Firefighters Making Headway in Putting Out the ‘Holy’ Fire Near Los Angeles Firefighters have made significant progress trying to tamp down a wildfire that threatened homes and has been raging for days South of Los Angeles, officials said Saturday. Aircraft have been making flight after flight, dumping water and bright pink retardant to protect Lake […]
Wildfires Sweep Through California and Oregon Firefighters battling wildfires throughout the US West that have torched hundreds of homes hoped for some help from the weather Saturday even as new fires swept Southern California. A fire on the California-Oregon border that destroyed 40 buildings and claimed at least one life since Thursday remained virtually out […]
US Housing Market:April S&P Case-Shiller 20-City Index + 6.6% US home prices rose in April from a year earlier, lifted by bidding wars in many cities where would-be buyers fought over a sparse supply of homes. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-City home price index +6.6% from a year earlier, led by gains in Seattle, Las Vegas and San […]
Ferrari (NYSE:RACE): Insuring These Classic & Vintage Sports and Racing Cars $RACE, $AIG, $CB AIG’s goal: insure all of 39 of the Ferrari 250 GTO’s Ferrari (NYSE:RACE) built 39 250 GTOs in the early 1960’s, selling them to select buyers for about $18,000 a copy. Today, the racer is the most expensive and collectible car […]
The Trump Effect at Work: US Household Wealth Tops $100-T $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX US household wealth topped the $100-T mark for the 1st time in Q-1 of Y 2018, the Fed reported late Thursday. The Fed said the net worth of the nation’s households and nonprofits rose to $100.8-R in the 1st frame of the year, […]
US Stocks Finish Flat to Unchanged Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX US consumer sentiment according to a University of Michigan (MSI) report Friday. Consumers anticipated income gains of 1.6%, down from 2.2% in April and 2% last year 51% expected the jobless rate to stabilize at current 18-year lows Inflation rate […]
US Consumer Prices Rise, Inflation Ahead $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX US consumer prices (PCE) rose March YTD, with a measure of underlying inflation moving to the Fed’s 2% target. Monday, the rise in the annual inflation gauges reported by the Commerce Department was seen by economists and Fed officials, it is not expected to alter the gradual […]
Savvy Managed Money Is Paying Attention to Stocks Aimed a Millennials $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Monday, hedge fund managers, aka Managed Money, at the high-profile 2018 Sohn Investment Conference in New York pitched stock ideas ranging from online food ordering to home-builders that should benefit from the growing influence of the millennial generation. Millennials, a […]
US Pending Home Sales + 3.1% in February $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Americans are signing contracts to buy homes, and the pace is + 3.1%, rebounding from a drop in January. A continuing shortage of homes on the market continues to weigh on the housing market. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said Wednesday that […]
Rising Stocks, Home Values Driving American Household Wealth $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Rising stock prices and steady increases in home values powered American household wealth to $96.9-T, the Fed said Thursday. US wealth has made a remarkable comeback since the Great Recession, when it dove more than $10-T to $56.2-T. The Fed’s latest figures […]
Strong Winds Whip Up Deadly Fires in California 27,000+ Evacuated Fed by strong Santa Ana winds, explosive wildfires on the edge of Los Angeles and in the foothills outside the city burned a psychiatric hospital and scores of other structures Tuesday and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. A blaze broke out […]
Homeownership Does Not Build Wealth Like Other Investments $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX A home is a place to live, raise ad family and thrive, if it goes up in value it is a lucky extra Homeownership is necessarily better than paying rent, according to a study Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University and the University […]
Wildfire: Largest LA History, 100’s of Homes at Risk More than a 1000 firefighters are battling the largest wildfire in Los Angeles history contended with erratic winds Sunday, but more moderate temperatures could help contain a blaze that has forced hundreds to evacuate their homes. The nearly 5,900-acre La Tuna Fire, named after the canyon […]
US New Home Sales Rise in June, Prices Fall $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Sales of new homes rose slightly in June, hitting their highest level in 3 months, as demand for housing remained stiff, according to government data released Wednesday. But prices retreated from an all-time high and supplies rose, suggesting new construction could be […]
US Home Construction Stalled, Continuing Growth in Question $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX May Housing Starts and June Preliminary Consumer Confidence Starts: -5.5%; 1-family: -3.9% Permits: -4.9%; 1-Family: -1.9% Consumer Confidence: down 2.6 points The downward trend in home construction does not augur well for growth in 2-H Business leaders and owners, whether they are involved […]
US Construction Spending at 11-yr Highs US construction spending in February rose to the highest marks in about 11 years on a spike in the building of homes, highways and schools across the nation Construction spending rose 0.8% in February to the highest marks since April 2006, after 2 months of declines, the US Commerce […]
US Existing Home Sales Fall 3.7% From January High $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX US home resales fell more than expected in February on a persistent shortage of houses on the market that is pushing up prices and sidelining prospective buyers. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said Wednesday existing home sales declined 3.7% to a […]
Tight Market Governing US Housing Recovery The US housing market, a Key economic driver, is very tight, with supply struggling to meet demand as the sector recovers a decade after the housing crisis. But persistent pent-up demand among would-be homeowners could cause builders to boost construction, helping to ease pressure on the market for new […]
US Pending Home Sale Up +1.6% in December $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX More Americans signed contracts to buy homes in December. The increase possibly reflects more people scrambling to purchase homes as mortgage rates have been rising and increasing the costs of ownership. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said Monday that its seasonally adjusted […]
Rates Rise, US New-Home Sales Fall 10% to 10-Month Low $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Purchases of new US homes fell in December to a 10-month low, suggesting the post-Election rise in mortgage rates pushed out potential buyers. Single-family house sales dropped 10.4%, the most in nearly 2 years, to a 536,000 annualized pace, the US […]
US Consumer Confidence at 12 Year Highs Consumer confidence jumped to the highest level since Y 2004, extending Americans’ optimism for their finances and the US economy following Donald Trump’s Presidential election victory. The University of Michigan said Friday that its MSI (final index of sentiment) rose to 98.2 from 93.8 in November. The median […]
The Recovery in Home Prices Bolsters Americans’ Household Wealth US home prices have fully recovered from their steep plunge during the housing bust and Great Recession, according to the data The Standard & Poor’s CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index , released Tuesday, is just a bit above the peak it set in July 2006, […]
Gloom on Wall Street, Lower Crude Oil Prices Hit Stocks Globally $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Global stock markets fell Wednesday after some disappointing earnings reports and as a drop in Crude Oil prices dragged down shares in energy companies. The FTSE 100 of Britain dropped 1% to 6,949 while Germany’s DAX fell 1% as well, […]
Sales of Singapore’s New Private Homes + 49.3% in September Sales of Singapore’s new private homes increased 49.3% in September Y-Y, according to data released by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Monday. Compared with the prior month, URA said sales of private homes increased 8.8% in September. Excluding executive condominiums (ECs), property developers sold 509 units […]
Hurricane Matthew Could Inflict $200-B in Damage to Coastal Homes $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Hurricane Matthew could potentially cause $200-B in damage to coastal homes, and that number could rise depending on the path and intensity of the Category 4 storm. At least 954,000 people are at risk of major storm surge damage, according to […]
US Single-Family Home Prices Disappoint $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX US single-family home prices rose less than expected on an annual basis in July, and the Y-Y gain was smaller than in the prior month, a survey showed Tuesday. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller composite index of 20 US Metropolitan areas rose 5% in July on a […]
US New Home Sales Dive 7.6% in August $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The US Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported Monday morning that sales of new homes in August slipped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 609,000, a decrease of 7.6% below the revised July rate of 659,000 and […]
This Week’s US Economic Calendar: Expected, Revised & Prior 26 September, Monday New Home Sales, August (10:00a EDT): 585-K expected, 654-K prior 27 September, Tuesday Case-Shiller 20-City, July (9:00a EDT): 5.1% expected, 5.1% prior Consumer Confidence, September (10:00a EDT): 98.0 expected, 101.1 prior (revised from 99.8) 28 September Wednesday MBA Mortgage Index, 09/24 (7:00a EDT): […]
The Blue Cut Wildfire, Cajon Pass Northeast of Los Angeles Rages Firefighters were said to be gaining ground Friday against a wildfire burning in a Southern California mountain pass that has forced tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes and destroyed about 100 houses, officials said. The Blue Cut Wildfire, named for a […]
Blue Cut Fire: Acreage, Containment Updates on Wildfire Near Cajon Pass A wildfire that started Tuesday in the Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County has forced mass evacuations in the area. The latest estimates from the National Forest Service put the size of the Blue Cut Fire at 25,626 acres, as mapping was refined throughout […]
California Wildfires Destroy Homes, Hundreds Evacuate FLASH: Authorities say a 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of starting a massive wildfire that destroyed more than 175 homes, business and other structures in the Lower Lake area of Lake County. Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin said Damin Anthony Pashilk of Clearlake, California was arrested Monday on 17 […]
Wildfire North of Big Sur California Rages A wildfire north of Big Sur grew to more than 104 square miles Tuesday as more than 5,000 firefighters surrounded 50% of the fire with the help of air tankers and helicopters. This wildfire is now in its 3rd week. While some residents in the Big Sur area […]
A Huge Wildfire Closes California’s Scenic Hwy 1 An huge wildfire that has killed 1 person and scorched about 60,000 acres along the California Coast, forced authorities Monday to shut down a portion of scenic Highway 1 near Carmel-by-the-Sea. The closure of the highway, which runs along much of the Pacific coastline and is famed […]
Pilot Fire at Silverwood Lake Grows, Evacuations Ordered A fast-moving wildfire near Silverwood Lake in southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains continued to burn out of control Sunday night, scorching some 1,500 acres, and prompting evacuation orders and road closures, officials said. The blaze, dubbed the Pilot Fire, erupted about 12:10p near the Miller Canyon OHV […]
US Home Ownership at 50Yr Lows The US home ownership rate fell to the lowest in more than 50 years as rising prices put buying out of reach for many renters. The share of Americans who own their homes was 62.9% in Q-2, the lowest since Y 1965, according to a Census Bureau report Thursday. […]
Update: California’s Fast Moving Wildfire Threatening 25,000 Homes As of Saturday afternoon the fast-moving Sand Fire in Santa Clarita California has burned 20,000 acres and is not contained. A raging wildfire grew to more than 30 square miles east of Santa Clarita Saturday, prompting an expanded evacuation order affecting some 1,500 homes and spreading smoke and […]
Wall of Flames Scorch Hillsides in the Cahuenga Pass Firefighters are on the scene near the 101 Fwy where a brush fire has broken out in the Hollywood Hills A fast moving brush fire is burning above the Hollywood Hills, scorching 12-14 acres in about an hour, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles […]
Land, Homes have Proven to be Disappointing Investments $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Robert Shiller, Nobel prizewinner and Yale professor, says that today land is not the best place to grow a savings nest egg because technology changes the ways people use property. “Despite solid price increases over the last few years, land and homes have […]
Wildfires Rage Across the Southwestern US Several major wildfires are raging across the Southwestern United States, after consuming dozens of homes and forcing evacuations. Firefighters have gained the upper hand on a blaze burning in the sparsely populated and wooded community of Timberon, New Mexico. That wildfire, which officials said was in the “mop-up stage” […]
The Chinese are Top Buyers of US Real Estate The Chinese have bought total of $27.3-B, or 29,195 houses in the US last year. What these numbers tell us is China has been the largest buyer of US homes for the 2nd year in running Increasing activity has brought both the dollar volume and number […]
California and Colorado Wildfires Prompt Evacuations of Thousands Strong winds will keep the wildfire danger high across the West Sunday into Monday. Strong winds will keep the wildfire danger high across the West Sunday into Monday. Wildfires burning in both California and Colorado have forced evacuations and left one firefighter injured Saturday evening, burning more […]
California Wildfires: 9 Large Fires, 2 Deaths, 100’eds of Homes Destroyed Here are the latest stats on the major wildfires currently burning in the State of California More than 5,200 firefighters are working Monday to battle nine large blazes across the Golden State as fire season rages on. Cal Fire is warning of increased fire […]
“Red Flag” Warnings in Massive California Wildfire Hundreds of firefighters were struggling Saturday to contain a massive wildfire that has so far killed 2 people and burned at least 100 homes and ravaging lakeside communities in Central California. The Erskine Fire broke out Thursday afternoon in the foothills of Kern County about 42 miles northeast […]
Nearly 1000 Firefighters Battle Blazes In The Angeles National Forest Some residents evacuated from their homes in Duarte and Azusa California were cleared to return home Thursday as firefighters kept up their campaign against the 5,235-acre San Gabriel Complex Fire, which is just 15% contained. About 950 firefighters are battling the blazes in the Angeles […]
A Troubling Story: “The US has Become a ‘Renter Nation’” A troubling story is playing out across they USA in the 10 years since the housing bubble peaked and burst in a horrific crash. As real estate has risen, homeowners are thriving and renters struggle. For many longtime owners, times are good. They are enjoying […]
San Gabriel, California, Wildfires Rage, Residents Warned of Evacuations The Fish and Reservoir fires, which authorities are now calling the San Gabriel Complex Fire, burned more than 5,400 acres overnight. The 2 wildfires burning in the Angeles National Forest, dubbed the San Gabriel Complex Fire, are burning out of control, and more residents are being […]
Southwest Wildfires Raging in Record High Temperatures Update: Wildfire warnings were posted across parts of 3 Western US states Sunday as a heat wave baked the region in record, triple-digit temperatures, stoking flames in California from the coastal foothills outside Santa Barbara to desert brush near the Mexican border. For an area stretching from Southern […]
US Housing Starts Missed Expectations in May US housing starts missed in May as the construction of multi-family housing units dropped, but gains in building permits signaled a possible rebound that would support economic growth in Q-2. Groundbreaking fell 0.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 1.16-M units, the US Commerce Department said Friday. […]
Update: Santa Barbara Wildfire, “it is Very Hot and will get Hotter” The wildfire in Santa Barbara County, California has burned thousands of acres and prompted the declaration of a local emergency as firefighters continue into the weekend facing extremely difficult conditions. More than 1,200 personnel were responding to the wild fire, which has been […]
Wildfires in Southern California Raging, 100’s in Danger A wildfire in Southern California more than 3X’d in size overnight and forced officials to close a major highway, 100’s of homes in danger, another blaze in New Mexico had communities on edge after destroying 24 homes, officials said on Friday. California’s Sherpa Fire, burning in chapparal […]
Ft. McMurray Canada Readies for a Complete Community Rebuild Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Canada, the Gateway to the Canadian Oil Sands, saw wildfires ripped across an area more than 7X bigger than New York City last month. The inferno was most expensive natural disaster in Alberta’s history. It is now expected to help boost a local […]
Dubai Property Plateau Suggests End to Down Cycle The monthly ValuStrat Price Index indicates the ‘bottoming-out’ of Dubai residential real estate prices Dubai residential real estate prices may have bottomed out after plateauing in May 2016, according to the property consultancy firm ValuStrat.The company said prices stabilised in April and May after almost 2 years […]
Brushfires in South Australia Described as Horrific Catastrophe Last November an emotional South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill described the brushfires burning North of Adelaide as “horrific,” survivors told of traumatic experiences. With two people confirmed dead and 16 hospitalized with injuries, Mr. Weatherill said the situation was “hard to get in touch with”. “It’s an […]
The Pala (San Diego) Fire Just 35% Contained, Residents Evacuated The Pala fire that started Tuesday afternoon in San Diego County, California, has grown to 70 acres and is 35% contained Saturday, according to local fire officials. The forward progress of the fire was stopped Friday afternoon, according to fire officials. All evacuation orders were […]
Australia: The Financial and Emotional Fallout of Tragic Brushfires A Western Australian single mother of 5 claims she will be homeless within weeks as she struggles with the financial and emotional fallout of a tragic bushfire that all but destroyed her hometown. Sunshine Paewai’s, 36, family home in the dusty agricultural town of Yarloop, 125 […]
Ft. McMurray Wildfire Evacuees Begin to Return Evacuees who fled the huge wildfire that hit Ft McMurray are slowly returning homes and facing cleaning up and uncertainty over their safety as the devastated Canadian Oil city starts on the rebuilding path. More than 90,000 residents fled the Northern Alberta city as the fire hit 4 […]
Obama Admin, Fed Laud Economic Growth, Consumers Disagree $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Consumer Confidence unexpectedly fell in May for a 2nd month as American consumers are less than enthusiastic about the current state of the economy, a report from the New York-based Conference Board showed Tuesday. The Conference Board’s Sentiment Index fell to 92.6 i […]
Torrential Rains, Heavy Flash Flooding in Central US LLoyds of London calls for end to US home building in High Risk areas Torrential rains caused heavy flash flooding in some parts of the US over the last few days, and led to numerous evacuations in southeast Texas, and Kansas. But the threat of severe weather […]
Water Homes is Part of Dubai Mega Project The project, called Marasi Business Bay, will be developed by Dubai Properties State-owned conglomerate Dubai Holding has announced a new Dhs 1-B project in Business Bay which will be developed by its real estate arm, Dubai Properties Group. Called Marasi Business Bay, the waterfront development will extend […]
Heavy Storms and Heavy Flooding Across Houston Texas Heavy storms roared across the Houston area Friday evening causing multiple roads closing and evacuations because of the floodwaters. In Galveston, torrential rain came down on the area as the swirling winds as severe weather moved through the area. The waters continue to rise in and around […]
A Ft. McMurray Like Wildfire Could Easily Happen In Australia As a huge and destructive wildfire burned a path through central Canada, an Australian fire expert has issued a strong warning, “it could easily happen here “It sounds extreme, our cities could burn down, or parts of our suburbs could burn down, but it could happen,” […]
Parents’ Basement, the Dwelling of Choice for Millennials In Y 2014, Americans 18 to 34 anni were a little bit likelier to be living in their parents’ home than with a spouse or partner in their own household, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of US Census Bureau data, released Tuesday. It is the 1st […]
New US Single-family Home Sales Post Biggest Gainer in 24 yrs $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX New US single-family home sales recorded their biggest across the board gainer in 24 years in April, tapping a more than 8-year high. Tuesday’s report from the US Commerce Department, also showed a rise in new home prices to a […]
More Than 100 Homes Lost in Great Ocean Road Bushfire Fire authorities say a final figure of 116 homes have been destroyed by a bushfire that could burn all Summer in the region. The number of homes destroyed in the Wye River fire on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road on Christmas Day 2015 has risen […]
Ft McMurray Wildfire, Canada’s Most Expensive Natural Disaster The raging wildfire in Alberta Canada will go down as the most expensive natural disaster in Canada’s history, damaging the environment, homes, businesses and the struggling economy in their path. Recently released data suggests that activity in the Canadian Province was firming near the end of Q-1 […]
Smoke from Massive Ft. McMurray Wildfire Headed to California Cooling temperatures and light rain have officials optimistic they have reached a turning point on getting a handle on a massive wildfire that has devastated parts of Canada’s Oil sands town of Ft McMurray. The huge smoke plume continues to drift into the United States, with […]
California Wildfire Season, “May be Dangerous and Difficult” A 5-year drought has left 40-M dead and dried-out trees in California, including 29-M that died last year California may be facing a dangerous and difficult wildfire season in Y 2016 despite a relatively wet Winter, federal officials warned Tuesday. Most of the rest of the country […]
Chinese Investment in US Real Estate Tops $300-B Chinese investment in the US real estate market has surpassed $300-B and is growing despite China’s economic weakness and increased currency controls, the authors of a new report said Monday. Between Y’s 2010 and 2015 Chinese buyers bought $93-B in residential real estate, nearly $208-B of mortgage-backed […]
Fire is Opportunistic, It Finds a Path, it Burns Fires are now bigger, faster and hotter than before, torching more of our world. Wildfires, like the one that raged through Ft McMurray this month or through Slave Lake, Alberta 5 years ago, levelling 33% of that community. New building technology and new ways to think […]
Wildfires’ Fueled by Weather, Wind & Dry Underbrush Uncontrolled blazes fueled by weather, wind, and dry underbrush, wildfires can burn acres of land consuming everything in their paths in minutes. On average, more than 100,000 wildfires, aka wildland fires or forest fires, clear 4 to 5-M acres of land in the US every year. In […]
The Latest on the Ft. McMurray Wildfire In Alberta, Canada there is a Province wide ban on open fires, including campfires and the use of charcoal briquettes. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went to Fort McMurray Friday to survey the damage firsthand and meet with emergency responders. He was also meeting Alberta Premier Rachel Notley in Edmonton. As crews […]
Firefighters Fight against Flame Retardants in the Home If flame-retardant chemicals worked, they would probably have no stronger supporters than firefighters. Yet, they are among their strongest opponents. It is not only that the chemicals are ineffective, but they are highly toxic. Charging into a burning home is dangerous enough, but entering a home with burning […]
America’s Home Builders Beginning to Market Safety and Energy Efficiency When single family home builders talk about customer service, they focus on how to make the building process smoother, how to speak to customers so that they understand, and how to mitigate problems and delays. Last year in a presentation at the 2015 Avid Conference […]
Wildfires in the Western US and Climate Change The number of large wildfires has nearly 2X’s since the 1980’s, and the average length of wildfire season has grown by more than 2 months. Research shows that changes in climate, especially earlier snowmelt and warming in the spring and summer, have helped boost this increase in […]
Hampton’s Home Buyers on the “Sidelines” Home sales in New York’s Hamptons fell to the lowest marks in 3 years as potential buyers of luxury properties stayed on the sidelines during this past volatile Quarter on Wall Street. Purchases in the 2nd-home market popular with Wall Street bankers and celebrities, totaled 437 in Q-1 of […]
Commodities Industry Turns Trees into Cash, Fuel and Waste Deforestation is clearing our planet’s forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. Forests still cover about 30% of the world’s land area, but huge areas are lost each year to commercial interests. The data shows that the world’s […]
The Week Ahead On Wall Street $AAPL, $BA, $CVX, $DD, $MMM, $PG, $UTX, $XOM This week about 200 members of the S&P 500 will report earnings to Wall Street. Included are DJIA components: Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) on Monday; 3M (NYSE:MMM), Du Pont (NYSE:DD) and Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Tuesday On Wednesday, Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) and United […]
Houston, Texas hit with Another Historic Flood The Big Q: Why has the US been hit by major even historic flood after another recently? The flooding that is hammering the City of Houston, Texas is the 8th historic flood in the US since the end of September. The Texas city’s officials have labeled the flooding […]
Building Homes In SoCal Canyons With Extreme Fire Risk Hundreds of houses have sprouted in Orange County’ California’s Canyon Country in recent decades, many of them directly in the path of historic wildfire corridors. And more houses may be coming, depending on a local court case to be decided in the coming weeks. Complicating things […]