U.S. retail sales in December edged up only slightly compared with November, seeing an increase of 0.1 percent.

The Fed observed that activity in residential real estate markets largely held steady at very low levels, with the exception of increases in the construction of multifamily residences.

The Federal Reserve gave the U.S. Treasury $76.9 billion in profits in 2011, not quite as much as in 2010, but still a very high total by historical standards.

CoreLogic reported that whatever steam the U.S. job market seems to be experiencing (overstated or not), that momentum hasn’t budged the housing market just yet.

Presumably what the economy needs now is a continuous string of strong employment numbers months–a freight train’s worth of 200,000-plus increases lasting many months.

The unemployment rate dropped, and the apartment vacancies are at a 10-year low.

Multifamily housing continues to be the best-performing commercial real estate segment, with rental rates and occupancy increasing, while supply remains relatively minimal.

Construction totals were up 1.2 percent month-over-month in November, with residential construction leading the way.

As the new year begins, the talk of the next European recession continues