...Builders are not putting up homes fast enough to meet underlying demand," said Patrick Newport, an economist at IHS Global Insight.New homes have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and...

...easing in credit standards helped boost credit card borrowing slightly last year.Paul Edelstein, an economist at Global Insight, said consumers seem willing to take on more debt, but slow wage growth and high unemployment should keep many household...

...households reluctant to run up big credit card balances," said Paul Edelstein, the director of financial economics at Global Insight. "An unwillingness to take on this form of debt will limit the speed at which consumer spending will grow this year...

...during the good years, and we have finally gotten rid of that excess," said Patrick Newport, an economist at IHS Global Insight.In addition, mortgage rates have hit all-time lows. And rents are rising, making the purchase of a single-family...

...We don't think the labor market has lost any underlying momentum," said Paul Edelstein, an economist at IHS Global Insight. "We just have these two issues."Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast on Oct. 29, closing restaurants, retailers...

...more manufacturing jobs."The ground is being prepared for faster growth," said Nigel Gault, an economist at IHS Global Insight.Superstorm Sandy, contrary to expectations, dampened job growth only minimally in November, the government said...

...That's a good reason to feel optimistic about housing next year," said Patrick Newport, an economist at IHS Global Insight. "We just don't have enough homes right now, and we need to start building."Builder confidence rose in December...

...you're likely to be taking risks," such as boosting hiring, said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight.Even with modest gains in hiring, the unemployment rate remains high. It fell to 7.7 percent in November from...

...previously occupied homes reached their highest level in five years last year.Patrick Newport, an economist at IHS Global Insight, forecasts that construction companies will add 140,000 jobs this year, up from a meager 18,000 in 2012.Other...

...they came out in July and decided to do some overdue spending," said Chris Christopher, a senior economist at IHS Global Insight. "But until we see more months of spending gains, we should be very cautious about how we evaluate the situation...