According to the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS), 23% (or close to 2.5 million) of workers employed in construction are self-employed. This is a whole percentage point higher than the share of self employed in construction in 2019, before the pandemic rattled the labor market. Even though the Covid-19 pandemic boosted self-employment across all industries, construction self-employment rates remain significantly… Read More ›

NAHB analysis of the Census Bureau’s quarterly state and local tax data shows that $286 billion in taxes were paid by property owners in the fourth quarter of 2022 (not seasonally adjusted).[1] State and local governments collected $714 billion in property taxes in 2022, $46 billion more than 2021. The 6.9% annual increase is the largest since property tax receipts climbed 9.3% in… Read More ›

Based on the Census Bureaus’ latest estimates, the population of the State of Texas grew by 470,708 persons between 2021 and 2022. This nominal increase was the largest of any state. Texas joined California as the second state to have a total population above 30 million, with a total estimated population of 30,029,572 on July 1, 2022. This population growth… Read More ›

Higher mortgage rates and home prices, as well as increased construction costs contributed to lackluster new home sales in February, but signs point to improvement later in the year. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in February increased 1.1% to a 640,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised reading in January, according to newly released data by the… Read More ›

The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee raised the federal funds target rate by 25 basis points but indicated that it was moving to a more data dependent mode as markets digest incoming risks for banks. The Fed is balancing two economic risks: ongoing elevated inflation and emerging risks to the banking system. Chair Powell noted that near-term uncertainty is high… Read More ›

A brief drop in mortgage rates and a pullback in home prices boosted existing home sales in February, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The 30-year mortgage rates averaged less than 6.3% in February per Freddie Mac and the median sales price in February posted the first decline since February 2012.  The monthly increase in sales ended a… Read More ›