{"id":9982,"date":"2026-09-17T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/?p=9982"},"modified":"2026-09-17T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T20:00:00","slug":"us-consumer-confidence-hits-a-seven-month-low","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/us-consumer-confidence-hits-a-seven-month-low\/","title":{"rendered":"US Consumer Confidence Hits a Seven-Month Low"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"video-zmyer\">\n<div class=\"video-frame-zmyer\">\n        <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/www.roomvu.com\/agent\/embed\/lisa-miller-2\/consumer-confidence-just-hit-a-seven-month-low-heres-whats-driving-it-remotion-videos-4b26\"\n                frameborder=\"0\"\n                allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\"\n                allowfullscreen><br \/>\n        <\/iframe>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"video-description-zmyer\">\n<p>Consumer confidence in the US just hit a seven-month low, with optimism about the future\u2014especially around income, business, and jobs\u2014slipping noticeably. Interestingly, while the present-conditions index climbed by about 7 points to 121, the expectations gauge dropped by 6 points to 68, a figure that often signals recession risk. Early in Q3, employers trimmed 23,000 jobs, and unemployment nudged up to around 4%. Notably, this rise came mostly from people stepping out of the labor force, rather than more job opportunities. Even as confidence softens, homebuying expectations have only eased slightly and are still on the rise\u2014likely because many, like my clients here in Phoenix, see real estate as a steady way to build wealth even when other markets feel uncertain. About 61% still expect interest rates to increase, and with policymakers holding rates steady and little sign of near-term relief, borrowing costs are poised to remain elevated through the end of the year. Navigating these shifts can be challenging, but with a thoughtful approach, real estate remains a powerful tool for securing long-term financial stability.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Consumer confidence in the US just hit a seven-month low, with optimism about the future\u2014especially around income, business, and jobs\u2014slipping noticeably. Interestingly, while the present-conditions index climbed by about 7 points to 121, the expectations gauge dropped by 6 points to 68, a figure that often signals recession risk. Early in Q3, employers trimmed 23,000 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paOTA9-2B0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10039,"url":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/u-s-builder-sentiment-hits-12-month-low\/","url_meta":{"origin":9982,"position":0},"title":"U.S. Builder Sentiment Hits 12-Month Low","author":"admin","date":"October 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Builder sentiment across the U.S. just reached its lowest point in the past year, with the latest builder-confidence index dropping 3 points to 32 in late Q3. As someone who guides everyday investors and homeowners through the ups and downs of residential real estate, I pay close attention to these\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Editor's Pick&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Editor's Pick","link":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/category\/editors-pick\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/home-builder-sentiment-remotion-videos-f500_share.jpg?fit=496%2C279&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9829,"url":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/us-builder-confidence-posts-mid-q2-gain\/","url_meta":{"origin":9982,"position":1},"title":"US Builder Confidence Posts Mid-Q2 Gain","author":"admin","date":"August 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Builder confidence \u21913 points from Early-Q2 to 37 in Mid-Q2, topping forecast 34, while still below the 50 favorable threshold for new homes. Current sales \u21913 points to 40; expected sales over next 6 mo \u21913 to 45; prospective buyer traffic \u21913 to 25 nationally. Regional Builder Confidence Northeast: \u21915\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nahb-housing-market-index-affordability-challenges-persist_share.jpg?fit=496%2C279&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9803,"url":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/housing-is-becoming-inherited\/","url_meta":{"origin":9982,"position":2},"title":"Housing Is Becoming Inherited","author":"admin","date":"July 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A housing report found homeownership is increasingly an inherited advantage, with children of homeowners often building more housing wealth than children of renters. Down payment help, gifted equity, and inherited property are playing a bigger role, making family transfers more influential in who ultimately becomes a homeowner. The same research\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/housing-inherited-advantage-remotion-videos-9067_share.jpg?fit=496%2C279&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10018,"url":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/us-mortgage-costs-hit-14-month-high\/","url_meta":{"origin":9982,"position":3},"title":"US Mortgage Costs Hit 14-Month High","author":"admin","date":"September 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Mortgage costs have reached a 14-month high, and that\u2019s putting extra pressure on buyers across the country. By late Q3, the typical monthly payment rose to $2,600 as mortgage rates climbed and median sale prices held steady\u2014now around $399,000, up about 2% from last year. That combination is making affordability\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mortgage-costs-high-remotion-videos-de5b_share.jpg?fit=496%2C279&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9823,"url":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/nahb-index-opportunities-emerge-amid-affordability-challenges\/","url_meta":{"origin":9982,"position":4},"title":"NAHB Index: Opportunities Emerge Amid Affordability Challenges","author":"admin","date":"July 31, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Builder confidence in the housing market declined in June, with the Housing Market Index dropping 2 points to 35, marking the 26th consecutive negative reading. Current sales fell to 38, expected sales remained at 45, and buyer traffic stayed at 25. Regionally, the Northeast rose to 50, the Midwest held\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1-11.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1-11.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1-11.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1-11.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1-11.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9826,"url":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/government-standards-enhance-quality-and-value-of-new-homes\/","url_meta":{"origin":9982,"position":5},"title":"Government Standards Enhance Quality and Value of New Homes","author":"admin","date":"August 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Government regulations add about $132,000, or 26.4%, to the cost of a typical new single-family home, worsening housing affordability. Regulatory costs have risen 40% since 2021, with building code changes adding the largest burden. Delays and extra development standards are common, contributing to a housing shortage of 1.2 million homes.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/consumer-confidence-just-hit-a-seven-month-low-heres-whats-driving-it-remotion-videos-4b26_share.jpg?fit=496%2C279&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9982"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9982\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9984,"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9982\/revisions\/9984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lisamillerpllc.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}