Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Townhouse Construction Weakness Continues
According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, townhouse construction declined during a challenging second quarter. The sector was also relatively weaker than the overall building market. As housing demand has shifted to more suburban and exurban areas, and housing affordability headwinds persist, medium-density construction has lagged. During the second quarter… Read More ›
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New Single-Family Home Size Leveling Off?
New single-family home size trended lower during the second quarter 2020 at the beginning of what we are forecasting will be a pivot to larger home size over the next two years. According to second quarter 2020 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area ticked down to… Read More ›
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Custom Home Building Outperformed the Market During 2Q20
NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates custom home building performed better than the overall building market during the challenging second quarter of 2020. This relative outperformance is at odds with the conventional narrative that spec home building saw outsized gains during the April to June time period. There were 45,000… Read More ›
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Housing Starts Gain Ground in July
Single-family housing permits and starts expanded in July as housing demand and construction remains a bright spot for the overall economy. Demand is being supported by low interest rates and a renewed focus on the importance of home amid the virus crisis. Single-family starts in July were estimated by Census/HUD at a 940,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, after a revised… Read More ›
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Builder Confidence Matches All-Time High on Record Traffic
In a sign that housing continues to lead the economy forward, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes increased six points to 78 in August, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The HMI now stands at its highest reading in the 35-year history of the series, matching the record that… Read More ›
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Construction Hiring Continued in June
After an accelerated pace of layoffs in March and April, construction sector hiring roared back in May and continued at somewhat reduced pace in June, per data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). In May, the hiring rate increased to 9.7%, after a subdued 3.7% rate in April. This was the strongest rate of hiring in… Read More ›
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Housing Share of GDP Climbs to 13-Year High
Housing will lead the economic recovery. Due to low mortgage interest rates, a renewed focus on the importance of home, and a lack of for-sale inventory, housing data has been a relative bright spot as the overall economy struggles to establish a rebound. Due to this broader weakness (GDP declined at a -32.9% rate for the second quarter) and gains… Read More ›
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New Home Sales Jump in June
New single-family home sales jumped in June, as housing demand was supported by low interest rates, a renewed consumer focus on the importance of housing, and rising demand in lower-density markets like suburbs and exurbs. Census and HUD estimated new home sales in June at a 776,000 seasonally adjusted annual pace, a 14% gain over May and the strongest seasonally… Read More ›
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Affordable Housing Credit Beneficiaries: 2020 Update
The affordable housing credit (the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit or LIHTC) plays a critical role in the housing sector by ensuring a supply of attainable rental housing. Created as part of the 1986 tax reform legislation, the LIHTC has been responsible for financing the development or preservation of more than 3.2 million rental homes. Moreover, the housing credit has been… Read More ›
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Gains for Single-Family Permits, Starts in June
Single-family housing permits and starts were higher in June as housing demand and construction remains a bright spot for the overall economy. Demand is being supported by low interest rates and renewed focus on the importance of home amidst the virus crisis. Single-family starts in June were estimated by Census/HUD at an 831,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, after an revised… Read More ›