Beige Book Finds Weak Housing Markets

Housing markets are "weak" and house prices are generally "flat or declining," according to the Federal Reserve's Beige Book."Almost all districts reported that housing markets remained weak," the Beige Book says, although a few Federal Reserve district banks reported some signs of stabilization in February. The Cleveland and Atlanta district banks noted that construction has "flattened out." The Richmond bank reported signs of a "firming" housing market. However, inventories of unsold homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth areas hit "new highs due to slowing sales and cancellations." The San Francisco bank reported "noticeable" recent price declines in some areas, while "[c]ontacts in the Boston district saw no signs that the weakness in housing was nearing an end," according to the Beige Book. Meanwhile, commercial real estate markets "continued to firm or remained solid" the Fed publication says.