National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Housing Starts Weaken in May as Multifamily Construction Slows
Housing Starts Weaken in May as Multifamily Construction Slows
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Housing starts fell sharply in May, driven by a steep drop in multifamily construction. Meanwhile, single-family buildings also slipped amid high interest rates, rising construction costs and ongoing labor shortages. ...
Builder Sentiment Remains Weak Amid Affordability Concerns
Builder Sentiment Remains Weak Amid Affordability Concerns
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Builder sentiment remains subdued as rising material costs, elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges continue to strain the housing market. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family ...
Single-Family Permits Continue to Decline Through April as Multifamily Activity Strengthens
Single-Family Permits Continue to Decline Through April as Multifamily Activity Strengthens
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Through April 2026, residential construction activity remained uneven across housing sectors. Single-family permitting continued to soften compared with a year ago, reflecting persistent affordability challenges and elevated borrowing costs, while ...
Residential Building Material Prices Rise at Highest Rate In Over Three Years
Residential Building Material Prices Rise at Highest Rate In Over Three Years
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Wholesale prices of goods used in residential construction rose in May as energy prices continued to climb. In May, residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose at their highest yearly ...
Inflation Surpassed 4% in May
Inflation Surpassed 4% in May
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Inflation accelerated to a new three-year high in May, driven by continued increases in energy costs from the Iran war. Energy costs drove more than 60% of the monthly increase, ...
Home Building Regulatory Cost Burdens Increased 40% from 2021 to 2026
Home Building Regulatory Cost Burdens Increased 40% from 2021 to 2026
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A new NAHB study shows that, on average, regulations imposed by government at all levels account for $131,734, or 26.4%, of the final price of a new single-family home built ...
Existing Home Sales Increased in May
Existing Home Sales Increased in May
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Existing home sales rose to a five-month high in May as more first-time buyers stepped back into the market. The share of first-time buyer reached 35% in May, the highest ...
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Confidence in the market for new multifamily housing improved in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to the latest results from NAHB’s Multifamily Market Survey (MMS). The MMS produces two main indices. In the fourth quarter, the Multifamily Production Index (MPI) increased one point to...

New single-family home sales posted a small decline in January as housing demand was affected by a jump in mortgage rates. The January pace of sales was nonetheless solid due to a lack of resale inventory and ongoing need for new construction. The U.S. Department...

According to NAHB analysis of quarterly Census data, the market share of rental units of multifamily construction starts increased to 94.2% during the fourth quarter of 2021. In contrast, the historical low share of 47% was set during the third quarter of 2005, during the...

National home prices grew at an unsustainable pace in December, supported by strong demand and record-low inventory. Home price appreciation is expected to slow in the coming quarters as rising mortgage rates price some homebuyers out of the market. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National...

An expected impact of the virus crisis is a need for more residential space, as people use homes for more purposes including work. Recent data confirms this impact on the market continues to occur. According to fourth quarter 2021 data from the Census Quarterly Starts...

NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates custom home building expanded by 10.8% in 2021 amid strong demand for move-up purchases given a rise in existing home equity. There were 49,000 total custom building starts...

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...

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