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"Single-family builders are currently reporting ongoing positive conditions, spurred in part by low mortgage rates and continued job growth," said NAHB chairman Greg Ugalde, a home builder and developer from Torrington, Conn. "In a further sign of solid demand, this is the fourth consecutive month where at least half of all builders surveyed have reported positive buyer traffic conditions." Read More

“Despite the gradual slowdown in the U.S. economy, consumers are in a good place and October’s retail sales are a step forward into the all-important holiday season,” NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz said. “Uncertainty around trade policy has impacted consumer sentiment recently but ongoing job growth, low interest rates, low inflation and the stock market hitting record highs provide support for consumer spending.” Read More

Pending home sales grew in September, marking two consecutive months of increases, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The four major regions were split last month, as the Midwest and South recorded gains, but the Northeast and West reported declines in month-over-month contract activity. Read More

"With mortgage rates at historic lows, consumers are experiencing greater buying power and increased affordability," said NAHB chairman Greg Ugalde, a home builder and developer from Torrington, Conn. "Despite this positive development, builders still struggle with rising construction costs due to labor shortages and excessive regulations, which will continue to make housing affordability a major challenge." Read More

"Demand for 55+ single-family housing remains strong, mirroring the gains we have seen in the overall market, which has been largely supported by low interest rates and healthy job growth," said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz. "Sentiment about the 55+ multifamily market declined somewhat this quarter, but on balance remains positive. A modest decline was not surprising, given the post-Great recession record number of apartments currently under construction." Read More

Sales of newly built, single-family homes decreased 0.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 701,000 units in September off a downwardly revised reading in August, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. On a year-to-date basis, new home sales for 2019 are 7.2 percent higher than the same period in 2018. Read More

"The demand for remodeling is fueled by a healthy labor market and low interest rates," said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz. "However, the remodeling market is still constrained by high costs and lack of skilled labor." Read More

Due to a decline in multifamily housing starts, total housing starts fell 9.4 percent in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.26 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Department. Read More

World production and consumption of ceramic tiles 07/10/2019 In 2018 world ceramic tile production decreased to 13,099 million sq.m (-3.6% on 2017); tile consumption also dropped by… Read More

Homebuilding is one of the most cyclical sectors in our economy. So much so that many economists look at this sector as one of the most predictable leading indicators of the broader economy, and for good reasons. Buying a new home is one of the largest purchases that a household makes. It is a purchase that is very sensitive to interest rate fluctuations since a minor rise interest rates can make that desired home unaffordable. As such, the degree of confidence that a household has in the outlook for the economy can play a major role in its decision to buy a home. Read More