The window of opportunity on construction costs is gradually being closed
Reed Construction Data
“The latest data show a considerable drop in construction material costs from October 2008 to October 2009 (-6.5%). However, from July to October, they actually climbed (+2.3% annualized). … Clearly there were huge bargains to be had in construction costs in the fall of last year. But circumstances are changing. Exceptional gross domestic product growth rates in China, India, Brazil and other emerging nations are causing commodity prices to edge upward.”
Remodeling – A Product or a Service?
HousingZone.com’s Case Studies blog
“When a doctor performs surgery, are they providing a product or a service? When an insurance agent helps you buy life insurance, are they providing a product or a service? When a real estate agent works with you to buy a home, are they providing a product or a service? … So when you renovate a home, are you providing a product or a service?”
Top 10 Must-Know Real Estate Trends for 2010
HGTV’s FrontDoor.com
“Signs of improvement make 2010 a promising year, but more challenges are yet to come.” 2010, they say, should bring more buyers entering the market (still a buyer’s market), a conflicted construction market and still-tight lending standards, among other things.
After weak start to 2010, non-residential construction should start to gain strength
Reed Construction Data
“Non-residential construction will continue to shrink through the first half of 2010. … However, the recent quarter-over-quarter increase in corporate profits, a marked strengthening of commodity prices and the steady strengthening of investor confidence should cause business non-residential spending to accelerate in the second half of 2010 and strengthen further in 2011.”
