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This delicious Coffee Cake courtesy of Allrecipes is easy to make and perfect for ringing in the New Year. Serves 12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch pan. To make the streusel topping, combine 2/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut […]

Initial Jobless Claims inched down by 1,000 in the latest week, as 219,000 people filed for unemployment benefits for the firsttime. However, Continuing Claims were a different story, as they surged by 46,000 to top 1.9 million, hitting a three-year high. What’s the bottom line? While the low level of Initial Claims shows that businesses […]

Signed contracts on new homes rebounded in November, up 5.9% from October when the hurricanes in the southern region had delayed some deals. Contract signings were also up 8.7% when compared to November of last year. What’s the bottom line? There were 490,000 new homes for sale at the end of November, which was up […]

It’s National Pear Month! Enjoy this Apple and Pear Crisp courtesy of The Food Network, which is easy to make and perfect forthe season. Serves 8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel, core and cut 2 pounds of pears and 2 pounds of apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl […]

The final reading for third quarter GDP showed that the U.S. economy grew by 3.1%, coming in above the second estimate of 2.8% reported in November. By comparison, we saw 3% and 1.6% growth in the second and first quarters of this year. Economic activity in the third quarter was driven by consumer spending, exports, […]

Even though home builder confidence has inched higher this fall, builders pulled back on new construction last month, with Housing Starts falling 1.8% from October. The decline in multifamily starts outweighed the increase in single-family homebuilding. Building Permits, which reflect future construction, were flat for single-family homes but rebounded for multifamily projects. What’s the bottom […]

After rising for three straight months, home builder sentiment held steady at 46 this month, per the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). While confidence remains in contraction territory below 50 (the breakeven point on the Housing Market Index, which runs from 0 to 100), it is at the highest level since April. What’s the […]

Existing Home Sales, which reflect closings on existing homes, beat estimates in November with a 4.8% increase from October. Sales were also 6.1% higher than a year ago, which the National Association of REALTORS ® (NAR) noted was the largest annual increase since June 2021. What’s the bottom line? The rise in closings last month […]

November’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) showed that headline inflation rose 0.1% from October, while the year-over-year reading rose from 2.3% to 2.4%. Core PCE, the Fed’s preferred measure which strips out volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.1% monthly. The year-over-year reading held steady at 2.8%, remaining near the lowest level in over three years. […]

As expected, the Fed cut their benchmark Federal Funds Rate by 25 basis points, bringing it to a new range of 4.25% to 4.5%. This decision followed the 50-basis point cut the Fed made in September and the 25-basis point cut made in November. There was one dissent, as Cleveland President Beth Hammack preferred a […]

The Fed’s 2-day meeting begins Tuesday, with their Monetary Policy Statement announcing their rate cut decision and press conference following Wednesday afternoon. Plus, there’s a full week of economic reports ahead. In housing news, we’ll see this month’s homebuilder confidence Tuesday, November’s Housing Starts and Building Permits Wednesday, and Existing Home Sales Thursday. Also, look […]

These Sugar Cookies courtesy of The New York Times are as easy to make as they are delicious. Yields 18 cookies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour (leveled), 3/4 teaspoon baking soda and1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together 1 […]

The number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time jumped in the latest week, as Initial Jobless Claims rose17,000 to 242,000. There were also 1.886 million people still receiving benefits after filing their initial claim. This marked a 15,000jump in Continuing Claims from the previous week. What’s the bottom line? Initial Jobless […]

The Producer Price Index (PPI), which measures inflation on the wholesale level, rose 0.4% in November, which was double the estimate of a 0.2% rise. The annual reading jumped from an upwardly revised 2.6% to 3%, much hotter than the 2.6% that the market was anticipating. Core PPI, which strips out volatile food and energy […]

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed that inflation rose 0.3% in November, with the annual reading coming in at 2.7%.While this was an uptick from 2.6% YoY in September and 2.4% YoY in August, it was in line with what economists had forecasted. The core measure, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, […]