The Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey (CPS/HVS) reported the U.S. homeownership rate at 65.8% in the second quarter of 2022, which is statistically unchanged from the last quarter reading (65.4%). The national rental vacancy rate slipped to 5.6%, while the homeowner vacancy rate stayed at 0.8%. Both rental and homeowner vacancy rates are hovering near…
For the first time since 2020, affordability expectations improved in the second quarter of 2022. After rising steadily for five straight quarters, the share of buyers who can only afford a minority of the homes for sale in their markets declined to 77%, down from 81% a quarter earlier. Conversely, the share able to afford…
As mortgage rates reached 3-year high, private residential construction spending decreased 1.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $923.7 billion in June, according to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Construction Spending data. It was the first decline since May 2020. On a year-over-year basis, total private construction spending was 15.6% higher. The monthly…
For the first time since 2020, prospective buyers expect housing availability to improve. After falling steadily for five quarters, the share expecting the home search to get easier in the months ahead grew from 17% to 22% between the first and second quarters of 2022. Less competition from buyers priced-out of the market by recent…
The most recent data release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed that personal income increased 0.6% in June, making its ninth monthly increase in the past 12 months. Gains in personal income are largely driven by increases in compensation of employees and proprietors’ income. Real disposable income, income remaining after adjusted for taxes…
After falling steadily for five quarters, the popularity of new homes rebounded in the second quarter of 2022, as 21% of prospective buyers reported looking for a newly-built home – up from 19% a quarter earlier. A possible reason for this pivot is the recent growth in the inventory of new homes for-sale, while the…
The U.S. economy definitively slowed in the first half of 2022 as the Federal Reserve tightened financial conditions. Real GDP fell for the second straight quarter, while the Fed raised interest rates by 75 basis points for the second consecutive month to reduce inflation pressure. Despite these negative elements, the job market remained solid amid…
