Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Custom and Spec Home Market Shares in 2015
Custom home building registered declining market shares across all regions of the Unites States in 2015, except the New England and East South Central division where the custom home share of new single-family starts remained stable and relatively high. NAHB’s analysis of the most recent Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) shows that New England registered the highest custom home… Read More ›
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Lot Values at Record High
Single-family lot prices set a new record in 2015, with half of the lots priced at or above $45,000. According to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) data, this is the highest median lot value on record and exceeds the previous record of $43,000 reached in 2006, in the midst of the housing boom when twice… Read More ›
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Lots in 2015 are Smallest on Record
The median lot size of a new single-family detached home sold in 2015 dropped under 8,600 square feet for the first time since Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) started tracking the series. An acre is 43,560 square feet, so the current median lot size is just under one-fifth of an acre. In 2014, Paul Emrath used a football field… Read More ›
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14 Million Households “Priced Out” by Government Regulation
NAHB Economics estimates that 14 million American households are priced out of the market for a new home by government regulations that, on average, increase the new home price by 24.3%. Households become “priced out” when they no longer qualify for a new home mortgage because of higher prices. A recent NAHB study estimated that, on average, regulations imposed by… Read More ›
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How Property Tax Rates Vary Across and Within Counties
A new NAHB Economics research article shows that the effective real estate tax rates vary substantially across and within counties, with the highest rate area displaying rates that are often multiple times higher than the lowest rate areas within the same county. An “effective property tax rate” is the amount of property tax paid divided by the value of the home… Read More ›
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Young Adult Households That Did Not Form
New NAHB Economics research shows that two million households headed by 25 – 34 year olds are missing from the current housing market but could have been active players if the headship rates remained at the 2000 levels. Instead, a rising number of young adults choose to stay with their parents or parents-in-law. As of 2014, more than 20 percent… Read More ›
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Homebuilder and Remodeler Cost Breakdown
NAHB analysis of the latest Economic Census data shows that, on average, residential construction establishments were able to cover their hard and soft construction costs and generate positive profits in 2012. The 2012 data show that the direct costs of construction – consisting of construction payroll, costs of construction work subcontracted out to others, and costs for materials/supplies – vary… Read More ›
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Most Homebuilders are Small Businesses
Based on the recently released 2012 Economic Census data, new NAHB research shows that residential construction remains the industry of independent entrepreneurs with 81 percent of homebuilders and specialty trade contractors being self-employed independent contractors. Even among establishments with paid employees, the industry is dominated by small businesses, with two-thirds of homebuilders and three out of four specialty trade contractors… Read More ›
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How New Homebuyers Finance Their Homes Across the Nation
NAHB analysis of the Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC) data shows that non-conventional forms of financing new single-family home purchases remained elevated in 2014, but their use and mix varied widely across the country. In the West North Central division, only 21 percent of new homes started in 2014 were purchased using non-conventional financing methods. The share was twice… Read More ›
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Sale and Contract Prices per Square Foot in 2014
For single-family homes started in 2014, median prices, excluding improved lot values, range from $159 per square foot for contractor-built homes in the Pacific and New England divisions to $80 per square foot for speculatively-built homes in the East South Central division. The most expensive new single-family homes in 2014 were contractor-built homes in the Pacific and New England divisions with the… Read More ›