Seasonal factors play an important part in the monitoring housing prices, pushing up prices during the high traffic months of the spring and summer and pulling them down in the cold of the fall and winter.
The Case-Shiller data on home prices was released on Tuesday. When seasonally adjusted, the data points to an extended price [...]

So far this week, we’ve continued a string of good news following last week’s focus on banking reform. More specifically reports on consumer confidence and the housing market confirm the worst of the recession’s detriments are now behind us.
First in December, existing home prices firmed significantly — up a sizable 4.9% on the median to [...]

As we ring in the New Year here are the top Good News Headlines of 2009.
1. Graphs That Lie (A First Look 1974 vs 2008 Stock Behavior)
2. What was Warren Buffet doing in 1974? (Invest Now and Get Rich)
3. John Cassidy (The Eternal Pessimist) Sees The Light
4. Deflation? NOT!
5. Evidence [...]

Last week markets were subdued as many economists and investors on Wall Street and Main Street took several days off to prepare for holiday celebrations.
The data that did arrive was mostly reminiscent of the spirit of St Nick – slipping coinage into stocks without their owner’s knowledge.
A report on the Tuesday before Christmas showed that [...]

What a difference a few days have made in the mainstream headlines.
Overblown concerns about Dubai defaults are quickly shifting to the into the shadows. On Tuesday clarity on the extent of the loan restructuring indicated that Dubai World likely would restructure debt worth $26 billion against earlier talk of a possible $59 billion default.
Moving to [...]

Sales of previously owned homes rose across the country during the third quarter, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Association of Realtors.
Nationally, sales were up 5.9 percent from the third quarter of last year. Previously owned homes changed hands at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.3 million, according to the report. [...]

The economy continues to rebuild itself and the manufacturing sector has now grown for three consecutive months. According to the Institute for Supply Management, their PMI registered 55.7 percent. That is 3.1 percentage points higher than the 52.6 percent reported in September. It was the highest reading for the index in over 3 years and [...]

As another October comes into focus there are many signs that robust recovery is no doubt firming in late 2009:
1. Retail sales improved in the last week in Sept according to ICSC-Goldman’s tally which rose 0.1 percent. The gain represents a 0.9 percent year-on-year gain that compares with a plus 0.6 percent gain [...]

Three of our favorite blogs are: Positive Economic News, Carpe Diem, and Calafia Beach Pundit. Each posted a over abundance of great economic news last week:
From Positive Economic News:
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1. Toyota raised its world 2009/10 sales forecast by 3 percent citing a recovery in demand for autos.
2. September consumer confidence is now at its highest [...]

Back in mid-July, Intel gave us the first glimpses of a stronger than expected Q3. They made it clear then that Q3 growth would be anything but lackluster. On Friday they underscored that assertion by further raising their Q3 outlook. Now it’s likely that their strong growth will extend into Q4.
Intel also surprised [...]