National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog
Mortgage Applications Decline as Higher Rates Boost ARM Share
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Mortgage application activity declined in October as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose sharply again. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, ...
Laundry Room Locations in New Homes and Apartments, 2025
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In 2025, the majority of homes started featured laundry connections on the first floor (70%), according to the Census’s Survey of Construction. Laundry located on the second floor or higher ...
Mortgage Rates Climb in October Amid Accelerating Inflation
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Mortgage rates rose sharply again in October as the U.S. treasury yields surged. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.33% in October, up 47 basis points (bps) ...
Construction Job Openings Rise in September
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The number of open positions in the construction sector increased in September per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level of open jobs ...
Private Residential Construction Slips as Remodeling Weakens
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Private residential construction spending decreased in September 2026 driven by a steep decline in improvement (remodeling) spending. According to the latest construction spending data from the U.S. Census Bureau, private ...
Interior Finishes: The Most Time-Consuming Stage of Single-family Construction
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Interior finishes (drywall, interior doors, painting, cabinets, countertops, plumbing fixtures, flooring, etc.) take more time to complete—6.4 weeks, on average—than any other major stage of single-family construction, according to results ...
Student Housing Construction Rises in the Third Quarter
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Private fixed investment in student dormitories rose 2.6% in the third quarter of 2026, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $3.8 billion. This gain marked a second consecutive ...
