Tag Archives: Homebuilders

The NAHB's Housing Market Index (HMI) experienced a slight stumble in January, dipping a point from December as builders expressed falling confidence in the single-family market.

Representatives from the Federal Reserve's 12 districts reported moderate economic expansion across most of the country through the end of last year, with indicators pointing to more steady growth ahead. Real estate markets "generally continued to improve," according to the Fed, with most districts experiencing increase home sales activity and construction along with rising home prices. Credit standards were largely unchanged among the districts, though increased competition led to some instances of relaxed standards.

Fannie Mae released on Monday its latest forecast, predicting overall GDP growth of 2.9 percent in 2014 following 2013's expected growth of 2.6 percent.

Construction spending in November reached an estimated seasonally adjusted rate of $934.4 billion, up from $925.1 billion in October and $882.7 billion in November 2012, according to the Census Bureau. Private residential construction spending rose 1.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted $345.5 billion in November. Year-over-year private residential construction spending increased 16.6 percent. Single-family construction spending rose 1.8 percent over the month, while multifamily construction spending rose 0.9 percent.

November saw new housing starts jump to a nearly six-year high, the Census Bureau and HUD revealed Wednesday in a joint release. According to initial estimates, starts ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.09 million, a 22.7 percent spike from October and the highest rate since February 2008. Single-family housing starts contributed 727,000 (adjusted annual rate) to November's total, while the rate for multifamily buildings was about 354,000.

According to the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), builder sentiment picked up in December to end the year at 58. The index first climbed to that level in August before falling to 57 in September and 54 in October and November. After struggling through most of the year's first half, the headline index climbed above the 50 mark in June for the first time since 2006; it has stayed in the 50-range ever since.

Applications for new home purchases plummeted from October to November, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) estimates in its latest Builder Application Survey (BAS).

Tom Lewis, founder and CEO of Arizona-based homebuilder T.W. Lewis Company, is the first-ever inductee in Professional Builder magazine's National Housing Quality (NHQ) Award Hall of Fame, the company announced.

Growing amounts of housing permits, improving home prices, and positive job numbers are leading to a stabilized housing market according to analysts. Recent studies revealed that markets in 54 out of the approximately 350 metro areas nationwide returned to or exceeded their last normal levels of economic and housing activity, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI). However, policymakers still need to watch their footing.

Modest to moderate economic growth continues to be the theme at the Federal Reserve, which released on Wednesday its Beige Book tracking expansion across its 12 districts from October through mid-November. The Fed reported improvements in residential real estate activity in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and San Francisco, with slower single-family home sales softening real estate in most of the remaining districts.