Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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NAHB Releases New Home Building Employment Estimates by State and Congressional District
A new NAHB study presents the most comprehensive estimates of home building employment, including self-employed workers, by state and congressional district. NAHB Economics estimates that out of 8.9 million people working in construction in 2013, close to 3.5 million people worked in residential construction, accounting for 2.4 percent of the US employed civilian labor force. These numbers reflect modest job… Read More ›
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Construction Immigrants Highly Concentrated in Some States and Trades
New NAHB research shows that while foreign-born workers represent a substantial component of the US construction labor force, accounting for almost 23 percent, their share is even higher in construction trades, reaching 28 percent. Concentration of immigrants is particularly high in some of the trades needed to build a home, like carpenters, painters, drywall/ceiling tile installers, brick masons, and construction… Read More ›
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The Construction Immigrant Worker Flow
New NAHB research estimates the immigrant labor flow into the construction industry over the housing boom and bust years. The results show that more than 135,000 immigrant workers entered the US construction industry at the height of the housing boom in 2005. By 2011, the construction immigrant flow plummeted to a low of 23,000, highlighting the role of new immigrant… Read More ›
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What Homes Do Millennials Buy?
New NAHB research shows that millennials tend to buy homes that are smaller, older, and less expensive than homes bought by older generations. Being the youngest home buyers with little or no accumulated wealth also affects how millennials shop and buy their homes. The majority of millennials are buying homes for the first time in their lives. Three out of… Read More ›
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Regional Differences in New Home Financing
According to NAHB analysis of the 2013 Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC) data, use of non-conventional financing methods to purchase new homes varies widely across the country. The West South Central divison is most heavily reliant on mortages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) with the share of FHA-insured loans reaching almost 20 percent. At the same time,… Read More ›
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Where are Homes Built on Private Wells and with Individual Septic Systems?
According to NAHB analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC) data, only 8 percent of new single-family homes started in 2013 are served by individual wells and only 15 percent have private septic systems. These shares, however, vary widely across the nine Census divisions and reach 42 and 51 percent, respectively, in New England. The SOC which is conducted by… Read More ›
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Where are Nation’s Largest and Most Expensive Lots?
According to data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), single-family homes started in New England, where local zoning regulations often require very low densities, are built on some of the largest and most expensive lots in the nation. Looking at single-family spec homes started in 2013, the median lot size in New England exceeds half an acre. This… Read More ›
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What Foundations are Built Across the Nation?
NAHB analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC) data shows that nationally, about 30 percent of new single-family homes started in 2013 have a full or partial basement, 54 percent are built on slabs, and 15 percent have a crawl space. The remaining share, including homes built on stilts or pilings, accounted for about 1 percent of homes started in… Read More ›
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Where is the Custom Home Market Share Highest?
New NAHB research reveals significant regional differences in the share of custom homes started in 2013. The analysis finds that the Northeast and East North Central parts of the nation have the highest market shares. The new findings come from analysis of the 2013 Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). The SOC differentiates between houses built for sale, houses built… Read More ›
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Where are Sale and Contract Prices per Square Foot Highest?
Looking at single-family homes started in 2013, new NAHB research quantifies regional differences in sale and contract prices per square foot. The prices excluding lot values range from $145 per square foot for contractor-built homes in the Pacific division to $73 per square foot for speculatively-built homes in the West South Central division. The NAHB analysis is based on the… Read More ›