Eye On Housing
Author Archives
-
Townhouse Construction Flat at Start of 2020
According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, townhouse construction experienced was flat on a year-over-year basis during the first quarter of 2020. Over the past four quarters, single-family attached housing experienced a small decline, which matches data in the NAHB HBGI. Those estimates reveal reduced construction activity for large metro… Read More ›
-
Small Gain for Custom Home Building During 1Q20
NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates custom home building posted a small increase during the first three months of the year, supported by low interest rates and unseasonably mild weather in January and February. While housing construction starts declined in March, and considerably more in April, on net the first quarter… Read More ›
-
Broad Declines for Housing Starts in April
As indicated by the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), housing starts retreated in April due to the economic consequences of government-imposed lockdowns associated with virus mitigation. Single-family starts were 25% lower in April, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 650,000. Since the peak rate in February, the pace of single-family construction has declined 37%. The April pace was… Read More ›
-
Builder Confidence Posts Solid Gain After Historic Drop
In a signal that the housing market is showing signs of stabilizing and gradually moving forward in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes increased seven points to 37 in May, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The rise in builder sentiment follows the… Read More ›
-
Construction Layoffs in March
Backward-looking data illustrate the degree of damage done by the sudden stop of the U.S. economy due to the public health response associated with the coronavirus. For example, there were 4,300 net job losses in residential construction in March, followed by a staggering 415,000 losses in home building and remodeling in April. The leading edge of this job loss was… Read More ›
-
Gain for Housing Share of GDP During 1Q20
During the first quarter. GDP growth posted its worst performance since the Great Recession, recording a -4.8% growth rate. However, housing’s share of gross domestic product (GDP) increased slightly to 14.9%. The home building and remodeling component – residential fixed investment – also increased slightly, rising to 3.3%. As the economy begins a recovery later in 2020, we expect housing… Read More ›
-
New Home Sales Decline in March amidst Virus Concerns
Despite a strong start for 2020, new home sales weakened significantly in March due to challenges associated with COVID-19. Contracts for new, single-family home sales declined in March by 15.4% to a 627,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to estimates from the joint release of HUD and the Census Bureau. NAHB expects further declines in a challenging April, which has… Read More ›
-
Housing Starts Decline in March amidst Virus Impacts
According to estimates from the Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Departments, single-family starts began an expected, virus-related decline in March. Construction activity is expected to fall as virus mitigation efforts result in increased unemployment, economic uncertainty and lost business activity. Despite a strong start for 2020 in January and February, the April NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI point to additional construction… Read More ›
-
Builder Confidence Posts Historic Decline
Reflecting the growing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes plunged 42 points in April to 30, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The decline in April was the largest single monthly change in the history of the index and marks the lowest builder confidence… Read More ›
-
Backwards-Looking Job Data for Construction Show Potential
Given the growing number of economic impacts from mitigation efforts associated with the coronavirus, early 2020 labor market data is of much reduced analytical value. However, the data help to describe where the economy was before the shocks of March and the potential for gains in an eventual rebound we expect to take hold during the fourth quarter. February data… Read More ›