National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Private Residential Construction Spending Continues to Weaken
Private Residential Construction Spending Continues to Weaken
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Private residential construction spending fell further in July, marking its fourth consecutive monthly decline. According to the latest construction spending data from the U.S. Census Bureau, private residential construction spending ...
House Price Appreciation by State and Metro Area in the Second Quarter of 2026
House Price Appreciation by State and Metro Area in the Second Quarter of 2026
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U.S. house prices continued to rise in the second quarter of 2026, with most states and metropolitan areas recording annual gains. Elevated borrowing costs and affordability constraints remained important headwinds, ...
Number of Open Construction Sector Positions Rising
Number of Open Construction Sector Positions Rising
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The number of open positions in the construction sector increased in July per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level of open jobs ...
HBGI Q2 2026: Single-Family Construction Contracts Broadly While Multifamily Expands
HBGI Q2 2026: Single-Family Construction Contracts Broadly While Multifamily Expands
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Home building trends diverged across geographies in the second quarter of 2026. According to the Home Building Geography Index (HBGI), single-family construction declined in nearly all geographic categories, although the ...
Serious Delinquencies Edge Lower While Mortgage Transitions Rise
Serious Delinquencies Edge Lower While Mortgage Transitions Rise
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Household debt delinquency rates showed signs of stabilization in the second quarter of 2026 as overall share of delinquency balances edged lower and the transition to seriously delinquent debt declined ...
Single-Family AD&C Lending Falls Back in Q2
Single-Family AD&C Lending Falls Back in Q2
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Single-family construction lending fell slightly in the second quarter, according to data released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The volume of 1-4 family residential construction and land development loans ...
Multifamily Absorption Rate Remains Below 50%
Multifamily Absorption Rate Remains Below 50%
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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 ...
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In 2024, there were 24,000 homes that exceeded 5,000 square feet, equating to a 2.3% market share of all new homes started. Both the number and market share for 5,000+ square foot homes experienced declines from 2023, according to the annual data from the Census...

Challenging affordability conditions, elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty continue to act as headwinds on the housing sector as many potential buyers continue to stay on the sidelines. Sales of newly built single-family homes edged 0.6% higher in June, rising to a seasonally adjusted annual...

Existing home sales fell to 9-month low in June as home prices hit another monthly record high, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Sluggish pace of sales suggest that higher mortgage rates and elevated home prices are continuing to sideline buyers, despite improved...

The majority of single-family home builders do not currently use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their businesses.  For the highest use, 20% of builders use AI to generate advertising/marketing materials and 11% to help analyze markets/plan projects.  Less than 5% currently use this tool to help...

An earlier post described how the top 10 builders in the country captured a record 44.7% of new single-family closings in 2024. BUILDER Magazine has now released additional data on the top ten builders within each of the 50 largest new home markets in the...

The share of new single-family homes built with individual septic systems declined slightly in 2024 compared to the previous year, while the share of homes served by private wells remained steady. According to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), approximately 16%...

From 2020 to 2024, sales of lower-priced new homes declined significantly as the market moved toward higher-priced segments. Rising construction costs—driven by inflation, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages—as well as higher regulatory costs, made it increasingly difficult for builders to construct affordable homes. On...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 27 states in June compared to the previous month, while employment decreased in 23 states and the District of Columbia. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 147,000 in June following a gain...

Single-family housing starts declined in June to the lowest rate since July 2024 as elevated interest rates, rising inventories and ongoing supply-side issues continue to act as headwinds for the housing sector. Due to a solid increase in multifamily production, overall housing starts increased 4.6%...

Builder confidence for future sales expectations received a slight boost in July with the extension of the 2017 tax cuts, but elevated interest rates and economic and policy uncertainty continue to act as headwinds for the housing sector. Builder confidence in the market for newly...

Residential building material prices rose in June, driven primarily by higher construction machinery and equipment part prices. Metal commodities also experienced significant increases, following recently implemented tariffs on steel and aluminum.  Meanwhile, price growth for services used in construction continues to outpace both domestic and imported goods. ...

Housing permits continued a downhill trend for the fifth month in a row, pointing to a broader residential construction slowdown for 2025. This slowdown is attributed to factors like higher mortgage rates, tariff concerns, and challenges about future housing demand due to economic uncertainty. Over...

Inflation rose to a 4-month high in June as consumer prices began to reflect tariff policy. The Consumer Price Index increased from 2.4% in May to 2.7% in June year-over-year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report. Despite the increase, core inflation came in...

The number of residential remodelers in the U.S. has reached a record high of 128,187 establishments, 65% higher than the number of residential builders (single-family and multifamily), which stands at 77,455.  These official government counts were released by the U.S. Census Bureau as part of...

Despite shrinking lot sizes, values for single-family detached spec home lots continued to rise, with the national median outpacing U.S. inflation and reaching a new high in 2024. The U.S. median lot value for single-family detached for-sale homes started in 2024 stood at $60,000, according...

The share of smaller lots remained record high in 2024, with two out of three new single-family detached homes sold occupying lots under 9,000 square feet (1/5 of an acre or less). Moreover, a high share of 40% occupied lots under 7,000 square feet (or...

In the second quarter of 2025, the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 59, down four points compared to the previous quarter. While this reading is still in positive territory, some remodelers, especially in the West, are seeing a slowing of...

Mortgage application activity picked up in June, supported by a slight decline in interest rates. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, which tracks mortgage application volume, rose 5.4% from May on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to June 2024, total applications were up...

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