Eye On Housing
Of 638,839 construction firms surveyed by the U.S. Census Bureau in its Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs (ASE), 20.1% report they raised less than $5,000 dollars to begin commercial activity. The ASE is a relatively new information source released by the U.S. Census Bureau this year. It collects economic and demographic information on businesses and business ownership in all major industries,… Read More ›
According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, townhouse construction starts have slowed relative to the expansion of the overall building market. Over the last four quarters ending with the second quarter of 2017, townhouse starts totaled 94,000, 5% lower than the four quarters prior this past year. Townhouses, or… Read More ›
After increasing and leveling off in recent years, new single-family home size continued along a general trend of decreasing size during the second quarter of 2017. This change of the last two years marks a reversal of the trend that had been in place as builders focused on the higher end of the market during the recovery. As the entry-level market… Read More ›
The pace of single-family starts was effectively flat in July, after a strong rate was recorded in June. In contrast, the multifamily market continues to slow after multiple strong years. Total starts declined almost 5% in July to a 1.155 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to the joint data release from the Census Bureau and HUD. The headline decline… Read More ›
Labor and subcontractor shortages have become even more widespread in July of 2017 than they were in June of 2016, according to single-family builders responding to special questions on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) survey. The July 2017 HMI survey asked builders about shortages in 15 specific occupations that were either recommended by Home Builders Institute (NAHB’s workforce development arm)… Read More ›
Equity in a home was used as a source of capital to start 284,618 businesses—7.3% of all businesses in the U.S.—according to a new source of data released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau. The new data source is the Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs, (ASE), which collects economic and demographic information on businesses and business ownership in all major U.S…. Read More ›
The count of unfilled jobs in the construction sector increasing significantly in June, after falling in May. According to the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and NAHB analysis, the number of open construction sector jobs (on a seasonally adjusted basis) increased to 225,000 in June. The cycle high was 238,000, set in July of last year. The June count is the highest since… Read More ›
According to the NAHB/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI), 89 percent, 299 metropolitan statistical areas, recorded growth in their LMI Score over the second quarter of 2017. The index uses single-family housing permits, employment, and home prices to measure proximity to a normal economic and housing market. The index is calculated for 337 local markets, metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), as… Read More ›
Lending standards on business loans to large and medium-sized firms eased on net over the second quarter of 2017 according to the Federal Reserve Board’s Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey. Historical evidence has shown that lending standards on business loans to these establishments is correlated with both the growth in the stock of business loans held by banks and with… Read More ›
NAHB analysis of Census Construction Spending data shows that total private residential construction spending stood at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $502.9 billion in June, 0.2% lower than downwardly revised May estimates. It was the third consecutive monthly decrease after a strong start this year. Nevertheless, the total private residential construction spending was 9.2% higher than a year… Read More ›