Articles

Homeownership affordability is fundamental to the health of the remodeling market because younger households are traditionally the most active group for home improvement projects. Households under age 35 often begin with DIY efforts and then increase their spending as they turn to professionally installed projects as both their incomes and families grow. More affordable areas have allowed younger households the ability to purchase a home earlier in their lives and begin making changes. Read More

"While mortgage interest rates have trended higher since February and home prices continue to outstrip inflation, housing demand appears to be unwavering for now as buyer traffic reached its highest level since November," said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz. "NAHB's forecast is for ongoing growth in single-family construction in 2021, albeit at a lower growth rate than realized in 2020." Read More

In spite of the struggling economy in 2020 - the pandemic’s impact sent U.S. GDP to a 3.5% decrease from the previous year -, some segments of the economy in the United States remained healthy last year. One of them is the construction industry, which performed very well, bolstered by the strong housing market. U.S. construction spending (which includes both private and public residential and non-residential construction) increased for the ninth consecutive year to its highest level on record. The $1.43 trillion total represented a 4.7% increase from the previous year. Read More

Catalina estimates U.S. floor coverings manufacturer sales (shipments minus exports plus imports) could have increased by 8.2 percent in dollars and 6.7 percent in square feet in the first quarter of 2021. The first quarter gain compares to a 1.5 percent decline in dollars sales and a 3.3 percent increase in square foot sales for all of 2020. The rebound has been led by a surge in consumer floor coverings spending, strong builder purchases and strengthening prices. Read More

Gaged Porcelain Tile Panels and Natural Stone Slabs: Plus, large slabs are available in different varieties of tile and stone so consumers can find the perfect product for their space. According to Mara Villanueva-Heras, vice president of marketing, Emser Tile, large format porcelain slabs have grown by double digits in the last several years, “with specifications for countertops increasing while natural stone countertop requests have slightly decreased. Porcelain panels, like quartz are nonporous and require less maintenance and are more hygienic than natural stone for commercial applications.” Read More

"The remodeling market has recovered from the pandemic and continues to grow as the economy strengthens," said NAHB Remodelers chair Steve Cunningham, CAPS, CGP, a remodeler from Williamsburg, Va. "Increased household savings during the second half of 2020 have lifted budgets available for home improvement projects. However, demand is stronger than many remodelers can handle, resulting in being forced to turn work away." Read More

As the housing industry celebrates New Homes Month in April, recent data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), reveals that first-time home buyers account for almost half (43 percent) of the new home market in 2021, up from 32 percent in 2018. Read More

At Total Solutions Plus 2020 Virtual Conference Bart Bettiga interviewed two NTCA Recognized Industry Consultants Richard Goldberg and Donato Pompo.  The roundtable discussion gave insights into the many issues related to tile and stone installation.  Read More

Personal income decreased $1,516.6 billion, or 7.1 percent at a monthly rate, while consumer spending decreased $149.0 billion, or 1.0 percent, in February. Read More

Architecture Billings Climb into Positive Territory March 24, 2021 from TalkFloor Continuing the positive momentum of a nearly three-point bump in January, the… Read More