Log In / Register | May 22, 2012

Economic Recovery for Real Estate Too?

The economy is looking better, with growth in employment, retail spending, and manufacturing production.  Will the economic recovery spread to real estate?

Economy Improving

Here is data show improving employment, car sales, hotel occupancy. Home prices have turned the corner (probably), small businesses still struggle, interest rates are low and the stock market is resilient.

Data Analytics: Target Learns to be Cautious

Kashmir Hill at Forbes has a great article, "How Target Figured Out a Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did."  Short summary: the company looks at buying patterns and can estimate the probability that a regular customer is pregnant.

Business Planning with Recession Risk

I've posted a new video on my Forbes.com page on the subject Business Planning With A Risk of Recession.

As Economy Grows, Vendor Performance Still a Problem

Although the economy is not growing rapidly, some companies are anticipating strong growth and recognizing the challenges that growth can present. Yes, growth is not always easy.

Should a Business Buy Its Own Premise in This Real Estate Market?

Should a business buy its own building in this market? A small business owner recently asked me that very question.

Banks Ease Credit

Banks Tightening

The latest data from the Federal Reserve Survey of Senior Loan Officers show that banks continue to loosen their credit standards and narrow their interest rate spreads on commercial and industrial loans.

Access to Credit

Access to credit has been a challenge for many businesses, though others have plenty of cash. Let's review some basic facts about business credit:

How Can Consumers Keep Spending?

Yep, consumers continue not only to spend, but to increase their spending in most months. Here's the latest data: