Eye On Housing
Author Archives
-
Modular and Other Non-Site Built Housing
The total market share of non-site built single-family homes was 3.3% of single-family completions in 2017, according to Census Bureau Survey of Construction data and NAHB analysis. This share is expected to rise in 2018 and in the years ahead, due to the ongoing labor shortage in the residential construction sector and the need to lift labor productivity amid declining… Read More ›
-
Open Construction Jobs Decline Off Cycle High
The count of unfilled jobs in the construction sector pulled back in September, off a upwardly revised August estimate that marked a post-recession high. According to the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and NAHB analysis, the number of open construction sector jobs decreased to 278,000 in September. The August estimate of open construction jobs was revised up… Read More ›
-
Declines for Housing Share of GDP
With the release of the first estimate of third quarter 2018 GDP growth (a 3.5% annual growth rate), housing’s share of gross domestic product (GDP) fell slightly to 14.9%. The home building and remodeling component – residential fixed investment – also decreased slightly, falling to 3.25% Housing-related activities contribute to GDP in two basic ways. The first is through residential fixed investment (RFI). RFI is… Read More ›
-
Sales Stall in September
Contracts for new single-family home sales declined in September, as eroding affordability conditions reduced sales volume. New single-family home sales declined to a significantly lower 553,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, a 5.5% drop from a downwardly revised 585,000 annual rate recorded in August. The sales data are produced by HUD and the Census Bureau. The weak September estimate was the lowest… Read More ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
Fed Raises Funds Rate
As expected, at the conclusion of its September meeting the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee raised the short-term federal funds rate 25 basis to a range of 2% to 2.25% . Markets and forecasters are confident that an additional 25 basis point increase will occur in December. The change in monetary policy occurs as the 10-year Treasury rate, which generally moves… Read More ›
-
Summer Sales Soft Patch Continues
Contracts for new, single-family home sales increased slightly in August, expanding 3.5% to a 629,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to estimates from the joint release of HUD and the Census Bureau. However, the gain came off downwardly revised estimates for June and July, consistent with the summer soft patch for new and existing home sales. The June reading was revised down from… Read More ›
-
Housing Starts Rise in August
Total housing starts posted a gain in August, led by a jump in multifamily production. However, weaker single-family permit data and expected disruption effects from Hurricane Florence will place downward pressure on starts data next month. Total housing starts increased 9.2% in August and are 6.9% higher for 2018 than in 2017 on a year-to-date basis, according to the joint… Read More ›