Eye On Housing
Thanks to a surge in residential investment during 2020 and ongoing strength in 2021, housing’s share of GDP remains elevated compared to most of the post-Great Recession period. Due to the pandemic, market conditions evolved with a renewed focus on the importance of home, a shifting geography of housing demand, and a lack of for-sale inventory. Housing continued to expand… Read More ›
At the conclusion of its January policy meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee strongly signaled that it will undertake its first, post-covid increase of the federal funds rate in March. The Fed is tightening monetary policy in response to the highest inflation readings in nearly 40 years. These inflationary pressures have increased both consumer costs and businesses input costs, including… Read More ›
New single-family home sales increased in December as housing demand was lifted by buyers accelerating some contract signings due to anticipated higher mortgage interest rates in 2022. However, for the year as a whole, sales ended 7.3% lower than a supercharged 2020, as builders slowed some sales to manage ongoing building material and labor issues affecting the housing industry. The… Read More ›
The NAHB/Royal Building Products Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the fourth quarter posted a reading of 83, up four points from the fourth quarter of 2020. The reading is a sign of positive residential remodeler sentiment for projects of all sizes. The RMI is based on a survey that asks remodelers to rate various aspects of the remodeling market “good,” “fair”… Read More ›
Home building ended 2021 with strong annual gains as demand accelerated in the wake of the pandemic. These annual gains were realized despite supply-chain limitations for materials and ongoing access issues for labor and lots. Single-family starts ended 2021 with a 13.4% increase for a total of 1.123 million starts. Multifamily 5+ unit construction ended the year with a 22.1%… Read More ›
Growing inflation concerns and ongoing supply chain disruptions snapped a four-month rise in builder sentiment even as consumer demand remains robust. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes moved one point lower to 83 in January, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The HMI has hovered at the 83… Read More ›
The construction labor market remains tight, as the levels of quits rise. The count of open construction jobs declined to 345,000 unfilled positions in November, after recording the highest measure in the history of the data series (going back to late 2000), 445,000 in October. The housing market remains underbuilt and requires additional labor, lots and lumber and building materials… Read More ›
New single-family home sales rose in November as housing demand was supported by low interest rates and strong consumer demand, despite the ongoing building materials challenges impacting the housing industry. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau estimated sales of newly built, single-family homes in November at a 744,000 seasonally adjusted annual pace, a… Read More ›
Single-family housing showed strength in November despite supply-chain limitations for materials and ongoing access issues for labor and lots. Overall housing starts increased 11.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.68 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The November reading of 1.68 million starts is… Read More ›
At the conclusion of its December policy meeting, the Federal Reserve announced changes to its outlook and projections that move monetary policy further away from the accommodative stance that has supported the economic rebound from the 2020 recession. This pivot toward tighter policy is a direct result of ongoing, elevated inflation data. Today’s announcement makes several changes to both the… Read More ›