Ashok Chaluvadi

Ashok Chaluvadi is a senior economist for NAHB where he is responsible for conducting and assisting with surveys, such as those measuring builder sentiment, finance issues and other related housing industry surveys. He also provides information on housing topics and related issues to NAHB members, staff, financial institutions, Wall Street companies and other individuals. He holds a master's in economics from Ohio University.

Stucco and Vinyl were the Most Common Siding Materials on New Homes in 2022

According to the annual data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), stucco was the most common principal siding material on new single-family homes started in 2022 (28%), followed by vinyl siding (26%), fiber cement siding (such as Hardiplank or Hardiboard (21%) and, brick or brick veneer (18%). Far smaller shares of single-family homes started last…

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Materials Remain Builders’ Top Challenge, but Inflation and Interest Rates are Threatening

The price and availability of building materials again topped the list of problems builders faced last year, while interest rates (along with general inflation and negative media reports) moved considerably up the list.  According to special questions on the January 2023 survey for the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, building material prices were a significant…

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Nearly Two-Thirds of Homes Started in 2021 are in Community Associations

According to data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), 65.5 percent of single-family homes started in 2021 were built within a community or homeowner’s association. Since the re-design of the SOC in 2009, this was the second highest percentage for new homes started with an association. The Census Bureau defines community or homeowner’s…

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Stucco and Vinyl were the Most Common Siding Materials on New Homes in 2021

According to the annual data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), stucco was the most common principal siding material on new single-family homes started in 2021 (28 percent),  followed by vinyl siding (24 percent), fiber cement siding (such as Hardiplank or Hardiboard (23 percent) and, brick or brick veneer (19 percent). Far smaller shares of…

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