Judith She`'s (bowdensmarketbarometer) Blog

Employment seemingly disappointed in April, adding just 115,000 jobs on the heels of an upwardly revised March estimate of 154,000 jobs and 259,000 jobs in February.  The result:  unemployment dropped to 8.1%, or as some pundits would say, “changed little.” While that purview may be accurate on s...

Looks like we're out of surgery and in the recovery room -- and a positive pulse prevails. Hot off the press data show pending home sales increased 4.1% in March, month-over-month.  The index currently stands at 12.8% above March 2011.    Forecasts from a variety of sources support the strengthe...

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just released the results of their annual “Investment and Vacation Home Buyer Survey” which revealed that sales of investment and vacation homes rose to the highest level since 2005 last year.  Investment home sales surged 64.5% to 1.23 million units la...

  The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® increased for the sixth straight month in March, up 0.3%, following a 0.7% increase in February. Forecasts call for continued economic momentum “past the summer months.” And -- Total housing inventory declined 21.8% in March, year-over-year, to 2.37 ...

Our interview in this edition of Bowden's Market Barometer is with Bill Lee, President of Madison Residential Advisors and a specialist in workouts and restarts of distressed properties. BMB:       The term “workout” tends to be painted with a broad brush.  Can you define the term more specifical...

  Latest edition of Bowden's Market Barometer just published.  "Homes are being marketed via coupons, Justin Timberlake is refining golf marketing, President Obama is covering Al Green, and the Republican Party is stealing the (side) show. It’s a brand new year and our industry continues to advan...

Sixty-two (62%) percent of Americans say that purchasing a home is a good investment over the next ten years. The Homebuilder Confidence Index improved for the third month in a row in December.  Existing home inventory stands at . . . (read more)

Our intrepid colleague David Pearson contributed a blockbuster article to the year-end edition of Bowden's Market Barometer.  . . . In nearby Palm Beach Gardens, high-priced residences continue to sell.  “Given the economy and the international situation, we have had a surprisingly good summer,” ...

Florida made big news a couple of years back when, for the first time in its (reported) history, it lost population.  But new IRS migration data show that between 2009 and 2010, the Sunshine State saw net migration of 30,000. Further, the state ranked third nationwide in personal income gains fro...

Barclays Capital recently predicted that the housing recovery was on its way and walked the talk by upgrading several big builders, citing improving jobs numbers and price stabilization that has not been predicated by government homebuyer incentives as catalysts.  Even more recent news  shows th...