All Entries Tagged With: "Economy"
Shoppers in the Holiday Mood
Despite the state of our economy, Cyber Monday saw record sales and consumer confidence reached its highest level in months. The Conference Board, an independent research group, said its Consumer Confidence Survey for November jumped to 56.0 from a revised 40.9 in October. It is the highest reading since July. Expert had predicted an improvement [...]
When Chicago Residents Play the Lottery, Illinoisans Win
Did you win the Illinois Lottery last year? Odds are, you did not, but I’ll bet you played. The Illinois Lottery recorded its ninth straight year of increased sales. In fact, it was a record-breaking year. During fiscal year 2011, which ran from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, the Illinois Lottery generated $2.278 [...]
Strategic Default Not an Option with Fannie Mae
If you are a homeowner who chooses to walk away from your Fannie Mae mortgage, don’t expect to get another one for seven years. The government-backed mortgage buyer today unveiled a new policy designed to encourage struggling homeowners who have the means to make mortgage payments to pursue alternatives before settling on foreclosure. According to [...]
Construction Activity Saw Largest Increase in Almost 10 Years
The hardest-hit sector of the real estate industry is showing signs of improvement. The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce on Tuesday announced that construction spending throughout the nation in April 2010 rose by 2.7 percent to an annual rate of $869.1 billion compared to March. That’s the largest one-month increase since August [...]
Home-Builder Confidence at Highest Point Since ’07
Good news from the National Association of Home Builders: Builder confidence in new home sales is at its highest level in close to three years. The NAHB on Monday released this month’s Home Market Index (HMI), which shows the demand for new construction and builder confidence in new-home sales. The HMI for May is 22; [...]
