Home Depot’s slowing sales suggest Americans feel lousy about housing

Washington, DC CNN —After three straight years of sales growth, Home Depot went into reverse in the first quarter, and sales and profits were expected to tumble again in the second quarter when the company announced its earnings Tuesday.It might be because Americans rarely feel worse about housing.Only 18% said it was a “good time to buy” according to July’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index from Fannie Mae, matching an all-time low.Unsurprisingly, people continue to attribute the challenging housing conditions to high home prices and unfavorable mortgage rates, said Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae senior vice president and…

America’s home improvement boom appears to be over

New York CNN —Americans turned into DIY fanatics during the pandemic, beautifying their apartments, homes and condos while they were stuck inside and tired of looking at the same drab interior every day.But the Covid emergency is over, prices are (much) higher, consumers are growing fearful of a recession and people are spending less at Lowe’s and Home Depot.Lowe’s on Tuesday lowered its profit and sales outlook for the year, saying consumers were spending less on home improvement. It comes on the heels of rival Home Depot also posting disappointing sales and a sour forecast last week.…