National

Economy Watch: Home Prices Still Rising on Annual Basis

Year-over-year home prices up 13.7 percent and state unemployment rates edge down.

TODAY’S DEALS: Waterton Picks Up 300 Units in Plano

Waterton Associates grabs a 1999-built asset in Plano, Texas; HFF arranges the sale of a $31.6 million loan secured by a trio of Michigan apartment communities; and NorthMarq secures $10 million for a North Carolina asset.

Economy Watch: New Homes Sales Dip in December, Up Year Over Year

Home sales dip in December, and President Obama will address the situation of long-term unemployment in tonight’s State of the Union address.

TODAY’S DEALS: Sacramento Asset Trades for $14.3M

Marcus & Millichap completes a 97-unit sale in Carmichael, Calif.; Centerline closes a $4 million Fannie Mae loan to refinance a 146-unit asset in California; and Red Capital Partners uses its own balance sheet to provide a $25 million bridge loan.

Economy Watch: Investors Get the Jitters

Wall Street takes a tumble and CUNA reports that the cost of credit card breaches is mounting.

Economy Watch: Existing Homes Sales See Best Year Since ’06

The National Association of Realtors reported on Thursday that total U.S. existing home sales increased in December by 1 percent to an annualized rate of 4.87 million units – that includes single family, townhouses, condos, and co-ops — from 4.82 million units in November.

Economy Watch: Chief Executives More Upbeat

The nation’s CEOs are somewhat more confident about their businesses’ prospects than they used to be, according to annual PricewaterhouseCoopers survey of more than 1,300 chief executives, which was released on Wednesday.

Economy Watch: World Economic Forum Cites Income Disparity as Top Risk

The World Economic Forum, best known for its annual meeting of the world’s economic panjandrums – which begins on Wednesday at Davos, Switzerland – also generates reports, the latest of which was released in time for the high-level conference: “Global Risks 2014.” The report analyses 31 global risks grouped under five categories – economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal, and technological – and measured in terms of their likelihood and potential impact.

‘Economy Watch’ Podcast with Dees Stribling: Better U.S., World Growth is Predicted for 2014

MHN’s economic analyst, Dees Stribling, gives his update for the week ending Jan. 17.

Economy Watch: Consumers a Bit More Grumpy in January

The Reuter’s/University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index came in at 80.4 at mid-month January, which was a drop of 2.1 points from the end of December, though still an improvement from 75.1 at the end of November and 72.0 at mid-month November.