A surge in home-buying demand and limited inventory for existing homes is spurring construction to help fill the gap. Home builders attribute their robust sales to low interest rates, a shortage of existing homes for sale and consumer willingness to move farther from city centers in exchange for more space. … The strength in the home-building sector underscores the uneven nature of the economic recession, which has hit low-wage workers especially hard. …The S&P Homebuilders Select Industry Index is up 15.3% this year as of Monday, exceeding the 8.3% rise in the S&P 500 over the same period, according to FactSet. …Housing demand has outpaced supply for years, but the housing shortage has become even more acute in the existing-home market in recent months as the pandemic has made some sellers reluctant to list their homes. …Home builders are limited in how quickly they can grow, said Ali Wolf at Meyers Research. [We respect the copyrights of the source publication – full access may require a subscription]