Buyer Confidence Hits Record High

Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes jumped six points to a level of 71 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). This is the highest reading since June 2005.

“Builders are buoyed by President Trump’s actions on regulatory reform, particularly his recent executive order to rescind or revise the waters of the U.S. rule that impacts permitting,” said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald, a home builder and developer from Kerrville, Texas.

“While builders are clearly confident, we expect some moderation in the index moving forward,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “Builders continue to face a number of challenges, including rising material prices, higher mortgage rates, and shortages of lots and labor.”

Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for 30 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

All three HMI components posted robust gains in March. The component gauging current sales conditions increased seven points to 78 while the index charting sales expectations in the next six months rose five points to 78. Meanwhile, the component measuring buyer traffic jumped eight points to 54.


Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Midwest increased three points to 68 and the South rose one point to 68. The West dipped three points to 76 and the Northeast edged one point lower to 48.

Tips For A Spring-Ready Lawn

Spring is one of the most important times to perform maintenance to your lawn. By following these steps you can help prevent your beautiful lawn from being overtaken with weeds, stressed by drought, and heat. 

1. Remove any debris that has accumulated. This is a perfect time to also rake up any matted areas of the lawn, which can harbor Snow Mold. Raking these areas and removing debris will encourage better air flow throughout the turf grass and prevent any disease and insect infestation. It will also allow new grass blades to grow without struggle.
2. Applying a pre-emergent crabgrass control in early spring is very important! Timing is critical as it must be applied prior to the soil temperatures reaching 55-60 degrees. After this point the weed seeds will have begun to germinate and the pre-emergent will no longer be effective. An important thing to note is that crabgrass is VERY difficult to get rid of once it has germinated.
3. Fertilizing in the spring jump starts your lawn from its winter slumber. It provides a nutrient build up that will give it the strength to withstand heat stress and drought through the summer months.
4. Core aeration is a great thing to do to your lawn in the spring. It is important, because it allows water and air to reach the root zone faster. Resulting in new growth and increased root development. In the spring however it is important to core aerate before the soil temperature reaches that 55-60 degrees, because after this point the voids created in the lawn will only be an invitation to aggressive weeds seeds.
5. Winter can wreak some havoc on our lawns and come spring there may be some repairs needed to areas damaged by salt and snow plows. If weather permits spring can be a great time to re-seed any damaged turf areas, however if you are applying a pre-emergent weed control there is care to be taken. The pre-emergent weed control is non-selective, so it will prevent ANY seed from germinating. Our turf specialists recommend that if the weather permits, hold off the crab grass control to the latest point possible.  Then perform the turf repairs needed as early as possible so that the seeds have enough time to germinate and somewhat establish prior to the pre-emergent being applied. If this is not possible, don't skip the pre-emergent weed control. It is better to wait until fall to perform any turf repairs.

Housing Data Speaks to Economy's Resilience

U.S. homebuilding jumped in February as unseasonably warm weather boosted the construction of single-family houses to near a 9-1/2-year high, suggesting the economy remained on solid ground despite an apparent slowdown in the first quarter.

The economy's fundamentals were further strengthened by other data on Thursday showing a drop in the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits last week amid a tightening labor market. Though factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region cooled this month, manufacturers reported growth in new orders and difficulties finding qualified workers.

The data came a day after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the third time since the 2008 financial crisis. Fed Chair Janet Yellen told reporters that the U.S. central bank was sending a message that "we have confidence in the robustness of the economy and its resilience to shocks."

"The reports painted a mostly upbeat picture of the economy," said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.

Housing starts increased 3.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1.29 million units last month, the Commerce Department said. Homebuilding was up 6.2 percent compared to February 2016, suggesting housing would contribute to growth this year.

Single-family homebuilding, which accounts for the largest share of the residential housing market, surged 6.5 percent to a 872,000-unit pace, the highest level since October 2007.

Single-family starts in the Midwest soared 20 percent to their highest level since October 2007. Groundbreaking activity jumped more than 16 percent in the West and Northeast, but fell 2.6 percent in the South.

"Single-family homebuilding usually goes dormant throughout much of these regions during the winter months, but has held up better this year due to, up until recently, much milder winter weather," said Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Starts for the volatile multi-family housing segment fell 3.7 percent to a 416,000-unit pace. A robust labor market is supporting the housing market, helping it to buck weakness in other parts of the economy.

Further gains in single-family construction are likely as building permits increased 3.1 percent last month. A survey on Wednesday showed homebuilders' confidence jumped in March to its highest level since June 2005.

U.S. financial markets were little moved by the data as investors digested the Fed's decision on Wednesday to raise its overnight benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to a range of 0.75 percent to 1.00 percent. The U.S. central bank also forecast two more rate hikes this year.

A Useful Cleaning Schedule For Your Home

You probably do the basic stuff when you clean your home, like wiping down counters and washing sheets, but some things undoubtedly get forgotten. This visual guide can help you establish a regular cleaning schedule for the stuff that tends to fall by the wayside.

The guide, from housewares provider Moshells, shows you the parts of a home that often go neglected, and how often you should actually give them some attention. For example, garbage disposals should be cleaned out once a week, bath mats should be washed every two weeks, indoor trash cans need to be rinsed every couple months, window screens should be tidied up once a year, pet bowls are best washed daily, and even children’s toys could use a wipe down or wash once a month. The guide also tells you the best way to go about caring for each area. You can check out the full graphic below.

Home Sales in Southwest Reach 6 Month High

WASHINGTON (AP) — A buying spree in the Southwest spurred new U.S. home sales last month to the fastest pace since July.

The Commerce Department said Friday that new-home sales in November rose 5.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate 592,000. It was the fastest pace since July's 622,000. Sales were up 16.5 percent from November 2015.

Sales in the Southwest shot up 43.8 percent, the region's biggest monthly increase since October 2012. Sales were up 7.7 percent in the West and flat in the Northeast.

The median price of new home sold last month was $305,400.

Demand for houses has been strong this year, helped by a healthy job market and low mortgage rates. The unemployment rate is at a nine-year low 4.6 percent, and most workers enjoy job security.

The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that Americans bought existing homes last month at the fastest pace since February 2007.

But the cheap loans that have supported stronger sales may be vanishing. Long-term mortgage rates have quickly risen since the election. The average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.30 percent this week, the highest level since April 2014.

Investors have bid rates higher because they believe President-elect Donald Trump's plans for tax cuts and higher infrastructure spending will drive up economic growth and inflation. And last week, the Federal Reserve, citing improvement in the U.S. economy, raised short-term U.S. interest rates for only the second time in a decade.

More people are at risk of being priced out of the housing market because rates are rising at a time when there is a shortage of properties for sale, driving bids higher.

"Housing demand clearly continues to be strong," Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Amherst Pierpoint Securities, said in a research note. But he noted that the November sales numbers mostly came in before the sharp rise in rates: "Higher mortgage rates could produce renewed caution heading into next year."

Building Houses Means Building Jobs

The health of housing is key to the overall state of the U.S. economy, and housing stands poised to serve as an engine of job growth with the right policies in place, NAHB told Congress in 2014 testimony.

Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Policy during a hearing examining the drivers of job creation, NAHB economist Robert Dietz said that home building and remodeling have generated 274,000 jobs over the past 2 ½ years.

"This expansion has direct economic benefits," said Dietz. "Housing provides the momentum behind an economic recovery because home building and associated businesses employ such a wide range of workers."

Employment from new home construction and remodeling has a wide ripple effect. About half the jobs created by building new homes are in construction. They include framers, electricians, plumbers and carpenters. Other jobs are spread over other sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, retail, wholesale and business services.

NAHB analysis of the broad impact of new construction shows that building 1,000 average single-family homes generates:

• 2,970 full-time jobs
• $162 million in wages
• $118 million in business income
• $111 million in taxes and revenue for state, local and federal governments

Similarly, construction of 1,000 rental apartments, including units developed under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, generates 1,130 jobs while $100 million in remodeling expenditures creates 890 jobs.

Currently, housing comprises about 15.5% of GDP but Dietz said the industry still has room to grow.

"Typically, housing represents 17% to 18% of the GDP," he said. "With a growing population and an aging housing stock, NAHB forecasts that single-family construction will increase 22% in 2014 to 760,000 units and multifamily production will rise 6% to 326,000 units."

Noting that 2014 should be the first year since 2007 in which total housing starts exceed 1 million homes, Dietz said this expansion will produce jobs. "In April alone, home builders and remodelers added 13,100 jobs," he said.

NAHB estimates that total housing construction over the next few years should return to just under 1.7 million combined single-family and multifamily starts on an annual basis.

How To Make It Look Like Your Home When You're Traveling

Home burglaries increase around the holidays for obvious reasons: you’re gone, and your house is empty and vulnerable. While you’re away, you want to make sure your home is as secure as possible and part of this means making it look like someone is actually there, even when you’re not.

Keep Up With Regular Maintenance

If you have dead leaves or snow covering your driveway and the mail is piling up, that’s a pretty clear sign for thieves that no one is home. As one community relations officer told CNN:

“Every year, we see a pretty big uptick in burglaries...Criminals drive through neighborhoods looking for places to burglarize. If there’s newly fallen snow that hasn’t been shoveled, they figure the home is empty.”

If you can ask a friend to house sit and take care of these tasks for you, even better. This way, stuff gets done, plus, you actually have someone in the house, so you don’t have to worry about making it look like someone’s home. If that’s not possible, you’ll at least want to make sure your home is maintained while you’re away. Aside from snow, here are some other maintenance tasks to consider:

• Yard work, like raking leaves
• Watering exterior plants
• Taking out trash cans
• Picking up newspapers
• Picking up mail

Idaho’s KTVB surveyed 86 burglars about how they break into homes. Many of them said they look for overgrown shrubs and large fences:

 

Burglars don’t want to be seen. They looked for homes with big fences and overgrown trees or bushes. “Home away from other homes, blind spots, older window frames, cheap wooden doors,” wrote a burglar.

“Large trees, bushes or shrubs around the home, or very reserved and conservative neighbors,” wrote another inmate.

It’s a good reminder to make sure your bushes and shrubs are trimmed before you leave.

Make It Look Like Someone’s Inside

Yep, it’s time to get Kevin McCallister on your home. Okay, don’t go buy a bunch of life-size cardboard cutouts, but you do want to make it look like there’s somekind of activity going on in your home.

At the very least, put your lights on a timer or leave a radio on. Timers are inexpensive and you can schedule them to turn on and off at specific times throughout the day. Better yet, use smart home technology (like the Belkin WeMo light switch or outlet) for more control over your lamps, lights, and other devices. For example, Belkin’s app gives you an “away” option so lights will turn on and off at irregular intervals, which can throw off potential burglars.

If you really want to get clever, hook your TV or computer up to the outlet, too, and make it sound like someone’s home watching a show. You could also loop random barking and growling sounds, which might seem silly, but in that KTVB poll, most burglars said they’d stay away if they heard a big, loud dog. One burglar called it a “deal-breaker.”

Also, via YouTube TV, you can link your phone to your home computer or TV to play videos remotely even if you’re not on the same WiFi network. Of course, there are apps that allow you to control your computer remotely, too. TeamViewer is our favorite.

When you can control electronics and lighting remotely, it’s pretty easy to make it look like there’s activity in your house. You might also consider leaving a car in the driveway. Again, KTVB reported:

As a homeowner, this is one of the best precautions you can take. Almost all of the burglars said they’d think twice if there was a car in the driveway.

“Most of the time that is a sure-fire sign of someone being home,” wrote an inmate.

Sure, some burglars might see through this, but it’s better than not doing anything and making it obvious your home is empty.

When you can control electronics and lighting remotely, it’s pretty easy to make it look like there’s activity in your house. You might also consider leaving a car in the driveway. Again, KTVB reported:

As a homeowner, this is one of the best precautions you can take. Almost all of the burglars said they’d think twice if there was a car in the driveway.

“Most of the time that is a sure-fire sign of someone being home,” wrote an inmate.

Sure, some burglars might see through this, but it’s better than not doing anything and making it obvious your home is empty.

Be Careful About Broadcasting Your Plans

You may want to reconsider broadcasting your plans or checking into places while you’re away or at least set your social media handles to private. This might seem like overkill, but according to officials, criminals don’t just stake out your neighborhood and home, they can easily check your social media handles, too.

“Social media is a great thing for people but it’s a great thing for criminals too,” said Holliday. “Criminals stake out the Internet.”

Plus, in many cases, the burglar may be a person you’ve interacted with that has easy access to your online information. You may not even realize you’ve enabled Facebook or Twitter to tag your location, so that’s something to watch out for, too. Along the same lines, your out of office reply can be a dead giveaway that you’re gone and your home is empty. You can filter your vacation responder to only send to certain people in your contact list or from certain email addresses.

Obviously, there are a lot of things you can (and should) do to protect your home while you’re away. Set up surveillance. Install a security system. Ask a neighbor to check on things. Making it look like you’re home is just another way to deter potential thieves, but it’s an easy enough tactic to implement.