Fri, 22 January 2021 | data pandemic
As millions of Americans sheltered in place and shifted to working from home and remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing research from Comscore found that overall in-home data usage levels throughout 2020 remained significantly higher than in 2019.
Throughout the first several of months of COVID-related lockdowns, data consumption from Comscore Connected Home custom reporting showed increased usage across all connected devices; smart TVs, laptops, gaming consoles, phones, smart speakers, streaming boxes & sticks and tablets all saw strong growth in data usage versu... Read More
Fri, 22 January 2021 | housing
Existing-home sales rose in December, with home sales in 2020 reaching their highest level since 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Activity in the major regions was mixed on a month-over-month basis, but each of the four areas recorded double-digit year-over-year growth in December.
Total existing-home sales, https://www.nar.realtor/existing-home-sales, completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 0.7% from November to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 6.76 million in December. Sales in total r... Read More
Thu, 21 January 2021 | transportation spending
Auto sales are expected to jump in 2021 according to the car shopping experts at Edmunds. Noting that the auto industry is on track for greater stability and healthier sales this year, Edmunds forecasts that 15.5 million new cars will be sold in 2021, a 6.5% increase compared to last year.
"2020 was an incredibly tumultuous year for the industry, but some unique market conditions helped retail sales end up in a much stronger place than anticipated, and the good news is that these should serve as some decent tailwinds into 2021," said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds' executive directo... Read More
Thu, 21 January 2021 | housing rentals
Major urban markets, such as San Francisco and Manhattan, continue to see double-digit declines compared to last year, but rent increases in less dense areas have kept nationwide rents growing for one- and two-bedroom units, according to the realtor.com® December rental report released today. Nationally, the median rent for studio apartments was down 0.7% year-over-year, rent for one-bedrooms was up 0.8%, and rent for two-bedrooms was up 2.6% year-over-year.
"Right now is a great time for renters in major cities to lock in a low price for 2021," said realtor.com® Chief Economist... Read More
Mon, 18 January 2021 | healthcare insurance
Nearly 3 in 10 Americans lost health insurance coverage in 2020, and more than half haven't bought new coverage and remain uninsured in 2021 according to a new ValuePenguin.com Healthcare Survey. The survey of over 2000 Americans, also found that 45% of Americans who shopped for health insurance during open enrollment were surprised by the high costs of their new policies, and many want major changes.
Key Findings:
Fri, 15 January 2021 | housing mortgage rates
The current low mortgage interest rate environment is projected to continue with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaging below three percent through the end of 2021, according to Freddie Mac’s Quarterly Forecast.
“Despite the uncertainties of the pandemic, the housing market performed well in the second half of 2020,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Low mortgage rates and the ability to work remotely continued to support the demand for housing, which is reflected in home ... Read More
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