Despite record-low inventory and higher prices, existing home sales jumped in January as buyers expected further rate increases and locked in current low rates, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). However, investors with all-cash offers were squeezing out first-time and young homebuyers. More...
According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, townhouse construction jumped 28.1% in 2021. As housing demand has shifted to more suburban and exurban areas and housing affordability headwinds persist, medium-density construction lagged for much...
In the fourth quarter of 2021, effective interest rates decreased on all four categories of loans tracked in NAHB’s Survey on Acquisition, Development & Construction (AD&C) financing. The average effective rate (based on rate of return to the lender over the assumed life of the...
The number of single-family built-for-rent (SFBFR) construction starts increased almost 16% in 2021, after a record-breaking third quarter for production. The SFBFR market is a way to add inventory amid concerns over housing affordability and downpayment requirements in the for-sale market, particularly during a period...
Single-family starts dipped somewhat in January, as ongoing supply-chain issues are adding cost and construction time to home building. The availability of labor and lots also remain key headwinds, with labor likely to become more challenging in 2022. Overall housing starts decreased 4.1% to a...
Despite strong buyer demand, builder sentiment continued to slip in February as the industry grapples with ongoing building material production bottlenecks that are raising construction costs and delaying projects. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes moved one point lower to 82...
The prices of goods used in residential construction ex-energy climbed 3.6% in January (not seasonally adjusted), according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index was led higher by a 25.4% jump in softwood lumber prices...
For 2021, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 1,111,414. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 13.7% increase over the December 2020 level of 977,863. Year-to-date ending in December, single-family permits increased in all four regions. The Northeast region...
NAHB recently released its 2022 priced out estimates, showing how higher prices and interest rates affect housing affordability. The new estimates show that 87.5 million households (roughly 69 percent of all U.S. households) are not able to afford a new median priced new home in...
In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Federal Reserve’s Board’s Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS) on Bank Lending Practices showed easing lending standards for Commercial Real Estate (CRE) loans, increased demand for multifamily loans, and moderately reduced demand for home loans (Residential Real Estate,...
Consumer prices continued to accelerate in January due to higher food, electricity and housing costs. This was the largest year-over-year gain since February 1982. This higher-than-expected inflation may push the Federal Reserve to become more aggressive and raise the federal funds rate at a faster...
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest weekly application surveys show average loan sizes reaching consecutive record highs each week for the latest month, with a record high of $446,000 for the week ending February 4. Accompanying the increase was a similar dramatic rise in the...
The Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit Report states that consumer credit increased 5.9 percent in 2021, with revolving and nonrevolving credit increasing 6.6 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively. During the fourth quarter, consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.6 percent,...
Supply-chain bottlenecks that put upward pressure on home prices along with rising interest rates contributed to housing affordability falling to a 10-year low. The likelihood of higher interest rates in the months ahead (as the Federal Reserve moves to tighten interest rates) along with ongoing...
Much like last year, the price and availability of building materials topped the list of problems builders face. According to special questions on the December 2021 survey for the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, building material prices were a significant issue for 96% of builders...
Despite the omicron surge, the U.S. job market experienced solid gains. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 467,000 in January, and the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.0%. Additionally, job gains in December and November were much stronger than initially estimated, according to revisions...
In the third quarter of 2021, the demand for apartment and other multifamily properties surged, contributing to the rise in their price levels, as shown by the Commercial Real Estate Price Index (CREPI) series. This recent development owed to a combination of several related factors:...
Most analyses of lumber price trends and levels fail to account for inflation because the price data for softwood lumber used in framing applications is generally quoted using the Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite Price or lumber futures prices–neither of which is inflation-adjusted. Adjusting for...
