Eye On Housing
Private Residential Construction Spending Declined in June
NAHB analysis of the Census Construction Spending data shows that total private residential construction spending stood at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $534.2 billion in June. It was down 1.5% in June, after a 3.6% decline in May and a 4.4% decrease in April, due to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 lockdowns. On a year-over-year basis, total… Read More ›
Recent Posts
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June Personal Income Declined 1.1%
The most recent data release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed that personal income decreased in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $19,880 billion. It dropped 1.1% in June, after a 4.4% decline in May. This decrease in personal income largely came from the decline in government social benefits, because the majority of one-time stimulus… Read More ›
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Multiple Offers For Homes on the Market Are Becoming More Common
An earlier post revealed that 59% of buyers who were actively engaged in the process of finding a home in the second quarter of 2020 have spent upwards of 3 months searching for a home without success. Although the top reason long-time searchers haven’t pulled the trigger continues to be the inability to find an affordable home (39%), that share… Read More ›
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Housing Share of GDP Climbs to 13-Year High
Housing will lead the economic recovery. Due to low mortgage interest rates, a renewed focus on the importance of home, and a lack of for-sale inventory, housing data has been a relative bright spot as the overall economy struggles to establish a rebound. Due to this broader weakness (GDP declined at a -32.9% rate for the second quarter) and gains… Read More ›
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Initial Jobless Claims Rise for the Second Straight Week
Weekly initial jobless claims increased for the second straight week in the week ending July 25. Continuing claims, which lags initial jobless claims by one week, increased to 17.0 million in the week ending July 18. The increases in initial jobless claims and continuing claims indicate that the rehiring process are slowing as the number of coronavirus cases rises and… Read More ›
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U.S. GDP Contracted 32.9% in the Second Quarter
The U.S. economy fell at its fastest pace on record in the second quarter of 2020 as economic activities were canceled or restricted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy will start to bounce back as restrictions are lifted and economic activities increase. According to the “advance” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), real gross domestic product (GDP)… Read More ›
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Builder Confidence in the 55+ Housing Market Rebounds in Second Quarter
Builder confidence in the single-family 55+ housing market jumped 27 points to 65 in the second quarter, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) 55+ Housing Market Index (55+HMI). An index reading over 50 indicates more builders view market conditions as good than poor (Figure 1). The 55+ HMI measures two segments of the 55+ housing market: single-family… Read More ›
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Mortgage Applications Decrease Slightly
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest Weekly Application shows a slight decrease in applications for the week ending July 24, 2020. The Market Composite Index decreased by 0.8% from the previous week on a seasonally adjusted basis. Refinancing activity, one of its determinants, decreased by 0.4% from the previous week, while purchasing activity decreased slightly more by 1.5%. The MBA’s… Read More ›
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Pending Home Sales Edge Up in June
After the biggest monthly gain on record last month , pending home sales surged back to pre-pandemic levels, as homebuyers rushed back to the market, taking advantage of record-low mortgage rates. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts. The PHSI climbed 16.6% from 99.6 in… Read More ›
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Low Mortgage Rates Convert Prospective Buyers into Active Buyers
Of the 11% of American adults considering a future home purchase in the second quarter of 2020, about half (49%) are not simply planning it, they are actively engaged in the process to find a home. That is a significantly higher share than the comparable figure a year ago (41%), which suggests that the COVID-19 crisis and its accompanying record-low… Read More ›