Author: Brad Beckett

The U.S. government is reporting that total construction spending in December, 2025 was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,168.8 billion, up 0.3% from November’s revised number.  In addition, December’s estimate is 0.4% lower than one year ago.  Residential construction came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $916.2 billion in December, which is 1.5% higher than November’s revised estimate. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.

The latest S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index has reported a 1.3% annual increase for December, 2025.  Their 10-City Composite posted 1.9% increase year-over-year and their 20-City Composite posted a 1.4% year-over-year increase.  They say mortgage rates & inflation have reshaped the market and have eroded real home values for most owners: ““Two structural forces have reshaped the market over recent years: mortgage rates and inflation…The 30-year mortgage rate closed 2025 at 6.2%, well above the 4.8% 10-year average and a sharp contrast to the 3.9% average that prevailed from 2016 through 2020. Meanwhile, annual inflation for…

As we’re still catching up with the lost data from the government shutdown, here’s the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis;   Personal income increased $86.2 billion (0.3% at a monthly rate) in December.  Disposable personal income (DPI – personal income less personal current taxes) increased $75.7 billion (0.3%), and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $91.0 billion (0.4%).  In addition, personal saving was $830.8 billion in December, and the personal saving rate (personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income) was 3.6%. Click here to read the full report at the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

A recent report from the White House Council of Economic Advisors says the regulatory burden imposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has increased the compliance and liability costs associated with consumer financial products, which financial institutions pass on to consumers in the form of higher prices and reduced product offerings. The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) estimates that since 2011, the CFPB has cost consumers between $237-$369 billion, including fiscal costs, increased borrowing expenses, and reduced originations. “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has steadily expanded its jurisdiction since inception, extending oversight across all consumer credit markets, including…

According to recent analysis from the NAHB’s Eye on Housing, bathrooms were the most common remodeling project in 2025.  Each quarter, the National Association of Home Builders conducts a survey of professional remodelers to produce the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI). Bathroom remodeling was the most common project in 2025, with an average of 4.1 and 73% of remodelers rating it common to very common (4 or 5). Two other remodeling jobs received average ratings above 3.0: kitchen remodeling (3.9) and whole house remodeling (3.5). Over 50% of remodelers rated both projects as common to very common. Click here…

Last month we posted about how HUD was ordering public housing authorities to conduct immediate citizenship verification” for all tenants in HUD-Funded Housing Nationwide.  Now, in late February, HUD announced a new proposed rule to require proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible status for every resident in HUD-funded housing, including “mixed status households.”  With this proposed rule, HUD says it will ensure that taxpayer-funded housing benefits only go to American citizens and eligible individuals for the first time in history.  As stated, the rule is currently in the proposal stages. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the days of illegal aliens, ineligibles, and…

According to the latest Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) Single-Family Rent Index (SFRI), U.S. single-family home rental prices increased 1.2% year over year in December, 2025.  They say this increase is a drop-off from the 2.5% increase between December 2023 and 2024.  In addition, they report that rent for high-end properties increased 2.2% year over year in December, a drop from the 2.8% gain one year ago.  Low-end property prices decreased by –0.3% in December, a significant drop from a 2.8% gain in December 2024. “The single-family rental market ended 2025 on a notably softer trajectory. 35 of the 50 largest metros posted slower annual rent growth in December 2025 than in December 2024, and 18 recorded outright…

Earlier this week we saw data from ATTOM showing that there were 40,534 residential properties with foreclosure filings in January (one in every 3,547 housing units) marking the 11th straight month of rising foreclosure activity.  Today’s infographic from ATTOM shows that foreclosure activity broken down by state.  As always, stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! Hat tip to ATTOM.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (reposted on Realtor.com) says that Generation X and Millennials are poised to inherit massive amounts of real estate over the next decade as wealth moves from older generations to younger ones – a phenomenon often called the great wealth transfer.  According to a Coldwell Banker Global Luxury report reviewed by the WSJ, roughly 1.2 million high-net-worth individuals (worth at least $5 million) will pass down more than $38 trillion in global assets, with Gen X and Millennials inheriting about $4.6 trillion in real estate, including around $2.4 trillion in the U.S. alone.…

The U.S. Government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in December, 2025 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 745k, which is 1.7% lower than November’s revised rate and is 3.8% higher than one year ago.  The median sales price of new houses sold in December was $414,400 with an average sales price of $532,600.  There were an estimated 472k new houses for sale at the end of December representing an 7.6-month supply at the current sales rate. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.