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The White House today announced a Housing Supply Action Plan that it said would ease restrictive and costly land use and zoning rules, expand financing for energy efficient housing, and promote commercial-to-residential conversion opportunities.

As part of this plan, HUD… Continue reading →

NAHB is continuing its ongoing battle to rein in excessive regulations and overzealous federal regulators. Most recently on the legal front, NAHB has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in an upcoming Supreme Court case that seeks to overturn a previous Supreme… Continue reading →

OSHA last week published a final rule amending its workplace injury and illness recordkeeping regulation to require certain employers to electronically submit additional injury and illness information annually.

The main change is the requirement that companies with more than 100… Continue reading →

Every NAHB member at one point in their career has encountered a challenge that can be overcome by being connected to an expert, mentor or colleague in the industry. To help members get the answers they need to help their… Continue reading →

Rising mortgage rates and elevated construction costs put a damper on new home sales last month.

Sales of newly built, single-family homes in June fell 2.5% to 697,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised reading in May, according… Continue reading →

Next month will be back-to-school time for many students across the country, and now is a great time to take advantage of the numerous benefits of NAHB’s Student Chapter program. It’s also a great time to explore creating a Student… Continue reading →

While U.S. homeownership rates have been rising since 2015 and received an extra boost during the post-pandemic housing boom, they remain below the levels reached during the housing boom of the mid-2000s. With the national trends reflecting fundamental drivers of… Continue reading →

With one slight change to his floor plan schematic, architect Ryan White increased the production of a new single-family project by 33%.

How? By shaving just a foot off the depth of the three-story, side-by-side duplex destined for an infill… Continue reading →

NAHB’s Senior Officers will host a series of Virtual Townhall Meetings on Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the times listed below.

The meetings are an important opportunity for members and HBA leadership to provide feedback to NAHB leadership on emerging issues… Continue reading →

The lack of skilled construction labor is a key limiting factor to expanding home construction and improving housing inventory and affordability. The latest Construction Labor Market Report from the Home Builders Institute (HBI), provides an outlook for residential construction employment… Continue reading →

In his biweekly newsletter Eye on the Economy, NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz provided the following overview of the housing industry:

As the Federal Reserve digests the latest inflation and labor market data, the housing market is diverging. Single-family construction… Continue reading →

The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved its Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies fiscal year 2024 funding bill, and the measure includes $70.06 billion for HUD.

Of particular note, the Senate bill includes $1.5 billion to sustain robust… Continue reading →

For the past four decades, NAHB’s Best in American Living Awards (BALA) have celebrated the value and importance of good home and community design.

Over the next several months, BALA will celebrate its significant 40-year milestone by showcasing memorable trends… Continue reading →

At the invitation of Sen. Mike… Continue reading →

The Biden administration announced today that it is taking on so-called “junk fees” in rental housing in order to lower costs for renters. The administration portrays standard industry fees – such as application fees – as junk fees.

NAHB disagrees… Continue reading →

NAHB mourns the passing of Ignacio Cabrera, a longtime NAHB staff member, on July 12. He was 79.

Cabrera, who retired from NAHB in 2009 after more than… Continue reading →

Single-family production fell back after four straight monthly gains as elevated construction costs and rising mortgage rates led to a reduction in home building activity and affordability conditions worsened for home buyers.

Overall housing starts in June decreased 8% to… Continue reading →

In the latest presentation from the BizTools Video Series, “Before Disaster Strikes, Prepare Your Business,” Jonathan Falk, NAHB’s field specialist for disaster relief, lays out a simple 10-step strategy to help business owners assess the risks that natural disasters… Continue reading →

On the latest episode of NAHB’s Housing Developments podcast, co-hosts CEO Jim Tobin and SVP Paul Lopez record from New York City where they’re discussing the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) numbers with members of the… Continue reading →

Low existing inventory that is keeping demand solid for new homes helped to push builder confidence up in July even as the industry continues to grapple with rising mortgage rates, elevated construction costs and limited lot availability.

Builder confidence in… Continue reading →

A record heat wave is causing the mercury to hit triple digits on many jobsites across the country. Ensuring employees and contractors are regularly hydrated and protected from the sun during hot months is essential to the health and safety… Continue reading →

Continuing a trend of slowing price growth that began in 2022, overall prices of building materials were unchanged in June, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report. The index has gained 0.5% year to date and has… Continue reading →

In a move strongly opposed by NAHB, House Republican appropriators are proposing to eliminate the Department of Labor’s Job Corps program as part of a 30% reduction to the agency’s fiscal year 2024 budget.

In a letter to House Republican… Continue reading →

Home Innovation Research Labs and the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory recently released a new guide to help identify design principles and construction practices to improve the moisture performance of wood-framed balconies and decks.

The Durable Solutions for Balconies… Continue reading →

NAHB committee and council members, delegates to the Leadership Council, members of the Board of Directors, and executive officers should make plans now to attend the Fall Leadership Meeting, Sept. 19-21, in Palm Springs, Calif.

You can view the schedule,… Continue reading →

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today told Congress that burdensome government regulations and mandates which support environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies impede the housing industry’s ability to increase the production of quality, affordable housing.

Testifying on this… Continue reading →

NAHB has partnered with the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., to collaborate on housing industry initiatives and ramp up efforts to expand workforce development outreach.

The National Building Museum, located four blocks from the National Mall, has transformed the… Continue reading →

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the second quarter, posting a reading of 68, edging down two points compared to the previous quarter.

The NAHB/Westlake Royal RMI survey asks remodelers… Continue reading →

Construction workers suffer traumatic brain injuries at a higher rate than workers in any other occupation. That problem has many exploring ways to better protect heads on the jobsite.

At NAHB’s Spring Leadership Meeting in Washington in June, Scott… Continue reading →

For those who are looking to rent their next home—and want to find something fast—the South and the Midwest regions of the United States might be their best bet. Those regions have the highest rental vacancies in the nation, in… Continue reading →

Construction of The New American Home 2024, the official exhibit home of the 2024 NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS), is on track as the project has already passed mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspections.

The next major step is… Continue reading →

The count of open, unfilled jobs for the overall economy moved lower in May, falling to 9.8 million. While ongoing tight labor market conditions have likely confirmed one to two more Fed rate hikes through the start of the fall,… Continue reading →

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has announced that its awards program is now open. The NAHB Awards Program highlights the best and brightest in the residential construction industry in a variety of categories.

Applications are now open for… Continue reading →

A strong foundation is essential to the safety and longevity of any home. In most cases, the type of foundation contractors use will depend on the style of the home and the geographic location. Two of the most common types… Continue reading →

In this month’s Chairman’s Update, NAHB Chairman Alicia Huey recaps the success of the recent Legislative Conference, which featured more than 300 meetings between members and their legislators on Capitol Hill.

Watch the video below to learn more about… Continue reading →

Learn from some of the most experienced and successful industry pros alongside other NAHB members, all from the comfort of your own home and for free.

Shop Talks are informal, peer-to-peer discussions that explore many topics across the home building,… Continue reading →

In Montana, 5th and 6th grade students learned to measure twice and cut once this summer. This essential life lesson and other fun activities were all part of the HBA of Great Falls (Mont.) kids construction camp held June 20-22.… Continue reading →

As the search for sustainable home building materials expands, some are looking at a head-turning option: cannabis. The use of industrial hemp, the name for cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC (the psychoactive compound in marijuana), in construction is… Continue reading →

NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz provided the following housing market overview in his biweekly newsletter Eye on the Economy.

Markets are increasingly expecting the Federal Reserve to increase the short-term federal funds rate by 25 basis points in July and… Continue reading →

The 2022 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau shows that the average completion time of a single-family house is around 9.6 months — almost six weeks longer than what the average completion time was in 2021 — reflecting… Continue reading →

The flight path for custom builders and remodelers can be turbulent. Luckily, experts Vince Butler, CAPS, GMB, GMR, and Doug Howard, director of consulting at Remodelers Advantage, have compiled eight strategies for piloting your company through rough air.

Through the… Continue reading →

Importers or purchasers of Canadian softwood lumber products who have been impacted by antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) are encouraged to fill out a questionnaire from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) (links below). Your responses could help… Continue reading →

NAHB’s latest resource on inclusionary zoning is now available. Prepared by Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP, “Policy, Practical, and Legal Challenges to Inclusionary Zoning: A Resource Manual for NAHB Members” provides a list of policy, practical and legal… Continue reading →

Every build or remodeling project comes with risk no matter how experienced your team is. That’s why it’s important to stay ahead of the worst-case scenarios by having a detailed game plan in place.

So how can you manage these… Continue reading →

This July marks the 12th annual National Log Homes Open House Month. NAHB Log and Timber Homes Council members and builders across the nation observe the event throughout the month with home tours, log-raising demonstrations, mill tours, seminars and… Continue reading →

The Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts (HBRAMA) recently released a report, “Public Policy for Net Zero Homes and Affordability,” in which researchers from the MIT Center for Real Estate and Wentworth Institute of Technology analyzed the… Continue reading →

The IBS Scholarship Program is a remarkable opportunity for emerging residential construction professionals to attend the NAHB International Builders’ Show^® (IBS) in Las Vegas, Feb. 27-29.

The IBS Scholarship is a prestigious program aimed at supporting and empowering… Continue reading →

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today published its 2023 first quarter data for the Uniform Appraisal Data (UAD) Aggregate Statistics Data File that will allow the public to visualize and analyze national, state, regional and local trends in appraisal… Continue reading →

NAHB is partnering with Ivory Innovations and MOD X on an educational webinar — “Catalyzing Innovation in Offsite Construction,” taking place July 12 at 11 a.m. MT — about innovative building methods and how to improve housing affordability… Continue reading →

NAHB Chairman Alicia Huey issued a letter this week to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) requesting them to finalize a revised regulatory definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) that clarifies the… Continue reading →

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced increases to the threshold for large multifamily loans from $75 million to $120 million. This is the first increase in the threshold since 2014 and will enable more FHA multifamily insurance applicants to… Continue reading →

At the 2023 Spring Leadership Meeting, NAHB’s State and Local Government Affairs Committee awarded seven HBAs with financial assistance through the State and Local Issues Fund (SLIF), totaling $105,000 to help with advocacy efforts on housing affordability issues.

Fund recipients… Continue reading →

The Building Systems Housing Summit — the premier conference dedicated to offsite construction — will take place Oct. 15-17 at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C. This one-of-a-kind event features complementary education tracks, bringing together experienced systems-built construction professionals… Continue reading →

Following passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act in December 2022, federal agencies have updated several of their workplace posters for businesses to display when the new law goes into effect June 27.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)… Continue reading →

A lack of existing inventory coupled with solid consumer demand helped to boost new home sales in May to their highest level since February 2022.

Sales of newly built, single-family homes in May increased 12.2% to a 763,000 seasonally adjusted… Continue reading →

With the installation of windows, plumbing and roofing all well underway, The New American Home 2024 is off to an impressive start.

“I currently feel the build is going really well,” said Mark Schlachter, superintendent for Sun West Custom Homes… Continue reading →

The Baldwin County Home Builders Association (BCHBA) recently completed its first Baldwin Girls Build Camp to introduce local girls to opportunities in the home building industry.

The concept for the Baldwin Girls Build Camp stemmed from the chartering of a… Continue reading →

The House today passed the Middle Class Borrower Protection Act, legislation that would block the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) from implementing a new pricing framework for single-family home loans eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that… Continue reading →

Fixture and appliance outlet boxes provide many benefits during plumbing installations for sinks, toilets, washing machines and ice makers that help expedite the installation process. Also known as rough-in boxes or mounting boxes, these play a crucial role in providing… Continue reading →

At the 2023 NAHB Spring Leadership Meeting, the Board of Directors approved the recommendation of the NAHB Legal Action Committee to provide financial assistance through the Legal Action Fund to three local and state associations fighting impact fees and building… Continue reading →

This blog post has been updated.

During a June 22 congressional hearing on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) FY 2024 budget request, it was revealed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Corps would use an administrative… Continue reading →

Several industry leaders were recently honored for their contributions to the housing industry during the National Housing Center Awards Ceremony on June 6 in Washington, D.C. The ceremony recognized the recipients of the Exemplary Service to Home Building Award and… Continue reading →

Remodelers now have a unique opportunity to see how their business stacks up against the competition with a new publication from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). NAHB’s publishing arm, BuilderBooks, recently released the 2023 edition of the Remodelers’… Continue reading →

The annual State of the Nation’s Housing report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Study (JCHS) highlights the growing housing affordability crisis, despite a slowdown in housing prices.

“Rent growth slowed over the past year, and home prices declined… Continue reading →

As noted in this recent post, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee maintained the federal funds rate at a top target rate of 5.25% at the conclusion of its June meeting. The Fed will also continue to reduce its… Continue reading →

In the latest episode of the Housing Developments podcast, NAHB CEO Jim Tobin and SVP Paul Lopez discuss two positive economic indices released this week: housing starts had a huge jump in May and builder confidence is in positive territory… Continue reading →

NAHB and three other organizations are calling on the Supreme Court to consider whether a New York rent control law acts as a regulatory taking because the property owners have been deprived of all meaningful rights with respect to their… Continue reading →

For this month’s Chairman’s Update, Alicia Huey appears on the National Mall at the Innovative Housing Showcase, co-hosted by NAHB and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Highlighting the need for more access to attainable housing, Huey… Continue reading →

Trenching accidents almost always involve an unthinkable event that can lead to injury or death: Being buried alive. But every trench failure is avoidable with proper planning, training and safety measures.

Beyond the obvious motivation to avoid serious injuries and… Continue reading →

How much profit is your business really making? Are you juggling business operations expenses and job expenses correctly? Jake Harris, cofounder and CEO of BuildWallet, answers these questions in the latest BizTools video, “Part 3: Process Cash Flow.”

Part one… Continue reading →

Limited existing inventory combined with solid demand and improving supply chains helped push single-family starts to an 11-month high in May.

Overall housing starts in May increased 21.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.63 million units, according to… Continue reading →

Solid demand, a lack of existing inventory and improving supply chain efficiency helped shift builder confidence into positive territory for the first time in 11 months.

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in June rose five… Continue reading →

In the latest episode of NAHB’s Housing Developments podcast, NAHB CEO Jim Tobin and SVP Paul Lopez explain NAHB’s position on recent efforts to regulate gas appliances out of the market. The two also discuss pressing legislative issues now that… Continue reading →

It can be challenging to make a living as a contractor. Material costs are constantly on the rise, qualified labor is getting harder to find, and your work schedule is at the whim of the housing market and Mother Nature.… Continue reading →

At the NAHB Spring Leadership Meeting in Washington last week, Scott Ketcham, director of OSHA’s Office of the Directorate of Construction, provided a robust update on the safety agency’s activities and enforcement agenda in the NAHB Construction Safety and Health… Continue reading →

NAHB members who were unable to join us in Washington, D.C., last week for the 2023 Spring Leadership Meeting can watch some of the highlights on nahb.org. HBAs can also stream these videos during their membership meetings. Highlights include:

• Chairman… Continue reading →

At NAHB’s urging, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have introduced identical House and Senate bills — Protecting America’s Distribution Transformer Supply Chain Act — that would delay for five years any rulemaking on energy-efficiency standards for… Continue reading →

The Internal Revenue Service released a draft regulation and a list of frequently asked questions regarding the new election taxpayers may take to transfer certain energy tax incentives to other parties. For purposes of residential construction, this option generally applies… Continue reading →

Visitors to the National Mall this past weekend had a unique opportunity to see the latest housing innovations firsthand through the third annual Innovative Housing Showcase, presented by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and NAHB, and learn… Continue reading →

In an important victory for NAHB and common-sense regulatory reform, the House today approved the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2023.

This legislation would restore meaningful congressional oversight to regulatory rulemaking by requiring Congress… Continue reading →

The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee maintained the federal funds rate at a top target rate of 5.25% at the conclusion of its June meeting. The Fed will also continue to reduce its balance sheet holdings of Treasuries and mortgage-backed… Continue reading →

Every week during National Safety Month, NAHB and other partners will focus on a different aspect of jobsite safety. This week is mental health and substance abuse.

Everyone agrees that substance abuse carries a very real safety issue on… Continue reading →

Obtaining lots for new homes remains a challenge for many of NAHB’s builders, but the shortages are not as widespread as they were in 2021, according to responses to the May 2023 survey for the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index… Continue reading →

This post has been updated.

After delaying action last week, the House today approved an NAHB-supported gas stove bill and is expected to pass a companion measure tomorrow.

Lawmakers approved H.R. 1615, the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act —… Continue reading →

June is Men’s Health Month, and NAHB is excited to announce a pilot partnership with MANUAL, a men’s health and wellness company that provides self-paced programming tailored for young men.

Men’s health — and especially men’s mental health —… Continue reading →

NAHB Education is offering some of its most popular live online courses this summer. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn from some of the best instructors in the industry.

Register for these interactive, live online courses held on Tuesdays… Continue reading →