Dive Brief:

• Business has been good lately for home-improvement contractors, whose industry enjoyed a 7% growth spurt in the fourth quarter. But demand for remodeling services could taper off this year, according to a report by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

• The center’s "Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity" projected that growth in the remodeling industry will dip to 6.2% in the first quarter, to 3.3% in the second, and to 1.6% in the third.

• Researchers blame the projection on the lack of young homebuyers, which has led to fewer home sales.

Dive Insight:

An ironic twist: The National Association of Home Builders reported on Friday that the confidence level of remodelers hit a record high in the fourth quarter of 2014.