Eye On Housing
Job Gains Decelerate in November
While job gains decelerated in November, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% and the labor force participation rate increased to 61.8%, the highest reading since March 2020. The increase in the labor force participation rate indicates that more people are returning to the labor force, a necessary requirement for additional hiring. Construction industry employment (both residential and non-residential) totaled 7.5… Read More ›
Recent Posts
-
Employment Situation in October: State-Level Analysis
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 47 states and the District of Columbia in October compared to the previous month while three states lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 531,000 in October, following an upwardly revised increase of 312,000 jobs in September. On a month-over-month basis, employment data was strong in… Read More ›
-
Private Residential Spending Dips for Second Month
NAHB analysis of Census Construction Spending data shows that total private residential construction spending stood at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $774.9 billion, down 0.5% from the upwardly revised September estimates. Total private residential construction spending was 16.7% higher than a year ago. Spending on single-family, multifamily constructions and improvements all declined in October, as homebuilding is still facing… Read More ›
-
Home Price Appreciation Decelerates in September
In September, national home prices grew at a slower but still unsustainable pace. Locally, 14 out of 20 metro areas reported that they realized a deceleration in home price growth in September. This month’s data indicates that housing market is cooling slightly as housing affordability concerns persist. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, reported by S&P Dow… Read More ›
-
Construction Loan Growth During Third Quarter
Residential construction loan volume reached a post-Great Recession high during the third quarter, as home building activity continued to expand in 2021. The volume of 1-4 unit residential construction loans made by FDIC-insured institutions increased by 6% during the third quarter. The volume of loans increased by $4.9 billion for the quarter. This loan volume expansion placed the total stock… Read More ›
-
Pending and Existing Home Sales Jump in October
Despite low inventory and increasing affordability concerns, both pending home sales and existing home sales jumped in October, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Though the market remains strong and sales is on pace for its strongest sales in 15 years, higher home prices continue to price out first-time and young buyers. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)… Read More ›
-
New Home Sales Flat in October After September Data Revision
Contracts for new, single-family home sales were flat at a 745,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate in October according to estimates from the joint release of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau. However, the flat reading was due to a significant downward revision for the September pace (revised from an 800,00 rate to… Read More ›
-
Multifamily Condo Production Showing Gains?
According to NAHB analysis of quarterly Census data, the market share of rental units of multifamily construction starts declined to 93.4% during the third quarter of 2021. This is the lowest share since the first quarter of 2020. In contrast, the historical low share of 47% was set during the third quarter of 2005, during the condo building boom. An… Read More ›
-
Single-Family Home Size Continues to Trend Higher
An expected impact of the virus crisis is a need for more residential space, as people use homes for more purposes including work. Recent data confirms this impact on the market continues to occur. According to third quarter 2021 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area increased… Read More ›
-
Construction Loans Slightly More Available, But at Higher Rates
In the third quarter of 2021, effective interest rates increased on all four categories of loans tracked in NAHB’s Survey on Acquisition, Development & Construction (AD&C). This result reverses a general downward trend that had prevailed since the third quarter of last year. In the third quarter of 2021, the average effective rate (based on rate of return to the… Read More ›