The Federal Reserve released their Beige Book yesterday which is an anecdotal account of the nation’s economy. Each of the 12 regional banks survey the various economic sectors of their regions.

Bond prices increased (yields decreased) on the good news that things were not so great (but not so bad either). Bond traders love bad news.

Here’s an excerpt from the full report:

>Almost all Districts reported that housing markets remained weak, but signs of stabilization in the sector were noted in several Districts. Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, and San Francisco reported that new residential construction continued to fall, and New York and Philadelphia noted that homebuilders had scaled back their plans. But Cleveland and Atlanta noted that construction had flattened out. Housing contacts in the Atlanta District reported that declines in sales were moderating, except in Florida. San Francisco also noted a slowdown in the deterioration of conditions in California, though activity in hard-hit areas such as Arizona continued to contract. In the New York District, builders in New Jersey reported some stabilization in the market for new homes, and demand for multi-family units in New York City remained strong. Richmond said housing markets in general showed additional signs of firming, while contacts in the Kansas City and Cleveland Districts, where activity was still at low levels, were encouraged by recent increases in buyer inquiries.

>Still, further contraction in housing markets was noted in several Districts, and home prices were generally flat or declining. According to the Dallas District, inventories of unsold homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area rose to new highs due to slowing sales and rising cancellations. Contacts in the Boston District saw no signs that the weakness in housing was nearing an end. Homebuilders in the Philadelphia District were making significant price reductions to move new homes, and real estate agents in that District reported that prices for existing homes had come to a standstill. San Francisco also reported noticeable recent price declines in some areas, while Chicago reported that more than three-fourths of builders in the Chicago area were adding non-price incentives to sell homes.