Last month, a federal appeals court ruled that many of the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were illegal. Gulp. The tariffs in question — sometimes called “reciprocal” tariffs — had raised import tax rates up to 50% on India and Brazil and as high as 145% on certain Chinese goods. […]
When tariffs hit home Read More »
Tariff-influenced lumber price volatility this year has markets trying to read the tea leaves to determine what the implications might be for housing and the economy at large. Since reaching a three-year high in early August, lumber futures declined by 25% to trade at approximately $525 this week, data from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange showed.
Lumber prices swing as tariff fears roil markets Read More »
The sweeping tariffs President Trump implemented on April 2 have been ruled illegal by a federal appeals court that said Trump did not have the power under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to levy tariffs. However, the court is allowing the tariffs to stay in place until a lower court rules on whether the
Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs ruled illegal, but stay in place for now Read More »
Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg The ongoing tariff-impacted rise of material and service prices, alongside challenging credit conditions, are a double whammy hitting residential construction, according to analysis from the National Association of Home Builders. Prices for goods and services used in residential construction came in 2.8% higher in July on an annual basis, marking the largest increase
Homebuilders encounter credit, supply cost headwinds Read More »
The impact of Trump-era tariffs on goods and services is starting to trickle through the economy, but for now, the effect on inflation appears minimal, raising expectations for a potential interest rate cut in the near term. The July Consumer Price Index, released Tuesday, showed headline price growth of 2.7% over the previous year, the
Fed faces key choice on rates after latest inflation report Read More »
Bloomberg News A new round of tariffs imposed Thursday has raised alarm among economists, lawmakers and financial analysts not just for their impact on trade flows and prices, but for the ripple effects on the financial sector. Broad tariffs on more than 90 countries went into effect Thursday, following the president’s previously announced deadline for
As tariffs take hold, banks still grappling with uncertainty Read More »
Homeowners already stretched by high mortgage payments may be strained even more by another escalating expense: homeowner’s insurance. The average premium for a new policy has climbed to $1,966 in 2025, a 9.3% jump from last year and more than 61% higher than five years ago, according to online insurance agency Matic. At the same
Homeowners paying more for less insurance Read More »
The impact on housing of President Trump’s latest set of tariff announcements, including a 35% levy on goods from Canada not covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, is either mildly disruptive or significant, depending on who you ask. This comes from a series of executive orders signed by the President on July 31. A particular change
Fresh tariffs from Trump target homebuilding costs Read More »
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday imposing new tariff rates on trading partners that take effect Friday, the White House said. The signing will take place “at some point this afternoon or later this evening,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a news briefing, adding that “Aug. 1,
Trump to set new tariffs before midnight, White House says Read More »
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome PowellBloomberg News WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank is still trying to get a handle on how higher tariffs will impact the economy. Powell said it was always going to take time for higher import levies to translate into higher prices for consumers, but the administration’s
Powell: ‘Many, many uncertainties’ remain for tariff impacts Read More »