November 2012 U.S. Economic Fundamentals

[Ally]

How the U.S. population's gradual migration has lowered home energy usage




Since its inception, the US population has progressively migrated westward. And more recently, thanks to the advent of air conditioning, we`ve moved southward. These trends, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), have decisively shaped residential energy consumption patterns in recent decades.




The EIA`s data release suggests that our geographic shifts have been associated with a relocation toward warmer conditions, which has in turn meant lower demand for energy-intensive home heating. This phenomenon has been an important factor in dampening per capita energy consumption over the past 50 years ` even as the average home`s square footage has been increasing.





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[Ally]

Orlando has 9th highest vacancy rate in the nation




Orlando ranked among the nation`s worst 10 residential vacancy rates despite Central Florida`s real estate markets having shown several promising signs in recent months.




Of Orlando`s 950,008 housing units, 184,539 were vacant, as of 2011, the year covered by the U.S. Census Bureau`s newest American Community Survey.





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[Ally]

San Jose has lowest housing vacancy rate




More than 95 percent of all houses, apartments and condominiums in the San Jose area are occupied, a distinction that no other major market can claim.




Just 28,100 of San Jose's 650,700 housing units were empty as of 2011, the year covered by the U.S. Census Bureau's newest American Community Survey. That translates to a vacancy rate of 4.3 percent, easily the best in the nation.





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[Ally]

Case-shiller house prices will probably decline month-to-month seasonally starting October





This is just a reminder: The Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA) monthly Case-Shiller house price indexes will show month-to-month declines soon, probably starting with the October report to be released in late December. The CoreLogic index has already started to decline on a month-to-month basis. This is not a sign of impending doom - or another collapse in house prices - it is just the normal seasonal pattern.





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[Ally]

Prominent Republicans vow to break 20-year-old 'no tax increase' pledge and open door to fiscal-cliff compromise




WASHINGTON ` U.S. Republicans appear to have opened the door to a compromise in negotiations over the much-feared fiscal cliff that economists say could plunge the world into a recession.




Four prominent Republican congressmen announced this weekend and Monday that they are prepared to shed the so-called Grover Norquist Taxpayer Protection Pledge that over the last 20 years has bound many lawmakers to vote against tax increases.





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