Things Are Getting Better. {Housing}

We concentrate on housing and autos because they are huge employment and economic multipliers.  Today we show charts related to housing.  I know that the data has been weaker the past few months on this but I'd also point out that the weather in much of the country hasn't been real conducive to construction or to sales.  In Chicago for instance, we've had snow on the ground now for the better part of two months.  Actually it started snowing here early this year.  Like in Mid-November.  We've had more snow already this year than we usually get in an entire winter!

Housing prices have stabilized and started to move higher.

At the same time housing affordability levels are still attractive.

*Data comes from the St. Louis Federal Reserve.  You can double click on the charts if you want to make them larger.