Eye On Housing
Residential Construction Employment Remains Unchanged in February
Total payroll employment rose by 379,000 and the unemployment rate declined to 6.2% in February. The labor market is showing signs of recovery as some states start to ease business restrictions gradually. Employment in construction declined in February due to the severe winter weather in many states. Non-residential construction lost 60,800 positions in February, reflecting declines in nonresidential specialty trade… Read More ›
Recent Posts
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Nearly 90 Percent of Builders Have Trouble Getting Appliances
In the survey results described in one of last week’s posts, prices of building material ranked as the number one problem among NAHB’s single-family builders, and availability of building materials ranked second. These concerns are not surprising, given the surge in building material prices reported in the latest Producer Price Index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Traditionally, when… Read More ›
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MBA Data Indicates Slow Decline for Past Due Loan Share
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) 2020 fourth quarter National Delinquency Survey (NDS), on a seasonally adjusted basis, the percentage of loans past due decreased from 7.65% in the third quarter to 6.73%. State-level data of the past due loan category reveal that California and Texas made up the top two states with the greatest number of past due… Read More ›
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Private Residential Spending Hits Record High
NAHB analysis of Census Construction Spending data shows that total private residential construction spending rose 2.5% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $713 billion, reaching a record high. Total private residential construction spending was 21% higher than a year ago. The monthly gains are largely attributed to the strong growth of spending on single-family and improvements. Single-family… Read More ›
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NAHB 4th Quarter HBGI: Suburban Shift for Construction in 2020
The suburban shift in home building to meet growing buyer preferences for lower density, lower cost markets stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic that was first reported in the second quarter National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) has continued throughout the rest of 2020. Single-family construction continued to overperform in suburbs, exurbs and rural communities, according… Read More ›
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NAHB 2021 “Priced Out” Estimates
NAHB recently released its 2021 priced out estimates. The new estimates show that 75.1 million households (roughly 60 percent of all U.S. households) are not able to afford a median priced new home in 2021, in that their incomes are insufficient to qualify for a mortgage under standard underwriting criteria. If the median new home price goes up by $1,000,… Read More ›
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January Personal Income Up 10% Due to Stimulus
The most recent data release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed that personal income surged in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $21,454 billion. The 10% increase in personal income was largely the effects of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, which includes $1,660.9 billion in Economic impact payments. Compensation of employees… Read More ›
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Pending Home Sales Dip Again in January
After reaching a record high in August, pending home sales slid for the fifth consecutive month, as surging home prices and low inventory constrain buyers. 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 fell 2.8% from 126.4 in December to 122.8 in January, a… Read More ›
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Multifamily Construction Sentiment Declines in Fourth Quarter
Builder and developer confidence in multifamily markets fell in the last quarter of 2020, according to the results of the National Association of Home Builders’ Multifamily Market Survey (MMS). The MMS produces two separate indices: The Multifamily Production Index (MPI), which fell 5 points to 43; and the Multifamily Vacancy Index (MVI), which edged down two points to 42, with… Read More ›
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New Home Sales Edge Higher in January
After a slight slowing of sales at the end of 2020, new single-family home sales edged higher in January, increasing 4.3% to a 923,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to estimates from the Census Bureau and HUD. Sales exceeded construction starts by a historic margin at the end of the summer, which necessitated an increase in starts and some slowing… Read More ›