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After declining for four years, a number of key trends-including the average size of the home and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms-reversed course in 2020 as a result of shifting buyer preferences in the wake of COVID-19. The average size home remained flat at 2,486 square feet, while the percentage of homes with four or more bedrooms and three or more bathrooms rose to 46 percent and 33 percent, respectively-rising closer to 2015 peaks. Read More

"Housing was one of the few economic bright spots in 2020, as builders worked to meet growing demand for single-family and multifamily housing, particularly in more affordable, smaller metro areas," said NAHB chairman Chuck Fowke, a custom home builder from Tampa, Fla. "Housing can continue to be an engine of job creation and help the economy move forward in 2021. But in order to do so, policymakers need to address rising regulatory burdens and sharp increases in lumber and other building material prices that are harming housing affordability." Read More

ersonal income increased 10.0 percent (monthly rate) while consumer spending increased 2.4 percent in January as provisions of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act enacted on December 27, 2020, began to take effect. Read More

Confidence in the market for new multifamily housing declined in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to results from the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Read More

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 4.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020, reflecting both the continued economic recovery from the sharp declines earlier in the year and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including new restrictions and closures that took effect in some areas of the United States. Read More

"Historically low mortgage rates and solid demand spurred an increase in new home sales in January, with the sales pace more than 19 percent higher than a year ago," said Chuck Fowke, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a custom home builder from Tampa, Fla. "However, rising affordability issues are looming this year, particularly increasing building material costs, including lumber, which is adding $24,000 to the price of a typical newly-built home. Builders also cite rising regulatory issues as a potential concern." Read More

The average home size peaked in 2015 and then declined, remaining flat until this year when it reached 2,486 square feet, said Rose Quint, assistant vice president for survey research with NAHB. “We do expect it to increase in 2021,” she added, noting that the organization saw a similar pattern with the number of consumers who wanted homes with four or more bedrooms at 46 percent, and three or more full bathrooms, at 33 percent.  Read More

After years of underbuilding, housing starts almost hit 1.45 million in 2020, with single-family starts closing in on a million for the year.  Read More

“We are hearing from builders that they want hard surface products that reduce noise,” Gibson said. “Builders are anticipating longer times at home. This is not a short-term solution; [the pandemic] is changing the way homes are designed and the need to mitigate sound will continue.” He noted the company’s RevWood line in particular is designed with a cushion on the back to help reduce the transmission of sound. Read More

The global stone flooring market grew at a CAGR of around 7% during 2015-2020. Stone flooring is a kind of flooring manufactured using natural solid rocks. The rocks are cut into slabs and further processed to get the desired shape and polish. Slate, marble, limestone, granite and sandstone are some of the commonly used stones for flooring applications. Read More