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  • Private Residential Construction Spending Rises in April

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    Private residential construction spending inched up 0.5% in April, as spending on multifamily homes increased 0.6%. Private residential construction spending increased for the first time since June 2022 amid elevated mortgage interest rates. However, it is still 9.2% lower compared to a year ago. The total construction monthly increase is largely attributed to more spending on multifamily construction, which rose… Read More ›

  • Homeownership Rate Unchanged at 66%

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    The Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey (CPS/HVS) reported the U.S. homeownership rate at 66% in the first quarter of 2023, amid persistently tight housing supply. The homeownership rate remained statistically unchanged from the fourth quarter reading (65.9%). It is 0.6 percentage points higher than the rate in the first quarter of 2022. Compared to the peak of 69.2% in 2004,… Read More ›

  • Private Residential Construction Spending Dips in March

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    Private residential construction spending inched down 0.2% in March, as spending on single-family construction decreased 0.8%. Spending on private residential construction declined for the tenth month in a row amid elevated mortgage interest rates. Consequently, this spending is 10% lower compared to a year ago. The monthly decline is largely attributed to lower spending on single-family construction, which has been… Read More ›

  • Personal Income Rises 0.3% in March

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    The most recent data release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed that personal income increased 0.3% in March. The pace of personal income growth slowed after reaching a 0.8% monthly gain in October. Gains in personal income are largely driven by increases in compensation, personal income receipts on assets, and rental income. Real disposable income, income remaining after… Read More ›

  • Affordability Pyramid Shows 64.8 Million Households Cannot Buy a $250,000 Home

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    As described in a previous post, NAHB’s recently released its 2023 Priced-Out Estimates, show that 96.5 million households are not able to afford a median priced new home, and that an additional 140,436 households would be priced out if the price goes up by $1,000. This post focuses on the related U.S. housing affordability pyramid, showing how many households have… Read More ›

  • Private Residential Construction Spending Declines in February

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    Private residential construction spending declined 0.6% in February, as spending on single-family construction decreased 1.8%. Spending declined for the ninth month in a row amid elevated mortgage interest rates. Consequently, private residential construction is 5.7% lower compared to a year ago. The monthly decline is largely attributed to lower spending on single-family construction, which has been declining since June 2022…. Read More ›

  • Households Priced Out by Higher Interest Rates

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    New NAHB 2023 Priced-Out Estimates show that 96.5 million households are not able to afford a median priced new home, and that additional 140,436 households would be priced out of the new home market if the price goes up by $1,000. This post presents details regarding how interest rates affect the number of households that could be priced out of… Read More ›

  • NAHB 2023 “Priced Out” Estimates – State and Local Estimates

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    NAHB recently released its 2023 priced out estimates, showing how higher prices and interest rates affect housing affordability. The new estimates show that 96.5 million households are already not able to afford a median priced new home in 2023 due to the fact that their incomes are insufficient to qualify for the required mortgage under standard underwriting criteria.  If the… Read More ›

  • Private Residential Spending Falls Slightly in January

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    Private residential construction spending declined 0.6% in January, as spending on single-family construction decreased 1.7%. It declined on the eighth month in a row amid elevated mortgage interest rates. Moreover, private residential construction is 3.9% lower compared to a year ago. The monthly decline is largely attributed to lower spending on single-family construction, which has been declining since June 2022…. Read More ›

  • Age of Housing Stock by State

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    According to the latest data from the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS), the median age of owner-occupied homes was 40 years. The age of the housing stock is an important remodeling market indicator. Older houses are less energy-efficient than new construction and ultimately will require remodeling and renovation in the future. Moreover, as people use their homes for more purposes… Read More ›