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DataDigest: Construction costs easing for homebuilders

Housing Wire

New home construction exploded early in the pandemic as soaring home demand squeezed existing inventory nationwide, giving homebuilders a much bigger share of a shrinking pie. Index values for most construction inputs are down from 2022 but remain above pre-pandemic levels. Index values for December published last week.

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Unsold homebuilder inventory is ticking up as new home sales slow

Housing Wire

Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ). Homebuilders are still benefiting from very low inventory of existing homes for sale, which has driven more buyers to consider new construction,” Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant said. In August, the sales pace of new homes fell 8.7%

Inventory 477
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Construction worker shortage has reached “crisis” levels

Housing Wire

To keep pace with current construction demand, and account for attrition, 740,000 new construction workers are needed each year for the next three years , a report by the Home Builders Institute contends. million new hires for construction. The construction worker shortage has reached crisis level.

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Employment gains could help housing inventory

Housing Wire

Sectors that were hit hardest by the pandemic led job growth last month, with jumps in leisure, hospitality, public and private education and construction – good signs for the housing industry. Despite increased rate of tech adoption, the mortgage industry still has room for continued development and processes. Labor Department.

Inventory 501
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With low inventory, house hunters are in full safari mode

Housing Wire

It boils down to two factors, according to housing-industry experts: a lack of housing inventory , or supply; and high demand for that limited housing stock — which also is fueling a jump in new-home sales. In other words, if there were more inventory, we would have more sales happening.” through the first quarter of 2024.”

Inventory 452
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How fix’n’flip loans could help expand housing inventory

Housing Wire

One issue is that among the low inventory, there are even fewer homes that are move-in ready, said Keith Lind, executive chairman and president of Acra Lending. “We We actually have a lower inventory of homes that people really want to live in turnkey,” Lind said.

Inventory 327
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US housing market is now worth a record $52 trillion: Zillow

Housing Wire

Fueling this increase is new construction, according to Divounguy, even though the 1.3% A steady flow of new homes have hit the market this spring and summer, as homebuilders worked diligently to remedy the housing inventory shortage. Over the past year, the value of the U.S. housing market has surged by more than $2.6