Each Monday, we'll let you know what's coming in the week ahead, including important residential and commercial report releases, as well as our feature articles.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans feature article — Dec. 13
Employee Stock Ownership Plans are a great way to reward employees for their hard work, but misconceptions abound about what an ESOP is and isn't. In our feature article on Tuesday, Dec. 13, we'll help construction company owners decide whether an ESOP is the right move for them.
Producer Price Index — Dec. 14
The monthly Producer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics will be released on Wednesday, Dec. 14. That afternoon, the Associated Builders and Contractors will offer its take on the data, and we'll cover both reports in a combined story.
Last month, the BLS reported that material prices remained unchanged between September and October and rose 0.5% between October 2015 and October 2016. October marked the greatest year-over-year price gain since November 2014.
ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu said the year-over-year price increase was "part of a larger inflation story," as falling oil prices have kept the focus away from other inflationary pressures. Now that fuel prices have stabilized, inflation is emerging as a concern. Will Wednesday's report mark another year-over-year increase in material costs?
The most popular construction news stories of 2016 feature article — Dec. 14
The year is coming to a close, and we're taking a look back at the most popular stories of 2016. From new OSHA rules to presidential election hype to the world of construction startups, we're rounding up the most-clicked stories of the year in our feature article on Wednesday, Dec. 14.
Housing Market Index — Dec. 15
The National Association of Home Builders will release the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index for December on Wednesday, Dec. 15. The index, which measures homebuilder’s optimism for future and current construction activity, tied its second-highest reading of 2016 last month, at 63.
Sub-indices tracking current sales conditions and sales expectations for the next six months fell well above the break-even reading of 50, with each at 69. But with buyer traffic hovering below that mark, at 47, will December’s report indicate a pickup in purchases, or will tight inventory and low-but-rising mortgage rates keep would-be buyers on the sidelines?
The rise of the single-woman homebuyer feature article – Dec. 15
Single women homebuyers are coming to the market in greater numbers than previously, according to recent research by the National Association of Realtors. In our feature article on Thursday, Dec. 15, we'll explore the market and social conditions that are making this possible, and delve into what this class of buyer wants from a potential home.
Adaptive reuse feature article — Dec. 15
Adaptive reuse is the latest terminology for the concept of turning something unused or abandoned into something beautiful and useful. In our feature article on Thursday, Dec. 15, we'll take a look at neglected public spaces that developers have overhauled in an attempt to make them attractive and integral to their communities.
Housing starts — Dec. 16
The Commerce Department will release housing starts data for November on Friday, Dec. 16. The report follows October’s surge to a 9-year high on the strength of an upswing in multifamily construction and continued, steady recovery in the single-family category. Meanwhile, industry observers say an influx of new construction is key to relieving the price pressure keeping many homeowners from trading up to new properties and making their current ones available to the growing group of potential buyers waiting on the sidelines for more favorable market conditions.
Will November’s numbers show continued gains in single-family construction and the multifamily category’s volatility moderating somewhat as we close out the year?