Personal Finance Advice and Commentary

Labor and supply costs are aiding a loss of confidence among home builders.

Home builders are feeling optimistic about the housing market in December.

Home builders are caught short in filling demand for construction projects.

Are fancy fixtures and more square footage luring homebuyers?

Home builder confidence in new, single-family homes soared to its highest point in four years, according to the National Association of Home Builder’s survey. But it’s still well below what’s considered positive. The monthly index on builder sentiment rose 4 points to 29, its highest point since 2007. Fifty is the point between positive and

Finally someone is feeling optimistic about home sales. Builder sentiment rose for the third straight month, according to the December survey by National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo. It’s the first consecutive, three-month upswing since 2009 and is considered a “legitimate, though slowly emerging upward trend,” according to David Crowe, chief economist at National Association

The latest housing starts depict a market that remains gridlocked by a glut of unsold homes and a weak economy. According to the Commerce Department, permits to build new homes in July fell 3.2 percent and the number of new homes being built slipped 1.5 percent. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the