Cautious Optimism for US Builders in February

By Robert Dietz
The NAHB Eye on Housing
February 15, 2023
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Two consecutive solid monthly gains for builder confidence, spurred in part by easing mortgage rates, signal that the housing market may be turning a corner even as builders continue to contend with high construction costs and building material supply chain logjams. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in February rose seven points to 42, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). This is the strongest reading since September of last year. …The HMI indicates that incremental gains for housing affordability have the ability to price-in buyers to the market. …All three HMI indices posted gains for the second consecutive month. The HMI index gauging current sales conditions in February rose six points to 46, the component charting sales expectations in the next six months increased 11 points to 48 and the gauge measuring traffic of prospective buyers increased six points to 29.

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