Tag: economy

August 31, 2017

The construction workforce trending older has been cause for concern in some parts of the U.S. as the industry continues to cite the skilled labor shortage as one of its most critical problems. The Northeast, especially, could face challenges as […]

August 29, 2017

Though 2017 breaks a long trend of growth in residential solar, the sector looks to be undergoing a transition to focus on profitability as markets mature, competition intensifies and the cost of bringing in new customers increases, Utility Dive reported. […]

August 28, 2017

These kinds of additional housing-related costs are one more element first-time buyers must consider before entering the market. Millennials are particularly in tune with and concerned about managing what they can afford, perhaps after witnessing the economic mess created by […]

June 22, 2017

Caught amid California’s housing crunch, Senate Bill 35’s passage comes as a potential boon to the state’s future affordable housing stock. And it jives with California Gov. Jerry Brown’s call for legislation that would cut red tape for residential developers, […]

June 20, 2017

Affordable housing is just one reason cities like Omaha, Buffalo and Grand Rapids are becoming desirable places to move, particularly for first-time homebuyers, many of whom are millennials, though prices there are rising, too. Home prices were up 4.3% year-over-year […]

June 2, 2017

The value of new construction starts in April dropped 13% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $647.8 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The decline followed three straight months of gains, which saw total […]

May 26, 2017

A study released today by the Beacon Hill Institute found that Ohio schools built under government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) cost 13.12 percent more than schools that were bid and constructed through fair and open competition, free from PLA requirements. The study looked at […]

May 25, 2017

Ben Franklin is often attributed as saying only two things are certain in life: death and taxes. While this quote rings true, it can be assumed Franklin didn’t predict some entities would be handed a tax bill of $71 million […]

May 24, 2017

For many years, the industry expected millennials to gravitate toward cities, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case, as nearly 50% live in the suburbs and 20% live in rural areas, according to Zillow. Amid skyrocketing home prices, the suburbs […]

May 24, 2017

April’s wearker-than-anticipated new-home sales report follows a strong March, which was the best month for new-home sales since July 2016. One driver of that growth was a mild winter that allowed crews to get to work sooner putting up new […]

May 23, 2017

Investment in municipal infrastructure continues to drive upgrades and expansions throughout the San Diego area in the water, education and transportation sectors, Burrola says. “Paving the way for future growth in the water sector is Pure Water San Diego, a […]

May 23, 2017

The Trump administration has promised sweeping tax breaks and increased defense and infrastructure spending — pledges that some analysts worry could drive up the national debt sharply. Rumors earlier in 2017 anticipated the possibility of President Donald Trump attempting to […]

May 23, 2017

The cooldown in construction starts following a robust first quarter comes as part of the familiar up-and-down nature of the construction industry’s recovery and expansion. Though activity slowed in April, a number of major projects broke ground last month. Six […]

May 18, 2017

FMI’s forecast for 2017 predicts an increase of 6% for the total value of construction put in place in the U.S. With GDP most recently reporting 2.1% growth in the fourth quarter of 2016, construction growth of 6% looks solid. […]

May 15, 2017

The softwood lumber dispute, which had been fueled by speculation over the past few months, reached its first milestone of certainty in April, when the U.S. government announced an average 20% tariff on Canadian softwood lumber imports. Another set of […]

May 15, 2017

Saudi Arabia isn’t the only country to consider infrastructure investment in the U.S. At the end of last year, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) announced that it would put $10 billion toward U.S. infrastructure initiatives. The QIA had previously said […]

May 8, 2017

With the average builder taking six months to build a single-family home, a jump in starts for the category in early 2017 points to an increase in listings for buyers hoping to take advantage of better purchasing conditions in late […]

May 8, 2017

The Province of British Columbia has started forward movement on constructing a new $3.5 billion project that includes replacing the aging George Massey Tunnel under the Fraser River with a brand-new, 10-lane bridge. The George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project kicked […]

May 5, 2017

Still, activity in the housing market faces challenges from rising home prices, a persistent lot and labor shortage, and increasing material costs. High demand and tight inventory continue to fuel home-price growth, with values increasing 1.6% from February to March […]

May 3, 2017

Today’s strong demand for housing and limited affordable inventory is triggering home-price growth that threatens the homeownership potential of many would-be buyers. As a result, more buyers are taking on mortgage loans that allow them to put a smaller share […]