On the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez delve into the immediate- and long-term impacts of the government shutdown on housing, and other key issues for members.
Every year, NAHB and other industry experts and economists bring their latest insights to the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS). Register today and make sure to check out these sessions for the latest economic forecasts to help your business in 2026.
Three-bedroom single-family homes reached their largest share of starts since 2011 and remained the most prevalent number of bedrooms among new homes. The share of starts for four-bedroom homes declined for the third consecutive year but remained well above the shares for two-bedroom or less and five-bedroom or more homes. The share of single-family homes started with three bedrooms rose for the second straight year to its highest level since 2011 to 47.0%. All other bedroom number categories fell from 2023, with 4-bedroom homes falling the most from 33.1% to 32.4%, a 0.7 percentage point decline from the year prior. The share of single-family homes with 2 bedrooms or less remained greater than that of 5 bedrooms or more for the third straight year. U.S. Divisions Across U.S. Census Divisions, the share of new single-family homes with four or more bedrooms displays geographic variation. The share ranged from a low of 22.2% in the New England division to the highest share of 46.7% in the West South Central division. Coinciding with the fall in the share of new single-family homes with 4 bedrooms or more nationally, there are no divisions that have a share above 50%. Purpose of Construction The number of bedrooms in new homes varies depending on the purpose of construction (built-for-sale, contractor-built, owner-built, built-for-rent). Most of this variation comes from the two-bedroom or less homes and four-bedrooms homes. For example, the share of new single-family homes with two bedrooms or less ranges from 5.6% of homes built-for-sale to 37.8% of homes built-for-rent. Meanwhile, three-bedroom homes and five or more-bedroom homes display relatively little change across purpose of construction. Five or more-bedrooms homes held the smallest share of starts across purpose of construction for all types except for built-for-sale homes. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
As California faces a growing need for skilled trades workers and affordable housing, the California Homebuilding Foundation is helping students find careers in the industry.
Every year, NAHB and other industry experts and economists bring their latest insights to the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS). For 2026, IBS offers an unparalleled lineup of IBS Education sessions that cover every sector of the housing industry: single-family, multifamily, remodeling, design trends, and building materials. The Builders’ Show in 2026 is in Orlando, February 17 – 19. This is the only event where you’ll find all these speakers and sessions at one conference: The Outlook: 2026 Housing & Economic Forecast (Super Session) Tuesday, February 17 | 2:15 – 3:45 PM This IBS Super Session is hosted by our very own Chief Economist, Robert Dietz, as well as Chief Economist of Realtor.com, Danielle Hale, and Chief Economist of Zonda, Ali Wolf. Not only does this session give you the chance to hear from these three nationally recognized economists, but it also gives you a complete overview of the housing economy. 2026 Multifamily Market Outlook Tuesday, February 17 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB AVP of Forecasting & Analysis, and Selma Hempp, Chief Economist of Cotality, host a deep dive into multifamily housing. Explore the construction pipeline, financing challenges, rent growth, and more. Join the discussion for an exclusive forecast of where the multifamily sector is headed. Remodeling by the Numbers: Market Outlook & Business Benchmarks for 2026 Wednesday, February 18 | 8:15 – 9:15 AM Featuring NAHB Economist Eric Lynch, as well as remodeling expert Alan Hanbury, learn what key indicators and trends are shaping the home improvement industry and where it is headed. Compare how your business is doing with exclusive benchmarks on profit margins, operating costs, and more with exclusive findings from the NAHB ‘Remodelers’ Cost of Doing Business’ study. Home Trends, Buyer Preferences & Most Likely Features for 2026 Wednesday, February 18 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM Explore the latest research on the home and community features buyers want most in this session led by NAHB AVP of Survey Research, Rose Quint and architect and industry thought-leader Donald Ruthroff. Discover what trends are shaping new home designs, including how preferences shift by price– point. See these trends in action, illustrated through award-winning designs from recent Best in American Living Awards™ (BALA) winners. Building Materials in Flux: Pricing Trends, Trade Dynamics & Supply Chain Wednesday, February 18 | 2:15 – 3:15 PM Gain timely insights into the ever-evolving trending issue of building materials, hosted by NAHB Director of Tax and Trade, Jesse Wade, custom builder and industry leader Don Dabbert, and industry expert and analyst Nishu Sood from John Burns Research and Consulting. Learn how key building materials like lumber are affected by tariffs and other international trade dynamics. Explore what’s driving material costs and availability, and how global and domestic supply chains are adapting. Register Now To attend IBS Education sessions, you must register for an Expo+Education Pass. Seating for sessions is on a first-come, first-served basis. So, register for an IBS Expo+Education Pass and then mark these sessions on your calendar. For more information on all that IBS has to offer, please visit BuilderShow.com. We hope to see you there! Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Mortgage rates in October fell to their lowest average in over a year. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.25% in October, 10 basis points (bps) lower than in September and 17 bps lower than a year ago.
Last week, Gregory Patterson, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), wrote to building industry stakeholders that he was declining to approve the Department’s own proposal to create one of the most aggressive energy codes in the country.
In 2024, most new single-family homes included laundry connections on the first floor (70%), according to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction. The first floor is also where most customers prefer to have the laundry, as shown in Chapter 2 of What Home Buyers Really Want. The second floor was the next most common location, accounting for 28% of new single-family homes, while laundry areas in the basement accounted for just 2%. The share of new homes with laundry in any other location was negligible. Across all Census Divisions, the first floor remains the most common location for laundry, even in regions where two-story homes are more prevalent. Nevertheless, some regional differences exist. In the West South Central division, 91% of homes had a laundry area on the first floor, compared to just 51% in the Pacific division. Meanwhile, a second-floor laundry was most popular in the Pacific division at 46%, and least common in the West South Central at 8%. Not surprisingly, laundry connections in basements are more common in areas of the country where basements themselves are more common: primarily in the northern regions. The West North Central division led with 14% of homes featuring a basement laundry, followed by New England at 9%. These two divisions are also among the few where most new homes include a full or partial basement. Among age-restricted homes, where accessibility and main-level living are key design priorities, 93% featured laundry on the first floor. Multifamily Laundry Trends For multifamily units completed in 2024, 88% of apartments included an individual laundry, while 12% offered shared or no laundry facilities. This share has remained relatively stable since 2015, reflecting continued renter demand for in-unit laundry. Regionally, the Northeast has the highest shared or no laundry facilities percentage at 33%. In contrast, shared or no laundry facilities remained far less common elsewhere: 3% in the Midwest, 4% in the South, and 9% in the West. The pattern extends to the built-for-rent (BFR) segment, where 88% of units had an individual laundry, unchanged from the prior two years. In contrast, built-for-sale multifamily units saw a decrease—from 92% with individual laundry in 2023 to 81% in 2024—suggesting a possible shift toward more affordable condo projects, which are more likely to include shared facilities. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Keeping up with new technology for your business can be costly. That’s why NAHB members have access to exclusive discounts through the Best Buy Business program — making it easier and more affordable to upgrade your tools and tech.