Monthly Archives: April 2012

Economy is scraping the bottom- hang in there

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

SCRAPING THE BOTTOM The slow start for the economy in 2012 — an annual rate of 2.2 percent in the first three months of the year — is evidence that the recovery is too weak to push joblessness much lower … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Confidence in the Economy, Economic Trends, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Employer background checks and your DUI

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

In one survey, a total of 92% of responding employers stated that they subjected all or some of their job candidates to criminal background checks. Employers have reported that their use of criminal history information is related to ongoing efforts … Continue reading →

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Americans continue to hope for a real recovery

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

During the first three years after the 1981-82 recession, the economy grew above 3% in 11 of 12 quarters and at greater than 5% in 7 of 12. Eleven quarters into this recovery, the economy has managed 3% or better … Continue reading →

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Multiple offers for houses and bidding wars- it's only temporary inventories will rise again

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

new development is catching home buyers off guard as the spring sales season gets under way: Bidding wars are back. From California to Florida, many buyers are increasingly competing for the same house. Unlike the bidding wars that typified the … Continue reading →

Posted in Real Estate Trends, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The beginning of the beginning of the housing recovery

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

FINALY I WOULD like the Fed to do more to secure the American recovery. I’m nervous about a few recent blips in the data, like today’s initial jobless claims number, which continued a jarring trend toward 400,000. If I’m less … Continue reading →

Posted in Real Estate Trends, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Consumer Confidence Wobbles, But Still Moves Forward

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

Consumer confidence fell for the second-straight month in April, according to The Conference Board, as people grew more pessimistic about economic expectations. The index fell to 69.2 from a downwardly revised 69.5 for March. An initial report pegged last month’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Confidence in the Economy, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Employment Still Improving, Slowly

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

About 60% of employers surveyed by the National Association of Business Economics reported rising sales and 40% reported rising profit margins in NABE’s April survey. The numbers, significantly higher than the last survey conducted in January, indicate growing optimism among … Continue reading →

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Housing Supply Down, Prices Up

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

Home sales have now posted year-over-year gains in each of the last nine months. But in almost all of those months, the number of homes for sale has declined. On Thursday, the National Association of Realtors reported that inventories fell … Continue reading →

Posted in Real Estate Trends, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Supply Shrinks; Rents Rise: Potential Return of a Housing Bubble

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

A sharp drop in new construction, the dwindling supply of shadow-market units, and improvements in the macroeconomy have strengthened fundamentals on both the supply and demand side. This is boosting asking rents, reducing or eliminating concessions, and filling units. The … Continue reading →

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The Economic Recovery Still Plowing Ahead

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Stout Law Firm

THE American jobs data released today will inevitably draw worrisome thoughts of déja vu. In both 2010 and 2011, the economy showed promising signs of growth early on only to see them peter out by summer time. This year, the … Continue reading →

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