The missing middle construction sector includes development of medium-density housing, such as townhouses, duplexes and other small multifamily properties. The multifamily segment of the missing middle (apartments in 2- to 4-unit properties) has disappointed since the Great Recession. For the first quarter of 2023, there were just 4,000 2- to 4-unit housing unit construction starts. This is flat from a year prior…. Read More ›

Stabilizing mortgage rates and a lack of resale inventory provided a boost for new home sales in April, even as builders continue to wrestle with rising costs stemming from shortages of transformers and other building materials and a persistent lack of construction workers. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in April increased 4.1% to a 683,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate… Read More ›

Over the first three months of 2023, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 191,695. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is 31.1% below the March 2022 level of 278,189. Year-to-date ending in March, single-family permits declined in all four regions. The Northeast posted a decline of 20.5%, while the West region reported the steepest decline… Read More ›

According to the Federal Reserve Board’s April 2023 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS)—conducted for bank lending activity over the first quarter of 2023—banks reported that lending standards tightened for most residential real estate (RRE) and commercial real estate (CRE) loan categories. Demand for RRE and CRE loans weakened across all categories over the quarter.  No banks expected their lending standards for… Read More ›

According to the latest Producer Price Index report, the prices of inputs to residential construction less energy (i.e., building materials) decreased 0.2% in April 2023 (not seasonally adjusted). The index has gained 0.5%, year-to-date, which is the smallest April YTD increase since it climbed 0.3% over the first four months of 2020. The PPI for goods inputs to residential construction, including… Read More ›

Per the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) survey through the week ending May 5th, total mortgage activity increased 6.3% from the previous week and the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate fell two basis points to 6.48%. The FRM rate has risen 18 basis points over the past month. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, rose… Read More ›