Eye On Housing
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 inflation shows that, although the historical price differences are smaller in real terms than nominal,… Read More ›
The failure of domestic sawmills to sufficiently boost output in the face of ongoing strong home buyer demand was a primary factor that contributed to record-high lumber prices and price volatility in 2021. Soaring lumber prices, combined with delays and higher costs for other building materials, continued to be a significant limiting factor for home building throughout 2021 despite a… Read More ›
According to NAHB analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC), new single-family starts expanded at a fast pace in 2020. Nationally, 993,635 new single-family units were started in 2020, 12% higher than the units started in 2019. It marked the fastest growth rate since 2013 and the highest count of starts since the Great Recession. Among all the nine Census… Read More ›
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction’s (SOC) estimate of the number of bedrooms in new single-family homes has shown a declining trend for homes with 4 bedrooms or more since 2015 and a rising trend for homes with 3 bedrooms. The most recent SOC data show the number of bedrooms of new homes whose construction began in 2019 (new… Read More ›
According to NAHB analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC), nationally, 891,068 new single-family units were started in 2019, 1% higher than the units started in 2018. It was 107% higher than the trough of 2011 (430,677 units). Among all the nine Census divisions, new single-family units started in the South Atlantic, West South Central and Mountain Divisions exceeded 100k… Read More ›
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction’s (SOC) estimate of the number of bedrooms in new single-family homes has shown a declining trend for homes with 4 bedrooms or more since 2015. The most recent SOC data show the number of bedrooms of new homes whose construction began in 2018 (new homes started). Nationally, the number of single-family homes started… Read More ›
According to NAHB analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC), nationally, there were 881,076 new single-family units started in 2018, 4% higher than the units started in 2017. It was the double of the units started in 2011, and still 49% less than the peak of 2007 (1,731,171 units). Among all the nine Census divisions, new single-family units started in… Read More ›
Total housing starts posted a 8.7 percent decrease in February (1.162 million units) compared to a upwardly revised January estimate of 1.273 million units according to the joint data release from the Census Bureau and HUD. Relative to February 2018, total starts are 9.9 percent below the annual pace of 1.29 million units. The rate of single-family starts posted a… Read More ›
Total housing starts increased 18.6 percent in January 2019 (1.230 million units) compared to a revised down December estimate of 1.037 million units. However, total starts are 7.8 percent below the January 2018 level of 1.334 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Department that was delayed due to the partial government… Read More ›
Total housing starts posted a 1.5 percent increase in October (1.23 million units) compared to a revised September estimate of 1.21 million units. However, total starts are 2.9 percent below lower than October 2017. Despite the recent market softness, 2018 is still shaping up to be the best year since the recession. Total housing starts are 5.6 percent higher for… Read More ›