Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Construction Job Openings Fall Back in February
Data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings fell back in February but remain higher on a year-over-year basis, consistent with the ongoing challenge of the availability of labor for builders. The number of open construction jobs totaled 286,000 for the month, compared to 198,000 in February 2018. The open position rate… Read More ›
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New Home Sales Post February Gain
Contracts for new, single-family home sales increased almost 5% to a 667,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to estimates from the joint release of HUD and the Census Bureau. This gain came despite an upward revision for the January data. However, the previously reported December data was revised down significantly to a 588,000 rate. The months’ supply number improved to 6.1, which indicates the… Read More ›
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Fed Adopts A More Dovish Stance
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Fed’s monetary policymaking body, held the federal funds rate steady at a top rate of 2.5% at the conclusion of its March meeting. This was no surprise for financial markets, as this approach had been telegraphed by the Fed in January. However, the Fed communicated two other elements that indicate that the central… Read More ›
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Builder Confidence Holds Steady in March
Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes held steady at 62 in March, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Builders report the market is stabilizing following the slowdown at the end of 2018, and they anticipate a solid spring home buying season. In a healthy sign for the housing market,… Read More ›
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Construction Job Openings Hold Steady In January
After significant data revisions for 2018, new data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings remained near a cycle high as of January, an indication that the skilled labor shortage continues into 2019. The open position rate (job openings as a percentage of total employment plus current job openings) held steady at 3.9%. The… Read More ›
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New Home Sales Distribution Highlights Affordability Opportunity
Upward revisions to December and November data resulted in a 6.9% decline for new single-family homes sales in January, according to data from the joint release of HUD and the Census Bureau. The seasonally adjusted annualized January pace of 607,000 was 4.1% lower than January of 2018; however, combined with lower mortgage interest rates, the first monthly rate for 2019 establishes a solid… Read More ›
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Built-for-Rent Construction Dominates Apartment Development
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 fourth quarter 2018 data, the average per unit square footage of multifamily housing construction starts was 1,136, off from the… Read More ›
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Single-Family Built-for-Rent Construction Posts Gain in 2018
The number of single-family homes built-for-rent increased over the course of 2018, as construction starts of this type of housing totaled 43,000 homes, compared to 37,000 for 2017. There were 10,000 single-family built-for-rent starts for the final quarter of 2018. According to data from the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, the market share of single-family… Read More ›
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Flat Conditions for Custom Home Building
NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates custom home building was effectively flat over the course of 2018. There were 36,000 total custom starts for the fourth quarter of 2018. This was down compared to the final quarter of 2017 (40,000). Over the course of 2018, custom housing starts totaled 170,000. This… Read More ›
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New Single-Family Home Size Continues Decline
Continuing a multiyear trend, new single-family home size decreased during the final quarter of 2018. According to fourth quarter 2018 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area ticked down to 2,316 square feet. Average (mean) square footage for new single-family homes increased to 2,567 square feet. On a less volatile one-year moving average,… Read More ›