Articles
The growing trend of retrofitting older buildings
There are several reasons why fixing up older buildings has been crowding out new building construction. The U.S. population has been growing more slowly in recent years, and likewise, the number of employed workers in our economy has followed suit. With slower growth in new workers, there is less need to build new office buildings. With slower growth in the number of students entering our secondary schools and colleges, there is less need to build new educational facilities. Read More
New home sales trend higher in November
"With almost all the 2019 data in, the housing rebound continued through second half of the year," said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz. "New home sales are running 10 percent higher than in 2018, and high levels of builder confidence point to production gains going into 2020." Read More
Single-Family Starts Increase in November
"Market conditions for single-family starts are positive, given a lack of resale inventory, low interest rates and a solid job market," said Greg Ugalde, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). "Builder confidence points to additional gains as we look forward." Read More
Myths & Realities: Preparing for a downturn
For the first time in almost a decade, the Leading Indicator for Remodeling Activity (LIRA) produced by the Joint Center for Housing Studies is signaling that we’re not likely to see growth in home improvement spending over the coming year. It’s been a good run for the industry: total national spending on home improvements increased by $180 billion over this past decade, with annual growth averaging almost 6 percent. Read More
Most Home Building in Millennial Areas, But Pace Lags Rest of Nation
"The out-sized concentration of multifamily construction in areas with a large proportion of millennials is not a surprise, but it is also a reminder of the mismatch between housing wants and housing availability that is challenging the for-sale market," Read More
55+ Housing Market Ticks Back Up to Record High
Builder confidence in the single-family 55+ housing market rose one point in the third quarter of 2019, returning to its record-high reading of 72, according to the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI). This is the highest reading since the inception of the index in 2008. Read More
Remodeling Market Expected to Stall in 2020
Annual gains in homeowner spending for improvements and repairs are set to give out by the second half of next year, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Read More