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Rose Quint is Assistant Vice President for Survey Research. Ms. Quint holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Economics/International Business from Old Dominion University as well as a Master’s degree in Economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Her responsibilities include planning and conducting industry surveys, specifically in the areas of builder sentiment, remodeling, housing affordability, and AD&C financing issues. Ms. Quint is also responsible for special research projects, such as studies on builders’ profitability, consumer preferences, construction costs, and membership census. She joined NAHB in 1999.
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Housing Affordability Shows Signs of Weakening as Challenges Lie Ahead
Housing affordability weakened slightly during the first quarter of 2021 as rising material costs and supply shortages, along with expected increases in mortgage rates stemming from a growing economy, are likely to exacerbate affordability challenges in the year ahead. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), 63.1 percent of new and existing homes… Read More ›
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Some Buyers Perceive an Improvement in Housing Affordability
For some home buyers, housing affordability has improved. According to the Housing Trends Report for the first quarter of 2021, 35% of buyers report being able to afford half or more of the homes available for-sale in their markets. A year earlier, that share was 23%. The increase is an indication that still relatively low mortgage rates continue to have… Read More ›
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Home Offices Remain Popular Among Home Buyers
Few events over the last century have had as profound an impact on the ways we live than the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Premier among them is the heightened relevance of ‘home.’ The health crisis thrust the home into a new level of prominence, expanding its purpose beyond just a functional dwelling to many non-traditional roles such as office, gym, or… Read More ›
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More Buyers Expect House Search Will Get Easier in Months Ahead
In the first quarter of 2021, more prospective home buyers (33%) expect that finding the right home will get easier in the months ahead than did a year earlier (25%), according to the latest Housing Trends Report. A majority of buyers (61%), however, still expect the house search will become harder or stay about the same in the near future,… Read More ›
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More Buyers Are Specifically Looking for New Construction
A recent post revealed that 16% of adults are planning a home purchase in the next 12 months. Among that group of prospective buyers, 42% are looking to buy a newly-built home and 30% an existing home. A year earlier, in the first quarter of 2020, only 24% of buyers reported a preference for new homes, while 40% were looking… Read More ›
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COVID-19 Continues to Fuel Desire for Homeownership
Sixteen percent of American adults are considering the purchase of a home in the next 12 months, according to NAHB’s Housing Trends Report for Qtr1’21. That is six points higher than the 10% with similar plans a year earlier. The increase marks the third (and largest) year-over-year gain in the share of prospective buyers in the series history. This steady… Read More ›
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Laundry Room & Exterior Lighting Top Buyers’ Most Wanted List
The two most wanted features in a home are a laundry room and exterior lighting, according to NAHB’s latest study on consumer preferences – What Home Buyers Really Want (2021 Edition). The study is based on a national survey of more than 3,200 recent and prospective home buyers (people who bought homes in the previous three years or plan to… Read More ›
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Buyers Have Diverse Preferences for the Home’s Exterior Design
A new question introduced to the 2021 Edition of What Home Buyers Really Want* showed buyers pictures and descriptions of four exterior designs and asked for their preference. Results reveal that buyers have quite diverse preferences for the exterior style of their home, since none of the choices was preferred by anywhere near a majority of buyers. At best, a… Read More ›
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Buyers Are Split on Multigenerational Homes
A multigenerational home is desirable to some buyers, but not to all. According to What Home Buyers Want, 2021 Edition*, buyers are evenly divided when it comes to the desire for a home designed to house the buyer as well as a younger generation and an older generation: 39% would prefer such a home, but 39% would be against it…. Read More ›
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Home Buyers’ Preferences Shift Towards New Construction
According to the latest What Home Buyers Really Want*, 60% of home buyers would prefer a newly-built home over an existing home. In other words, all else equal, their first preference would be to purchase a new home. Looking at historical data shows a clear shift in preferences towards new construction in 2020. The share of buyers who would have… Read More ›