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New-home construction plunges to lowest level since May 2020
MarketWatch ^ | August 16, 2024 | Aarthi Swaminathan

Posted on 08/16/2024 7:50:07 AM PDT by fwdude

The numbers: Construction of new homes fell 6.8% in July compared with the previous month, as builders scaled back new projects.

Housing starts fell to a 1.24 million annual pace from 1.33 million in June, the government said Friday. That’s how many houses would be built over an entire year if construction were to continue at the same rate each month as in July.

The data fell short of Wall Street’s expectations of a 1.34 million pace. All numbers are seasonally adjusted.

Housing starts fell to the lowest level since May 2020. Outside of the pandemic, new-home construction was at its lowest level since March 2019.

(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: economy; homeconstruction; newhomes
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To: Omnivore-Dan

In our little town, a developer bought up some farmland at the edge of town. Those cracker boxes he’s building on 1/8 acre plots, if that, start at $336k. That’s more than we paid for our home which is larger and on 1-1/2 acres. Plus the construction of these homes is poor. Lots of façade materials.

When we were first starting out, these homes would’ve been around 95k. Granted that was 35 years ago.


21 posted on 08/16/2024 8:34:58 AM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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To: adorno

“Fewer homos being built”

Your spell checker is playing games with you.


22 posted on 08/16/2024 8:40:00 AM PDT by packagingguy
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To: fwdude
Every time we hear that a particular industry has N% less business than the year before, we are supposed to run around like chickens with our heads cut off.

Does this mean that our economy is a Ponzi or Pyramid Scheme that constantly needs to grow or else die?

What happens when the population starts to collapse due to the fertility crisis?

Is the economy going to depend on the ever-increasing sales of Depends?

23 posted on 08/16/2024 8:41:38 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (Kafka was an optimist.)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

“Fixers are hard to come by. All dried up.”

It might be possible to offer construction continuation houses.

Mrs. & Mr. X would buy a finished house. They would then work to finish another house the builder is building. Once they complete that work, the builder would release a lien.

Mrs. & Mr. X would effectively be buying and paying for a shell with plumbing, wiring and unfinished wallboard hung.

A builder might require such buyers take a construction finishing trades course if one of the Xs doesn’t make a living in construction.


24 posted on 08/16/2024 8:46:09 AM PDT by Brian Griffin ("The fundamental problem is that anyone can claim asylum with zero proof" - Elon Musk)
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To: FamiliarFace

41 years ago we built a 4 bedroom house on 2 1/4 acres for 110k. Couldn’t do that today, really have no idea what it would cost, but it would be unaffordable for sure.


25 posted on 08/16/2024 8:50:29 AM PDT by Omnivore-Dan
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To: packagingguy
Your spell checker is playing games with you.

I don't use a spell-checker.

It's typos, which I used to be good at catching, but, since my eyes have been going bad, I seem to miss them more often.
26 posted on 08/16/2024 8:52:39 AM PDT by adorno (CCH)
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To: fwdude

Imagine:

Our mom is developing dementia.

We are looking for a couple willing to help her stay at home.

In return for providing her care for each month, we will let the couple stay in her home for four months.

This position would be ideal for a young couple with recently born child where the child’s mom want to stay at home with the child.


27 posted on 08/16/2024 8:53:23 AM PDT by Brian Griffin ("The fundamental problem is that anyone can claim asylum with zero proof" - Elon Musk)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

You are comparing apples with pineapples.

Reagan was a polished public speaker, proficient at projecting a presidential presence.

Trump is the honey badger of politics.


28 posted on 08/16/2024 8:54:52 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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To: woodbutcher1963
I have a buddy who got into the Stair lift business about fifteen/twenty years ago. He installs and repairs existing stair lifts. He has more business than he knows what to do with. The business now employs his whole family. It allows elderly people to stay in their family home when they can no longer climb stairs safely!"

Stair lifts are incredible inventions to help seniors to stay in their homes.

29 posted on 08/16/2024 9:25:18 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (If our votes mattered, "Would our votes be counted as either helping Trump or helping Kamala!)
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To: woodbutcher1963

In the rest of the country there is still a huge demand for smaller single family or semi detached homes. Smaller houses for first time home buyers and for all the BOOMERS that want to downsize. The Boomers own their existing house. If they sell it, they will pay CASH for the new smaller home.

Out here they are called ADU’s with one or two BR’s! Quick permits and sometimes financing.


30 posted on 08/16/2024 9:29:41 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (If our votes mattered, "Would our votes be counted as either helping Trump or helping Kamala!)
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To: woodbutcher1963

“Single family home construction is up across the country.”

Informative post. You say a lot.

How does all you say result in the difficultly for many to buy a home? As an aside, how unaffordable is renting now?

What’s the effect of Boomers selling a larger home and buying a smaller one for cash?

I know another problem in some places is that buying a house that’s not many miles from their job is beyond their means.


31 posted on 08/16/2024 9:33:34 AM PDT by cymbeline (we saw men break out of a concentration camp.”)
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To: blueunicorn6

The 08 banking crisis was not wasted. Banks and investors were suddenly allowed to add rental properties to portfolio.
Welcome back to feudalism.
Who else has cool million in cash for a 3 bed 2 bath?
Somehow this dropped off the radar after the 2010 protests over it.


32 posted on 08/16/2024 9:36:42 AM PDT by momincombatboots (BQEphesians 6... who you are really at war with.)
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To: fwdude

I can only speak to Hawaii problems.
Specifically the Big island.
We don’t want to live in overcrowded subdivisions.
We don’t want to live in Soviet style apartments
with Soviet style government rules and personal freedom
limitations.
Lastly the USA has lots of land and is unusable because the government owns/controls way too much of it and the government is run by Democrat bureaucrats.


33 posted on 08/16/2024 9:43:56 AM PDT by rellic (rough)
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To: woodbutcher1963

I like to keep people on their toes too.

That’s why I drive around with my left blinker going all the time.


34 posted on 08/16/2024 9:48:44 AM PDT by jmacusa (Liberals. Too stupid to be idiots.)
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To: adorno

“It’s typos, which I used to be good at catching, but, since my eyes have been going bad, I seem to miss them more often.”

My wife, like me is her eighties, about a year ago started having problems reading with her smart phones and kindles and newspaper.

Our health care organization fits reading glasses to use / in the above situations/uses in one set of glasses.

So we got her an RX adjustable reading glasses like I have.

Now, she reaches for her new reading glasses if she is having problems.


35 posted on 08/16/2024 9:48:48 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (If our votes mattered, "Would our votes be counted as either helping Trump or helping Kamala!)
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To: Grampa Dave
So we got her an RX adjustable reading glasses like I have.

Unfortunately for me, reading glasses don't help. I've asked if there is any other type of prescription which could help with my sight problems and several ophthalmologists have said no.

I have a rare disease which affects other parts of my body and that disease apparently affects my eyesight too.

It's called "pemphigoid' or "mucous membrane pemphigoid", to be specific. I'm getting a drug to prevent it from getting worse, but as of now, my vision is badly affected. I've had to increase the size of words on the screen in order to keep up with the world, and it's still hard. Hopefully I won't be fully blind before my eye doctors find a solution.
36 posted on 08/16/2024 10:50:17 AM PDT by adorno (CCH)
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To: fwdude

Biden’s plan for building back better still working so the plan for socialism to be excepted.


37 posted on 08/16/2024 10:56:44 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: adorno

I use a Chrome book for FR and 95% of my computer usage. I can increase the screen size print several times.

Where I use my new reading glasses is to read from a book with fairly small print.


38 posted on 08/16/2024 11:20:37 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (If our votes mattered, "Would our votes be counted as either helping Trump or helping Kamala!)
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To: Grampa Dave
I use a Chrome book for FR and 95% of my computer usage. I can increase the screen size print several times.

No Chromebook for me. I hate anything from Google. I have to use Android for my smartphone, because I also hate Apple and their iPhone. I don't pay the 'Apple tax' with Android being free and available on all smartphones.

I do use my computer for anything that is done via the internet, including FR. I can increase the font size to much bigger sizes than anything on a smartphone or tablet. I have a 28 inch screen which can accommodate just about any font size. My current font-size is 5 times normal. I'm managing without glasses, which don't help anyway.


39 posted on 08/16/2024 11:30:35 AM PDT by adorno (CCH)
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To: Omnivore-Dan

My neighbor sold last month 3 bd 2 bth 1 car garage on a 6000 square. Ft. Lot 500k
We’re 7 miles from the beach in hollywood Florida


40 posted on 08/16/2024 11:50:06 AM PDT by Keyhopper (Indians had bad immigration laws)
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