Eye On Housing
Of the 848,000 single-family homes started in the U.S. in 2017, roughly 79,000 were nonmetropolitan—that is, they were built outside one of the officially-defined metropolitan areas—as reported in a recent NAHB study, At 79,000, nonmetropolitan single-family starts were up 40 percent from the trough in 2011, compared to a 97 percent for single-family starts overall. The NAHB study is based on territory… Read More ›
The volume of residential construction loans decreased 0.2% during the fourth quarter of 2018, ending a period of 22 consecutive quarters of growth. While the decline was small, the slowdown in the stock of lending for development purposes mirrors a recent NAHB survey finding neutral conditions for AD&C lending as interest rates increased. Tight availability of acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) loans has been a limiting… Read More ›
Despite a period of weakness during the Fall of 2018, new home sales ended 2018 up 1.5% compared to the total for 2017. Contracts for new, single-family home sales increased almost 4% to a 621,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to estimates from the joint release of HUD and the Census Bureau. However, the surprisingly strong initially reported November pace was revised down from a… 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 $536.7 billion in December. It was down 1.4% for the month after a 3.4% increase in November. Total private residential spending was 3.3% higher in 2018 relative to 2017. Multifamily construction spending hit a new record high,… Read More ›
With the delayed December data now published, the pace of single-family starts declined for the fourth consecutive month as housing affordability concerns weighed on the home construction market at the end of 2018. However, home building posted gains in 2018 relative to 2017. Total single-family and apartment construction starts were up 3.6% for the year, according to the joint data… Read More ›
Interest rates on loans for residential acquisition, development, and construction (AD&C) generally increased throughout 2018, according to results from NAHB’s fourth quarter AD&C survey. For the fourth quarter, builders and developers responding to the survey reported a median interest rate that varied from 5.75% on loans for pre-sold single-family construction, to 5.88% on loans for land development, to 6.00% on loans… Read More ›
Data for November indicated a surprise gain for the seasonally adjusted annual rate of new single-family home sales. The data was delayed due to the partial government shutdown. Survey data, including builder confidence, suggest December estimates, when published, will show market weakness however. Contracts for new, single-family home sales increased almost 17% to a 657,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to… Read More ›
The U.S. population grew by 2.0 million between July 1, 2017 and July 1,2018, representing a 0.6% increase from 325.1 million to 327.2 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s national and state population estimates. The 2017 population estimates were revised downward by about 0.6 million, from 325.7 million in the Census’s previous iteration of its estimation methodology. Despite initial… Read More ›
The pace of single-family starts declined for the third consecutive month as housing affordability concerns continue to weigh on the home construction market. Total starts posted a 3.2% increase due to gains for multifamily development. Total single-family and apartment construction starts are up 5.1% on a year-to-date basis, according to the joint data release from the Census Bureau and HUD…. Read More ›
The volume of residential construction loans increased by 2.8% during the third quarter of 2018, marking 22 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 or cost factor for home building growth, but easing credit conditions and a growing loan base have… Read More ›