seen over the past few years, the federal government continued to lose jobs. Click here to read the full report at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.