The custom home premium, the difference between what typical buyers pay per square foot for a contractor-built home and a spec home, reached 12.6%, its highest level since 2011, according
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) conducts an annual census to better understand the composition and characteristics of its members. In 2025, 35% of NAHB’s membership was comprised of
Mortgage rates increased in August as Treasury yields remained elevated amid persistent inflation concerns. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.67% in August, up 13 basis points
The percentage of new apartment units that were absorbed within three months after completion was down five percentage points in the first quarter, according to the Census Bureau’s latest release
Material costs increased by 6.7% over the previous year, according to results from the survey for the July 2026 NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). A large majority (72.9%) of
Residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.4% in July and were up 5.0% from a year ago. Energy prices fell again in July but remained significantly higher than a
Housing’s share of the economy was 15.8% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest estimates of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This share is
An earlier post described how the top ten builders in the country accounted for 43.6% of new single-family closings in 2025. BUILDER magazine has now released additional data on the
The housing market has changed greatly since the COVID-19 pandemic, along with consumer spending behaviors. During this period, housing demand surged, home prices appreciated rapidly, inflation increased, supply-chain disruptions happened,
At the start of 2026, most home builders predicted that high mortgage rates and hesitancy among buyers would be their toughest challenges this year. They weren’t wrong: the 30-year mortgage
State labor market conditions softened in June as hiring slowed across much of the country. While a majority of states recorded payroll employment gains during the month, national job growth
The long-term shift toward building single-family detached homes on smaller lots appears to have stabilized. According to the latest Survey of Construction (SOC), the share of new homes built on
Vinyl siding was the most used principle exterior wall material for homes started construction in 2025. This material held just over a quarter share of homes, surpassing stucco for the
Over half of new single-family homes built in 2025 were two or more stories, according to the recent release of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). After increasing in
In the second quarter of 2026, the NAHB Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 61, down one point compared to the previous quarter. The RMI has remained in the
In 2025, approximately 47,000 homes were built in age-restricted communities, representing 3.45% of all housing starts. According to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction, roughly two-thirds of these homes (30,000) were single-family units, while the remaining 17,000 were multifamily units. In 2009, during
Residential construction employment continued to soften in recent months, reflecting elevated interest rates, ongoing affordability challenges, and slower home building activity. Over the last 12 months, residential construction employment has
The top ten builders accounted for 43.6% of all new U.S. single-family home closings in 2025, down 1.2 percentage points from 2024 (44.8%), based on BUILDER magazine data. The 2025