Eye On Housing
Data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings posted a monthly decline in November and a substantial decrease on a year-over-year basis. The estimated number of job openings declined from the October total (326,000) to 214,000 in November, after reaching a post-Great Recession high of 434,000 in April. The November 2019 count of… Read More ›
Total housing starts posted a 16.9 percent increase in December (1.608 million units) compared to a upwardly revised November estimate of 1.375 million units according to the joint data release from the Census Bureau and HUD. Relative to December 2018, total starts are 40.8 percent above the annual pace of 1.14 million units, a pace that will likely be revised… Read More ›
Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes edged one point lower to 75 in January, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The last two monthly readings mark the highest sentiment levels since July of 1999. Low interest rates and a healthy labor market combined with a need for additional inventory… Read More ›
Over the first eleven months of 2019, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 791,452. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 1.0% decline over the November 2018 level of 799,679. Year-to-date ending in November, single-family permits reported declines in three regions and a slight increase in the South. The Northeast reported the steepest… Read More ›
In December, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) released a working paper announcing the release of an updated version of the Wharton Land Use Regulatory Index. The paper’s lead author, Joseph Gyourko, is a professor at the Wharton School who is well known for his research in this area and worked with the previous version of the index. The… Read More ›
According to a recent NAHB study, although use of some factory-produced components like trusses has become widespread, the newer and more innovative types of construction technology, such as 3D printing and robots, have so far penetrated the residential market only to a very limited extent. This is true for both single-family builders and residential remodelers. Data on use of technology… Read More ›
According to data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), 62.5 percent of all homes started in 2018 were built within a community or homeowner’s association. A total of 543,000 homes with community associations were started in 2018, compared to 508,000 in 2017. The Census Bureau defines community or homeowner’s associations as “formal legal entities created to maintain common… Read More ›
New home sales posted a small gain in November, after downward revisions for prior months. However, the sales pace for newly-built single-family homes is ending the year strong, with solid demand pointing to additional construction gains in 2020. Contracts for new, single-family home sales increased slightly in November by 1.3% to a 719,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to estimates… Read More ›
The shortage of lots that has been hindering the housing recovery eased somewhat in 2019, but remains elevated by historical standards, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The survey consisted of a set of special questions included on the instrument for the September 2019 NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The survey asked… Read More ›
Looking at single-family homes started in 2018, the median prices per square foot, excluding improved lot values, range from $154 for contractor-built homes in New England to $89 for homes built for sale in the East South Central division. While the median sale and contract prices per square foot are up across most of the nation, some of the most… Read More ›