Links and Resources |
National Indicators · General Sites · Community Sites · Suggested Reading The list of websites below is ones I found useful, and are listed here for reference. |
There are also some excellent books written on National Indicators and what they mean. I list several in the Recommended Reading section that follows. Gross Domestic Product: http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/gdpnewsrelease.htm Leading, Lagging and Coincident indicators: http://www.conference-board.org/economics/bci/pressRelease_output.cfm?cid=1 Employment Situation A: Current Population Survey: http://stats.bls.gov/ces/home.htm B. Current Employment Statistics: http://stats.bls.gov/ces/home.htm C: Current Employment Statistics-Local Market: http:www.discoverarkansas.net Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization: http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/G17/ National Average Interest Rates: http://mortgage-x.com/general/historical_rates.asp Purchasing Managers’ Index: http://www.ism.ws/ISMReport/ Manufactures’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders Advanced Report on Durable Goods: http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/m3/adv/index.htm Preliminary Report: http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/m3/prel/index.htm Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales: http://www.census.gov/mtis/www/mtis.html New Residential Construction: http://www.census.gov/const/www/newresconstindex.html Consumer Confidence Index: http://www.conference-board.org/economics/consumerconfidence.cfm University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index Archive: http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/data/UMCSENT.txt Latest: http://news.google.com Search under Michigan Consumer Sentiment. Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services: http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/advtable.html Personal Income and Outlays:http://www.bea.gov/bea/dn/home/personalincome.htm Consumer Price Index: http://stats.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm Producer Price Index: http://stats.bls.gov/ppi/home.htm New Home Sales: http://www.census.gov/const/www/newressalesindex.html Construction Spending: http://www.census.gov/const/www/c30index.html
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Listed here are economic and statistical sites of general interest. I can not possibly list all the great and informative sites available. Most of these listing will have links to other sites. Believe me, you will never want for superb statistical sites! The following are a few of my favorites.
AmosWEB “AmosWEB means economics with a touch of Whimsy!” There is a little bit of everything on this site. It is designed for traders, stock holders, investors and students. AmosWEB has a very complete economic online glossary, a table of up-to-date indicator results, economic courses, articles, events, and predictions all offered in a humorous vein. Lots to explore and find here: http://www.amosweb.com Census 2000 Gateway Here is your resource for all data that the US Census Bureau collects and releases to the public. Absolutely overwhelming amount of data. Made simpler by the inclusion of “The American Fact Finder” program offered on the top of the home page. This program condenses and puts into tabular form data on any city in the US, along with maps, government, business, employment and much more. I suppose you could get lost for days in the morass, but some people will find it fascinating. http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html ClickZ They track trends and statistics for the web. Many articles, insights and speculations. http://www.clickz.com/ Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System If you ever wanted to know anything about the Fed, this is the site. History, courses, statistics, regulations, articles, and more. This is the site that tracks the discount rates, federal fund rates, money supply, consumer credit and a whole trunk-full of other interesting stuff. Take a week and become a Fed expert. Surprise and amuse your friends. http://www.federalreserve.gov/ Federal Reserve Education Along with the site mentioned above, there is this one dedicated entirely to teaching you about the Fed. Everything is downloadable and Free! http://www.federalreserveeducation.org/FRED/ FedStats If your child has a project due for social studies, this is the site to visit. Arranged alphabetically, Are stats gathered from every conceivable source and on a myriad number of topics. It’s all up-to-date and certified stuff. You never know what you will find. Just browsing the list I found a section, by state, that lists every mine and mineral source in the united states. Nice if your are a rock-hound. http://www.fedstats.gov/ National Association of Realtors Research Site For national real estate information, this is THE site. An incredible amount of information collected from all over the United States and broken down into areas. Besides data, they also present videos on various topics connected with economics and real estate. They have an article library available to members. The information cannot be had elsewhere. You may not always agree with their conclusions, but their database for real estate is unmatched. http://www.realtor.org/research/index.html Resources for Economists This is a listing of every conceivable link to economics and statistics one could possibly think of. It is categorized by topic and presented alphabetically. It is a sub-section of the American Economic Association website. Simply unbelievable! http://www.aeaweb.org/RFE/ Government Printing Office-Economic Indicators The government has made its “Economic Indicators” monthly publication available on-line at no charge what-so-ever. This is remarkable considering the information in the report. It is almost a one-stop source of all the major indicators financed and compiled by the government. It is continually updated and the historical database goes back to 1995. Highly recommended. http://origin.www.gpoaccess.gov/indicators/ Economagic Oh, gosh! Here is a site that publishes most of the government monthly indicators and then allows the user to put any of them in chart form and tweak the chart in numerous ways to get it to your liking! It is an interactive site. It even has a “time series analysis” section that teaches you about times series and connected ideas. http://www.economagic.com/ Forclosure.Com One of the most used sites by investors to find foreclosures, pre-foreclosures, bankruptcies, defaults, and more in the United States. It is not set up to be a statistical database, nor does it offer historical data. By visiting their site on a monthly basis, you can track the numbers yourself and follow the trends. It is a tremendous resource for anyone wanting to buy foreclosures or have leads of upcoming foreclosures. http://www.foreclosure.com/ National Bureau of Economic Research So, O. K. If there were just one page you could access every month this would probably be your choice. Over 200 indicators constantly updated giving release date and time, direct link to their home pages, plus links to their historical archives. It provides a future schedule of all updates. There is also a history of all the business cycles occurring in the United States and the dates of the turning points. There are a few downsides: not all the indicators are free-some demand a subscription. Also, this is mainly a data site, not having a big emphasis on charts and graphs. But even with those limitations, take a look. http://www.nber.org/releases/ Bureau of Economic Analysis Another classic site. This one is responsible for reporting the Gross Domestic Product (among others). Besides the reams of data available, there is a nice FAQ page with hundreds of questions on economic situations asked by users and answered by experts. Very enlightening! http://www.bea.gov/index.htm Bureau of Labor Statistics Just going to this site will make your mind reel! It is THE site for labor statistics such as the unemployment index. But that’s not all. How much information can be squeezed from this one topic? Take a look! http://stats.bls.gov/ Historical Mortgage Rates The web is filled with free data. Often, companies charge for their historical database. Unfortunately, the little guy can afford the astronomical prices they charge to let you see the data. This site is one of the exceptions. It is a full history of monthly mortgage rates going back to 1962. And HSH releases them to the public free of charge. Kudos to them. http://mortgage-x.com/general/historical_rates.asp
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These are internet sites like this one, specializing in a particular area or city. There are a lot of people out there analyzing data! This list should grow over time.
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Below are books listed that I found particularly valuable in my real estate career. Some you may need to find on the out-of-print market. The difficulty ranges from entry level in most cases, to advanced. All are excellent. |
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“Your First Year in Real Estate: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional” by Kirk Zeller
This is a great book for new agents. Kirk covers the basics and the attitude you must adopt in order to succeed. “How To Become a Power Agent in Real Estate : A Top Industry Trainer Explains How to Double Your Income in 12 Months” by Darryl Davis Another highly-rated book concentrating on making you successful. Sometimes hearing similar information from different sources can be of benefit. You will find the author that “speaks” to you. “Make Millions Selling Real Estate: Earning Secrets Of Top Agents” by Jim RemleyOne of the top-rated real estate books out there. Fresh material presented in a very readable style. Covers the basics and more. Outstanding in every way. “Real Estate Rainmaker: Guide to Online Marketing” by Dan Gooder RichardThe best book for on-line real estate development. Five-star rating. Covers name selection, choosing a server, what to have, how to drive traffic to your site, and plenty more. “The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Real Estate Investing Course” by Jack CummingsA fine book for those just getting into real estate investing. No-nonsense approach and covers everything you need to know. |
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“Real Estate Economics” by Huber, Messick and Pivar
Marvelous first book of real estate economics. Covers supply, demand, money supply, lending, banking, growth of cities, etc. Easy read designed for entry level understanding yet thorough in its explanations. Recommended. “How the Economy Works: An Investor's Guide to Tracking the Economy” by Edmund A. MennisI found this book very useful in understanding the Gross Domestic Product and how it is calculated. If you want an excellent introduction to the economy a bit above entry level, I recommend this one. “The Trader’s Guide to Key Economic Indicators” by Richard YamaroneYamarone writes from the trenches and brings his considerable experience to the table. He explores a selection of the key indicators as to rationale and availability. He also has a section with each one entitled “Tricks from the Trenches” giving further real world techniques for the indicator’s use. “The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities” by Bernard BaumohlMost people who read this work describe it as informative and highly entertaining. Baumohl takes what is normally considered a dry subject and breathes life into it on every page. If you have only one book on indicators, this is the one. “How to Read a Financial Report: Wringing Vital Signs Out of the Numbers” by John A. TracyIf you are working with investors, are one, or would just like to know, this book is superb for introducing financial reports. It explains the relationships clearly between the income statement, balance sheet, and cash-flow statement. Short and sweet with flow-charts on every page, it walks the reader through the material and on to understanding. Not as hard as you may have thought. “Business Cycles: The problem and its setting” by Wesley C. MitchellIf you want to thoroughly understand business and its various cycles, this is a seminal work. Covers discovery of the business cycles, theories as to their cause, effects on the economy at each stage, and much more. Outstanding. |
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“The Cartoon Guide to Statistics” by Gonick and Smith
Although the title makes it sound trivial, this is really a good entry-level text. Plenty of pictures. Highly entertaining. If you never through you could understand statistics this is the book for you. “Basic Statistics: Tales of Distributions” by Chris SpatzThere are many introductory textbooks. This book is simple, clear, and informative. If you prefer an academic approach to understanding try this one. “Statistics: Concepts and Controversies” by David S. MooreVery interesting book. Covers the basics with plenty of real world cases. Invites discovery through self-exploration. Written for entry college level non-statistic majors. “How to lie with Statistics” By Darrell HuffClassic book on the misuse of statistics and charts. Every example given is seen constantly in newspapers, reports, and magazines. A must read for people who communicate with numbers. “How to Lie with Charts” by Gerald Everett Jones I suppose that Jones thought so much of Huff’s book he decided to up-date it and write his own. I see no mention of Huff’s work. No sir, the information sprang full-blown from Mr. Jones head! In all fairness, the books deals more with charts and chart presentation and really does have some good insights. Run all your charts and graphs by this book and make sure you are not deceiving yourself or your audience. “What the Numbers Say: A Field Guide to Mastering Our Numerical World” by Niederman and Boyum A wonderfully delightful book! Entertaining, thoughtful, and incisive. A guide to entering into the world of number thought, and expanding your perception. One of the very best. “Numbers Guide: The Essentials of Business Numeracy” by The Editors of the EconomistAbsolutely superb book on the using statistics in the real world. The book is very short on theory and long on practical application. Not a textbook but more of a reference manual and guide. Written for people in the business world not the classroom. Best book I found on practical applications. “The Chicago Guide to Writing About Numbers” by Jane E. MillerWriters turn to standard reference books concerning style and accepted usage in presenting a thesis, report, or articles. Ms. Miller has written two books trying to set standards for numbers, tables, and graph usage. While there is good information and pertinent suggestions, the books are incredibly dry and the examples lack variety and interest. “The Chicago Guide to Writing About Multivariate Analysis” by Jane E. MillerThis is the second volume in the series utilizing more than one data series. Again, some good information you need to know, but I feel the books were written out of obligation rather from genuine interest. Still, I recommend both books. The are Chicago University books and they are trying to establish themselves as the standard reference. |
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Thinking Visually: Business Applications of 14 Core Diagrams” by Malcolm Craig
Charts “on the fly.” Imagine setting with someone talking about a subject. Suddenly you realize that a diagram would help clarify the situation. You pull out a sheet of paper and pencil and begin to sketch an understanding. That is what this book offers. 14 figures that are the archetypes of diagram communications. You will use them everywhere. “Graph it!: How to Make, Read, and Interpret Graphs” by Richard W. BowenA short primer on basic chart and graph use. Goes over all the terminology and construction principles. I wish I had this book to hand out to all my introduction classes. “Say it with Charts: The Executive’s Guide to Visual Communication” by Gene ZelaznyAn extremely easy to read introduction to communicating using charts and graphs. Zelazny makes it so simple, even we can do it. Concentrates on 5 chart types. “Show Me the Numbers” by Stephen FewBeautifully produced and presented. Not only shows how to construct basic and advanced charts, but gives some research results that will help in your chart communications. Highly recommended “Information Dashboard Design” by Stephen FewIf you like producing one-page concise charts giving a lot of information at a glance, this is your book. Few uses a lot of space talking about what does not work before getting to what does. He comes from a minimalist philosophy started by Tufte (see below), when it comes to design. Not everyone will take to it, but I think it produces clean, accurate and readable information. “Information Graphics” by Robert L. HarrisTake every chart or graph there ever was. Put them into a book like a glossary or dictionary of charts. Add explanations and clarification. There you go. Indispensable information. Chart Ideas to play with and let you imagination soar. “Graphic Discovery” by Howard WainerA good read for those really into graphs and charts. A sort of personal history of the discovery of various solutions to graphical problems. It is fun to read someone who is in love with charts and graphs. Wainer definitely is. The following three authors are, in my opinion responsible for changing the face of modern graphing and charting. All of them are absolutely outstanding and their books reflect this. I have been deeply moved and my own work influenced by these three. Strive to own them all. Edward R. Tufte Ask anyone involved with charts or graphs who is the most influential modern author. Invariable answer: Edward R. Tufte. There is no second place. Curiously, it is not so much for his insights on constructing useful and beautiful graphs. Nor his tirades on “chart junk.” No, it’s more for his love of charting itself and the superb communication it can convey that hooks you on Tufte. Once you see “chart world” through Tufte’s eyes you can’t go back. His books invoke almost a mystical mood. They are works of art, and his spirit is infectious. Don’t wait one more day without finding out yourself: “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information” “Envisioning Information” “Visual Explanations” “Beautiful Evidence” Calvin F. Schmid I discovered Schmid quite by accident. He is not as much talked about as Tufte or Cleveland, yet his work is absolutely outstanding. Schmid is old-school. Back when charts and graphs were skillfully hand drawn and every stroke had to count. These were the days of black and white charts, where the thickness of the lines conveyed the separate data series and every chartist was also a draftsmen. True craftsmanship was honed by years of labor. No, I don’t long for those days. The computer makes charting much easier in some ways, (certainly easier to make things wrong), and gives many more possibilities. But everything Schmid taught can be brought to the computer and utilized. He was a absolute master of his craft, intolerant of shortcuts, and accepted no substitutes for excellence. If Tufte is the friend that inspires you with imaginative play, Schmid it the stern, practical father preparing you for manhood. “Handbook of Graphic Presentation” “Statistical Graphics: Design Principles and Practice" William S. Cleveland Cleveland is in a class by himself. He loves to analyze charts for better communication. Unlike Tufte who strives for the overall beauty of the chart, Cleveland loses himself in the details of chart: ratios, significant color choices, formulas for precisely drawing the axis correctly, and other such details. But if think this means his charts are not improved by all of this detail, think again. Better still, take a look at his books. Cleveland creates charts and graphs for the professional: the Scientists and the Statisticians who will be presenting their charts to the academic or professional community. He has created some styles of presenting multivariate charts that I have not seen before. You will find charts and graph ideas in his book that will inspire and delight you. Even thought his books are advanced, they are clear, and readable by anyone interested in the subject. I might add that while not quite the publishing caliber of Tufte’s books, they are still beautifully produced and outstanding in quality. “The Elements of Graphing Data” “Visualizing Data” |
© 2009 by Paul R. Bynum Database Manager · Executive Broker · Market Analyst |
