Eye On Housing
South Leads in Job Gains in September
Over the year, total nonfarm employment in September increased by 2.5 million jobs which is a 1.7% increase compared to September 2017. During this time, total nonfarm employment in the Southern region increased by 2.5% and in the Western region by 2.4%. The Midwest and the Northeast recorded the lowest gains at 1.3% during this time. According to the Bureau… Read More ›
Recent Posts
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Share of New Homes with Patios Climbs over 58 Percent
Of the roughly 850,000 single-family homes started in 2017, 58.6 percent included patios, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (SOC, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and partially funded by HUD). Among the outdoor features captured in the SOC, this makes patios considerably more common than decks (included on 23.8 of homes started in 2017),… Read More ›
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Existing Sales Fall
Existing-home sales in September declined 3.4% to the lowest level since November 2015, and are now down 4.1% from a year ago. The first-time buyer share of 32% was up from 31% last month and 29% a year ago. The National Association of Realtors reported that 47% of homes sold in September were on the market less than a month…. Read More ›
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Remodeling Confidence Remains Solid
The Remodeling Market Index (RMI) remained stable with a reading of 58 in the third quarter of 2018, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The RMI has been at or above 50 since the second quarter of 2013, which indicates that more remodelers report market activity is higher than report it is lower (Figure 1). The overall… Read More ›
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Single-Family Starts Flat in September
Total housing starts posted a decline in September due to flat conditions for single-family construction and a pullback for apartment development. Total starts declined 5.3% in September but are 6.4% higher for 2018 on a year-to-date basis, according to the joint data release from the Census Bureau and HUD. The pace of single-family starts was roughly flat in September, decreasing… Read More ›
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Unfilled Construction Sector Jobs Continue to Rise
The count of unfilled jobs in the construction sector increased in August, reaching yet another post-Great Recession high level. The rate of open construction sector jobs also set a cyclical high. According to the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and NAHB analysis, the number of open construction sector jobs increased to 298,000 in August. The prior post-recession high… Read More ›
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Builder Confidence Rises One Point in October, Remains at Summer Levels
Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes rose one point to 68 in October on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Builder confidence levels have held in the high 60s since June. Builders continue to view solid housing demand, fueled by a growing economy and a nearly 50-year low for unemployment. Lumber price… Read More ›
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Single-Family Residential Permits Decline in Northeast
Over the first eight months of 2018, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 599,117. On a year-over-year basis, this is a 6.6% increase over the August 2017 level of 561,938. The preliminary results from the New Residential Construction Survey are similar, year-to-date single-family permits over the first eight months of 2018 was, 599,200 which is… Read More ›
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Garages in New Homes: 2017 Data
A majority of new homes that completed construction in 2017 included two-car garages, according to NAHB analysis of 2017 Census Bureau Survey of Construction data. There is clear uniformity for parking options in new homes completed across the Census divisions. Except for West North Central division, the 2-car garage was the largest share of the completed homes in all other divisions…. Read More ›
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CPI Growth Slows in September
Headline inflation rose slower in September relative to August, while core inflation was unchanged. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), rose by 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis in September, slower than the 0.2% increase in August. The “core” CPI, which excludes the volatile food and energy components, increased by 0.1% in September,… Read More ›