With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Two such posts focused on home prices and construction costs. In November, Natalia Siniavskaia examined 2022 Census data to report regional differences...
Elevated mortgage rates acted as a drag on new home sales in November, but with the economy now apparently past peak interest rates for this cycle, sales are expected to rise as we move into the new year. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in...
NAHB analysis of the Census Bureau’s quarterly state and local tax data shows that $129 billion in taxes were paid by property owners in the third quarter of 2023 (not seasonally adjusted).[1] In the four quarters ending Q3 2023, state and local governments collected $757...
Consumer confidence jumped to a five-month high as consumers were more optimistic about inflation and the economic outlook. This optimism was primarily driven by slowing inflation, expectations of lower interest rates, and fading fears of recession. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board,...
Existing home sales rose in November from a 13-year low, ending a five-month decline, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This increase in sales was driven by a strong gain in the South, where homes are considered more affordable. Low inventory and strong...
Single-family construction surged in November as lower mortgage rates helped to assuage affordability concerns and unleash pent-up demand for housing. Overall housing starts increased 14.8% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.56 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department...
Falling mortgage rates helped end a four-month decline in builder confidence, and recent economic data signal improving housing conditions heading into 2024. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes rose three points to 37 in December, according to the National Association of...
After years of being unable to ratchet up the number of new workers coming from outside the U.S. to help with persistent labor shortages, the construction industry reversed this trend and managed to attract over 90,000 new immigrant workers, levels unseen since the housing boom...
Over the first ten months of 2023, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 773,526. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is 10.7% below the October 2022 level of 865,815. Year-to-date ending in October, single-family permits declined in all four regions....
The Census Bureau’s latest Survey of Construction (SOC) shows small changes in the share of number of bedrooms for new single-family homes in 2022 compared with the previous year. The current estimates indicate the share of new single-family homes with two bedrooms or less is...
The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee held the federal funds rate constant at a top target rate of 5.5% at the conclusion of its December meeting. The Fed will continue to reduce its balance sheet holdings of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities as part of quantitative...
According to the latest Producer Price Index report, the price level of inputs to residential construction less energy (i.e., building materials) increased 0.2% in November after declining 0.4% in October (revised, not seasonally adjusted). The index has increased 0.8% (NSA), year-to-date, marking the smallest YTD...
Per the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) survey through the week ending December 8th, total mortgage activity increased 7.4% from the previous week, and the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate fell 10 basis points to 7.07%. The FRM rate has decreased by 54 basis points...
Consumer prices rose slightly in November, with a decline in the gasoline index being offset by an increase in the shelter index. The ongoing slowdown in inflation increases the probability that the Fed is done increasing rates. However, even after peaking in March this year,...
Using the Bureau of Economic Analysis most recent release of county level personal income per capita data and Census Bureau’s county level permit data, new NAHB analysis finds that single-family and multifamily construction takes place more often in areas where incomes are higher. Counties were...
According to the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit report, total consumer credit outstanding totaled $4.99 trillion (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in October, an increase of $5.1 billion over the month and $146.7 billion—or 3.0%–higher than October 2022. The monthly increase resulted from revolving and...
According to the 2023 third quarter release of the Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts of the United States, household real estate assets grew for the second consecutive quarter. The continued lack of existing for-sale inventory has contributed to the growth in households’ real estate assets....
In November, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 199,000 and the unemployment rate declined to 3.7%, from 3.9% in October. The labor market continues to moderate. The Fed held interest rates steady for the second meeting in a row at the conclusion of its November...
