National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Job Market Shows Signs of Cooling in November
Job Market Shows Signs of Cooling in November
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In November, job growth slowed, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, its highest level in four years. At the same time, job gains for the previous two months (August ...
Builder Sentiment Inches Higher but Ends the Year in Negative Territory
Builder Sentiment Inches Higher but Ends the Year in Negative Territory
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Builder confidence inched higher to end the year but still remains well into negative territory as builders continue to grapple with rising construction costs, tariff and economic uncertainty, and many ...
Homeownership Rate Inches Up to 65.3% 
Homeownership Rate Inches Up to 65.3% 
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The latest homeownership rate rose to 65.3% in the third quarter of 2025, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS). Despite this quarterly increase, the trend continues to reflect ...
No Risk-Free Path: Fed Eases Monetary Policy
No Risk-Free Path: Fed Eases Monetary Policy
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The central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut rates a third and final time in 2025, reducing the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points ...
Construction Labor Market Stable
Construction Labor Market Stable
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The count of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry was relatively unchanged in October, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level ...
Mortgage Activity Continued to Climb in November
Mortgage Activity Continued to Climb in November
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Mortgage activity continued to climb in November, posting the largest year-over-year increase in more than five years. Every major category increased on a year-over-year basis as mortgage rates continue to trend lower, led by strong increases in refinancing and adjustable-rate mortgage activity.  The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market ...
Community Associations: A Growing Trend in 2024
Community Associations: A Growing Trend in 2024
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In 2024, 65.7% of all new single-family homes started were built within a community or homeowner’s association. This share increased from the 64.8% recorded in 2023, according to data tabulated ...
Mortgage Rates Continue to Trend Lower in November
Mortgage Rates Continue to Trend Lower in November
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The average mortgage rate in November continued to trend lower to its lowest level in over a year. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.24% in November, ...
Number of Bathrooms in New Single-Family Homes in 2024
Number of Bathrooms in New Single-Family Homes in 2024
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Single-family homes started in 2024 typically had two full bathrooms, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Construction. Homes with three full bathrooms continued to have the second ...
House Price Appreciation by State and Metro Area: Third Quarter 2025
House Price Appreciation by State and Metro Area: Third Quarter 2025
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House prices continued to rise in the third quarter of 2025, though the pace of growth slowed as elevated mortgage rates, affordability challenges, and persistent economic uncertainty weighed on consumer ...
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With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In March, Jing Fu compared homeowners and renters’ major assets, debt and net worth, as well as differences between age groups. As...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In October, Jesse Wade shared the average real estate tax by state and also an effective rate controlling for home value. Nationally,...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In June, Chief Economist Rob Dietz highlighted the importance of both new and existing home inventory in understanding housing market dynamics, emphasizing...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In February, Na Zhao shared the latest data on ages of homeowners as well as when their homes were built. The median...

With the end of 2024 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In April, Natalia Siniavskaia shared wages by occupation in construction including the median salaries and top 25% salaries. Half of payroll workers...

In November 2024, the U.S. housing market experienced a significant boost, with sales of new single-family homes reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 664,000, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 38 states and the District of Columbia in November compared to the previous month, while it decreased in 12 states. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 227,000 in November, following a meager...

Consumer confidence fell to a three-month low in December amid growing concerns about economic uncertainties, especially potential tariffs. These policy changes could derail inflation progress and lead the Fed to slow its easing pace. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board, is a...

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 45 states and the District of Columbia in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the second quarter of 2024 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Iowa reported no change during this time. The percent...

Despite higher mortgage rates and elevated home prices, existing home sales jumped to an 8-month high in November, marking the second month of annual increase in more than three years, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). While inventory improves and the Fed continues...

In a widely anticipated move, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) reduced the short-term federal funds rate by an additional 25 basis points at the conclusion of its December meeting. This policy move reduces the top target rate to 4.5%. However, the Fed’s...

Ongoing lean levels of single-family existing home inventory helped to boost single-family production in November, while overall housing production fell because of a double-digit percentage drop in multifamily construction. Overall housing starts decreased 1.8% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.29 million...

State & local tax revenue from property taxes paid reached $203.9 billion in the third quarter of 2024 (seasonally adjusted), according to the Census Bureau’s quarterly summary of state & local tax revenue. This marks a 2.8% increase from the revised $198.3 billion in the...

Builder sentiment held steady to end the year as high home prices and mortgage rates offset renewed hope about a better regulatory business climate in 2025. Along those lines, builders expressed increased optimism for higher sales expectations in the next months. Builder confidence in the...

Over the first ten months of 2024, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 846,446. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an increase of 9.4% over the October 2023 level of 773,526. Year-to-date ending in October, single-family permits were up...

The U.S. trade deficit in goods was at $112 billion in the month of October, according to the Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade data. Compared to last year, the level has increased 13.3%, rising from $99 billion. Total goods imported was valued at $289 billion while...

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume by the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey, decreased 14.5%, month-over-month, in November on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis. The slowdown in mortgage activity can be attributed to higher mortgage rates as the ten-year...

NAHB estimates that $184 billion worth of goods were used in the construction of both new multifamily and single-family housing in 2023. Additionally, we estimate that $13 billon of those goods were imported from outside of the U.S. These figures lead to 7% of all...

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