The quarterly NAHB Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) released earlier this month shows home building expanded the fastest in places with the shortest commute times. The HBGI also shows the suburban shift in new home construction to low density, low cost markets stemming largely from the COVID-19 pandemic and first reported in the second quarter […]

For 15 years now, it seems, I’ve had a file on my desk labeled “Softwood Lumber.” Well, maybe not a crinkled up, over-stuffed, physical folder, but at least a collection of digital files and research. I say, “it seems,” because I’m speaking somewhat figuratively. Point being this topic has been part of my life and […]

The costs for building materials remains a red-hot issue for suppliers and construction firms, as representative associations plea with government officials to investigate and take action. In late March, a cohort of 36 construction-related organizations, including the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Associated […]

After the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) showed a slight dip in builder confidence in March, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows a rise in building permits issued for the same month, along with a sharp year-over-year increase. In March, officials for NAHB pointed to material costs and […]

With a slight decrease in confidence registering among builders in March, officials for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) point to material costs and interest rates as culprits. After attempting to persuade the U.S. Department of Commerce to take action on escalating costs for lumber and other materials, officials for NAHB now say those […]

Housing production weakened in February as ongoing high material costs and interest rates continue to affect the housing industry. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau report overall housing starts decreased 10.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.42 million units. The 1.42 million starts is the number […]

The latest National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) shows that builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell two points to 82 in March. High buyer traffic and strong demand, wasn’t enough to keep builder sentiment up in March as rising lumber and other material prices pushed […]

The International Code Council (ICC) released a new framework last week, changing the means by which it updates the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) from government consensus to an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved standards process. Adopted by ICC’s board and couched as a means for helping governments and building industry stakeholders to meet […]

A new study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) puts a spotlight on the nation’s housing affordability crisis and illustrates how even a relatively small increase in the price of a home can prevent hundreds of thousands of households from achieving the goal of homeownership. The study found that a $1,000 increase in […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the adoption of some codes in the U.S., but code cycles continue, including those for the I-codes. The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) held a “U.S. and Canadian Codes Report” session during its 2021 Virtual Annual Conference to keep its members informed about the latest in codes. ICC Updates […]