Home Improvement Spending Continues Toward More Moderate Growth
Friday, October 17, 2014 at 2:18PM October 16, 2014
Reflecting the slow pace of recovery in the overall housing market, the home remodeling industry is expected to continue its path of moderating growth, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The LIRA projects annual growth in home improvement spending to ease to 3.1% through the second quarter of 2015.
"Stronger gains in remodeling activity are unlikely given the recent slowdowns we've seen in housing starts, sales, and house price gains," says Chris Herbert, Acting Managing Director of the Joint Center. "While the continued recovery in employment should ultimately keep the market on an upward trajectory, remodeling is likely to see slower growth rates moving into 2015."
"Growth in home remodeling activity continues to hover around its longer-term average of mid-single digit gains," says Abbe Will, a research analyst in the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center. "Even though the housing market overall has been lackluster, many areas of the country remain economically healthy and remodeling contractor sentiment remains high."
Source: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
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