Eye On Housing
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported that economic growth, measured by the annualized growth rate of real GDP, was revised to 2.2 percent from the advance estimate of 2.3 percent. The modest downward revision confirms the extent of economic growth over the first quarter of the year. The second estimate of first quarter GDP also included the first estimate… Read More ›
With this post NAHB announces the release of its latest estimates of spending on improvements to owner-occupied homes at the zip code level. The new estimates are for calendar year 2018 and include the number of owner-occupied homes, the number with improvement spending during the year, the average spending per improved home, total spending on improvements within the zip code, and the drivers of remodeling activity used to… Read More ›
The volume of residential construction loans increased by 1.8% during the first quarter of 2018, marking 20 consecutive quarters of growth. Furthermore, recent stabilization of year-over-year growth rates is an indicator of continued, modest growth for single-family construction. Tight availability of acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) loans has been a limiting factor for home building growth, but easing credit conditions and a growing loan base have helped expand residential… Read More ›
Sales of new homes fell by 1.5 percent over the month of April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 662,000. According to the report released by the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the small monthly decline partly reflected a downward revision to the estimate of new home sales in March from 694,000 to 672,000…. Read More ›
The elevated rental share of multifamily construction is holding typical apartment size below levels seen during the pre-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. However, size fell at the start of 2018 according to NAHB analysis of Census data. According to first quarter 2018 data, the… Read More ›
Builders and developers responding to NAHB’s AD&C Financing Survey continue to report easing credit conditions for acquisition, development, and single-family construction loans, over the first quarter of 2018, but the pace of easing slowed. At the same time, the majority of survey respondents indicated that the typical loan they obtained in the first quarter of 2018 was tied to a… Read More ›
The number of single-family homes built-for-rent increased over the last four quarters. During this timer period, construction starts of this type of housing totaled 37,000 homes, compared to 33,000 for the prior four quarters. There were 7,000 single-family built-for-rent starts for the first quarter of 2018. According to data from the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB… Read More ›
Counter to the recent prevailing trend, new single-family home size increased at start of 2018. New home size had been falling over the last two years due to an incremental move to additional entry-level home construction. According to first quarter 2018 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area increased to 2,436 square… Read More ›
NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates a small gain for custom home building construction starts. There were 31,000 total custom starts for the first quarter of the year. Over the last four quarters, there were 172,000 custom single-family home starts, an increase of approximately 2% over the prior four quarters. Note that… Read More ›
According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, townhouse construction starts continue to post gains. Over the last four quarters (ending with the first quarter of 2018), townhouse starts totaled 105,000, 7% higher than the prior four quarters. Townhouses, or single-family attached housing, accounted for 21,000 starts during the first quarter… Read More ›