Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Data Imply Most Homes Last More than a Century
Of the 132.42 million homes that existed in the U.S. in 2011, 98.8 percent (130.85 million) were still there two years later, according to a report published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2016. The report is called Components of Inventory Change: 2011-2013, and is based on the American Housing Survey (AHS). The AHS, funded by HUD and conducted in… Read More ›
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New Study Describes Characteristics of U.S. Subdivisions
A recent NAHB study shows that the median size of a subdivision in the United States is 25 total acres, and the median number of housing units in a subdivision is 50. The results are based on a survey of development projects currently under way or recently completed, conducted by NAHB’s Economics and Housing Policy Group in May 2016. NAHB… Read More ›
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Basements Didn’t Matter: New Homes Were Still Larger in 2015
A recent NAHB post shows that, after rising to a record high, the size of new single-family homes has leveled off and, as of the second quarter of 2016, is now trending downward slightly. Several things could be responsible. NAHB (and others) have emphasized a changing mix of repeat and first-time home buyers. Before focusing exclusively on this, however, it would be good… Read More ›
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More Builders Report Labor/Subcontractor Shortages
A survey of single-family builders conducted by NAHB in June 2016 shows that shortages of labor and subcontractors have become more widespread than they were a year ago. The survey consisted of special questions on labor and subcontractor availability that NAHB has periodically added to the instrument for the monthly NAHB/Well Fargo Housing Market Index. The questions have covered 9… Read More ›
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What Building 1,000 Homes Means to the U.S. Economy
According to NAHB’s National Impact of Home Building model, building 1,000 average single-family homes generates 2,975 jobs and $111.0 million in taxes and fees for all levels of government. Similarly, building 1,000 average rental apartments generates 1,133 jobs and $42.4 million in taxes. The jobs are measured in full-time equivalents (enough work to keep one worker employed full-time for a… Read More ›
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New House Price Data Show Why Costs Are a Problem
New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development provide strong evidence that the costs of producing new housing are making it difficult to impossible to build homes for a significant part of the U.S. housing market. At the beginning of June, the Census Bureau traditionally releases data about the Characteristics of New… Read More ›
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Home Buyer Preferences for Green Features Remain Stable
In NAHB’s latest home buyer preference survey, buyers gave high marks to particular types of green features. Indeed, ENERGY STAR® rated appliances ranked second from the top among 150 different home and community features that buyers rated on a consistent scale. Comparing results over the last several surveys shows a stable trend: preferences for particular green features in 2015 were about… Read More ›
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NAHB Releases Remodeling by Zip Code Estimates for 2016
NAHB has released its latest projections of spending on improvements to owner-occupied housing by zip code. The projections show total spending on improvements, the number of owner-occupied homes, as well as average spending per improvement, in each zip code for calendar year 2016. Also shown for each zip are 2016 projections for the five key variables NAHB uses to estimate home improvement… Read More ›
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Even Modest Cap on Canadian Lumber Threatens 8,900 U.S. Jobs
Recent NAHB estimates show that a 25 percent volume cap on softwood lumber imported from Canada, had it been in place in 2014, would have resulted in a loss of A previous post showed the impact that a 15 percent tariff on Canadian lumber, the maximum allowed under the expired Softwood Lumber Agreement, would have on U.S. markets. This post takes… Read More ›
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Shortage of Lots Now Worse Than Ever
NAHB’s measure of lot shortages hit a new record in May. In answer to special questions on the survey for the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, 64 percent of builders reported that the supply of lots in their markets was low or very low—up from 62 percent last year and the highest the lot shortage percentage has been since NAHB began collecting the… Read More ›