Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Builder Confidence Hits 20-Month High
Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes rose three points to 71 in October, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Sentiment levels are at their highest point since February 2018 and have risen 13 points since the start of 2019. The housing rebound that began in the spring continues, supported… Read More ›
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Framing Methods for Single-Family Homes: 2018
Wood framing remains the most dominant construction method for single-family homes in the U.S., according to NAHB analysis of Census Bureau data. For 2018 completions, 93% of new homes were wood-framed. Another 7% were concrete homes, and less than half a percent were steel-framed. These shares have remained fairly stable over the last five years. In absolute terms, 778,000 single-family… Read More ›
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Construction Job Openings Steady
Data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings increased in August. The estimated number of job openings in the construction sector increased to 379,000 after reaching a post-Great Recession high of 434,000 in April. The August 2019 count of unfilled jobs represents a year-over-year gain relative to the 315,000 estimated unfilled construction jobs… Read More ›
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Fed Lowers Rates in September
The Federal Reserve reduced the key, short-term federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a top rate of 2% at the conclusion of its September Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. This was the second cut in 2019, partially reversing a set of increases enacted in 2018. The more dovish stance of the Fed is good for housing and… Read More ›
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Construction Job Openings Up in July
Data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings increased in July, after a declines off a cycle high count for April. The estimated number of job openings in the construction sector increased to 373,000 in July after reaching a post-Great Recession high of 434,000 in April. The July 2019 count of unfilled jobs… Read More ›
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AD&C Loan Volume Contracts
Despite broader interest rate declines for government bonds and mortgages, NAHB industry survey data for the second quarter of 2019 indicates that interest rates for acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) remain stubbornly elevated. For example, loans for spec single-family home building averaged a 6.2% rate for the second quarter. These higher interest rates have caused the volume of loans outstanding… Read More ›
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Large Revision for June New Home Sales
The news in today’s newly-built home sales report was found in the estimates for June, rather than July. Contracts for new, single-family home sales decreased in July by 12.8% to a 635,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to estimates from the joint release of HUD and the Census Bureau. However, that decline came off an significantly upwardly revised June estimate,… Read More ›
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Multifamily Construction Data: 2nd Quarter 2019
An elevated rental share of multifamily construction is holding typical apartment size below levels seen during the pre-Great Recession period. As multifamily developers build more for-sale housing units in the years ahead, the average size of multifamily homes is likely to rise. According to second quarter 2019 data, the average per unit square footage of multifamily housing construction starts was 1,103, off from… Read More ›
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Contrasting Built-for-Rent and For-Sale New Single-Family Homes
How do homes built-for-rent differ from more common for-sale new single-family homes? This is an important question given recent attention on the built-for-rent sector of the residential construction industry. Second quarter data for 2019 reveal that approximately 42,000 homes were built-for-rent over the last year, representing about 5% of single-family construction. Though this figure continues to trend modestly higher as… Read More ›
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Townhouse Construction Weaker
According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, townhouse construction slowed during the second quarter of 2019 after a strong 2018 performance. This market softness matches recent data in the NAHB HBGI, which showed weak construction activity for large metro suburban markets at the start of 2019. Nonetheless, townhouse construction is… Read More ›