Housing and Economic Indicators

Statistics, Data and Resources for Housing and Economic Indicators

Housing and Economic indicators are the leading signs of the health of the economy. Investors and economists analyze these signs in order to make predictions for the future. Housing starts and existing sales have a direct and critical impact on the economy. Economic indicators are the statistics about a nation's economy. Government agencies, non-profits and private companies put together countless reports, forecasts, models and other analysis each year based on these indicators.

Housing Statistics

Housing statistics within the U.S. are analyzed to forecast trends in the economy. This data is presented on many levels including on regional, state and/or national levels. Below are some resources providing this analysis:

• The National Association of REALTORS: This organization, otherwise known as "The Voice for Real Estate" currently represents more than 1 million members.
• United States Census Bureau: This government agency's webpage provides statistics such as historical housing data, rental data, multifamily housing, homeownership and comparability of housing data from different sources.
• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): This organization provides a comprehensive look into the economic data and statistics behind the home building industry.
• HousingEconomics.com: One of the leading informational sources for America's Housing Industry, this site offers forecasts, trends and analytical data on the housing market.
• Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA): This division of the Department of Commerce is one of the nation's leaders in broadcasting national economic indicators and oversees the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): Otherwise known as Canada's national housing agency, this government-owned entity now provides data on mortgage-backed securities, the latest housing research, and policies and programs within Canada's housing market.
• British Columbia Statistics: This organization is the leader in statistical data in the province of British Columbia, Canada, boasting the largest amount of statistical services and expertise in the nation.
• Metro Dataline: Part of the Mid-America Regional Council, Metro Dataline provides economic and housing data for the greater Kansas City area.
• Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD): Based in Paris, this organization's goal is to improve the economic and social situation of humanity; measuring global trends and analyzing data is part of their research and mission.
• Trading Economics: This international company is a global provider of historical data, exchange rates and other economic trends.

Housing Market Data

Facts About Housing in 2012

The housing market comprises of the selling and buying of homes within a particular country (and can be further broken down by county, state or region.)

Performance of the housing market has a direct and critical impact on the economy. You'll find the latest market information from the sources below.

• Housing Views: This housing market blog run by Standard and Poor's produces and presents analytical reports, commentary and other data regarding housing prices, home financing and many other housing topics.
• Daily Finance: Daily Finance provides tools, information, statistical data and other analytical information to assist consumers with financial decisions.
• Moody's Analytics: This leading organization produces and provides economic data, models and statistical forecasts on both the macro- and micro-economic scale.
• British Parliament: U.K.'s highest legislative body provides data from the Bank of England on approved mortgages and house purchases, contributing to the housing indicator data for England.
• Freddie Mac: Chartered by Congress, this organization's goal is aimed at stabilizing the housing market in the U.S. Their economic and housing research is compiled by professional economists including Chief Economist Frank Nothaft.
• Federal Reserve Bank of New York: New York's federal reserve bank supplies data on the distribution of house prices by county as well as geographic distribution of year-over-year house price changes.
• Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: This organization is responsible for creating in-depth analyses of how district economies are likely to fare in response to certain economic and housing indicators.
• Center for Research Globalization (CRG): Montreal-based research organization publishes books and serves as a "think tank" on vital Canadian economic and housing issues.
• Bank of England: Founded in 1694, the Bank of England is responsible for creating and publishing Quarterly Bulletin housing market articles.
• PR Newswire: PR Newswire publishes current and relevant economic studies, articles and data including the yearly "U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook."

Economic Indicators for Do-It-Yourself Investors

• Non-professional investors, everyday stock market players and bond investors can use economic indicators to help them make appropriate financial decisions. The following are four helpful guides to read.
• The Essential Eight: the Only Economic Indicators Investors Need to Know by Money Morning
• How Understanding Economic Indicators Can Help Investors by U.S. News Money
• Using Economic Indicators to Improve Investment Analysis by Evelina M. Tainer
• The Top Ten Economic Indicators: What to Watch and Why by AAII

Select Online Articles and Reviews

• Barnard Library and Academic Information Services (BLAIS) presents the Economics Research Guide
• American Economic Association is an online database for economic articles, including "Environmental Accounting for Pollution in the United States Economy" and "From Financial Crash to Debt Crisis"
• Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health: "Economic analysis of the health impacts of housing improvement studies: a systematic review"
• Columbia University Libraries and Information Services: "The Electronic Resources in the Business of Economics Library" is a database to countless economic articles
• Springer: "The Journal of Population Economics"
• Review of Economics and Statistics: Journal article by Benjamin M. Friedman of Harvard University and Kenneth N. Kuttner of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• Online Trading Academy: Articles such as "Economic Indicator," "Why Supply and Demand," and "Defining the Globex Session Range."
• Health Services Research Information Central: Data and statistics from the U.S. National Library of Medicine
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce: Offers economic insights such as "Why Tyler and Chloe Can't Get a Job," "Canada: Needing a Little Help from Our Friends," and "U.S. Payrolls: Not Quite Soft Enough to Affect Fed."
• Portland State University Library: Recommended Resources on statistics and data sets.

Economic Indicators Research Guides

Finding solid resources with sound data to analyze economic indicators is simple when the sources are good. The following economic indicator guides come from some of the most reliable institutions in the world. These guides include statistical data, up-to-date national and international data, dictionaries and more.

• Department of Economics at Williams College: Williams College has renowned and comprehensive economics department; their research and data is a great resource for economic data and other research.
• LexisNexis: LexisNexis, one of the world's leading providers of online databases for research of all markets, provides Zimmerman's Research Guide, which includes economic data, statistics and indicators.
• European University Institute (EUI): The European University Institute, an international postgraduate and postdoctoral research and teaching institute, produces an economic guide with resources from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Census and Thomson Reuters, among many others.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW): This institute, a global leader in the development and support of international accountants, boasts a guide complete with economic indicators from government and other professional entities.
• Columbia University Libraries and Information Services: Columbia's guide to economic indicators includes "How to make sense of economic indicators," a dictionary of terms and a handbook of key economic indicators.
• Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research: Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research's mission is to aid students with advanced and evolved data that assists in their studies and learning.
• University of Minnesota Libraries: This library network is noted for being a statewide asset and provides intellectual resources through a wide range of books and virtual aids – such as this business and economic statistics guide.
• University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Libraries: The University of Texas' library system contains a thorough page on U.S. economic data, including links to organizations like the STAT-USA and reports such as the Economic Report of the President.
• National Association of REALTORS: The National Association of Realtors' guide page is titled, Field Guide to Quick Real Estate Statistics.