While many mall stores have had a rough first quarter, laying off employees or closing stores, the home improvement industry is showing signs of promise.
The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 53 in the fourth quarter of 2016, a decrease of four points from the previous quarter, but on par with levels seen in the first half of 2016.
Strong gains in home renovation and repair spending are expected to continue into next year before tapering, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
