According to Edward Dowd, housing services constitute 15% of the total services economy, with finance and insurance related to housing activity making up approximately 25% of the services portion of GDP, which is 80%. The recent services PMI number was strong, indicating current economic strength. However, Dowd notes potential challenges ahead, as new home sales are not showing similar strength, which could impact future trading strategies in housing and finance sectors.

According to The Kobeissi Letter, the median price of new homes in the US increased by $31,000 in January to $446,300, marking the second-highest level on record. This spike follows the previous record of $460,300 in October 2022. Consequently, new home sales declined by 10.5%, indicating potential market cooling due to higher prices.