Eye On Housing
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 ›
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 ›
Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes remained unchanged at a solid 67 reading in September on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Despite rising affordability concerns, builders continue to report firm demand for housing, especially as millennials and other newcomers enter the market. The recent decline in lumber prices from record-high levels… Read More ›
The volume of residential construction loans increased by 1.7% during the second quarter of 2018, marking 21 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 construction… Read More ›
In the second quarter of 2018, credit conditions for land acquisition, development, and single-family construction loans were close to stable, according to NAHB’s AD&C Financing Survey. The overall net tightening index constructed from the survey was -5.0. The index is constructed so that negative numbers indicate credit easing, positive numbers indicate tightening, and zero indicates perfectly stable conditions. The second… Read More ›
Contracts for new, single-family home sales declined in July, falling 1.7% to a 627,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to estimates from the joint release of HUD and the Census Bureau. The decline came off an upwardly revised June estimate, which was increased from an initial reading of 631,000 to a new estimate of 638,000. The July estimate was the lowest annual pace since… Read More ›
The number of single-family homes built-for-rent increased over the last four quarters. During this time period, construction starts of this type of housing totaled 42,000 homes, compared to 29,000 for the prior four quarters. There were 13,000 single-family built-for-rent starts for the second quarter of 2018. According to data from the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB… Read More ›
NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates custom home building remain flat. There were 50,000 total custom starts for the second quarter of 2018. This was effectively unchanged relative to the second quarter of 2017. Over the last four quarters, ending with the second quarter of 2018, custom housing starts totaled 172,000…. Read More ›
Continuing a multiyear trend, new single-family home size decreased during the second quarter of 2018. New home size has been falling over the last two years due to an incremental move to additional entry-level home construction. According to second quarter 2018 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area decreased to 2,344 square… Read More ›
According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, townhouse construction posted significant gains during the second quarter of 2018. Townhouse construction is set for further expansion given the demographics of renters entering the for-sale market, as well as ongoing land constraints and the growth of demand for walkable neighborhoods. Over the… Read More ›