Builder sentiment inched up in March even as builders continue to express affordability concerns stemming from elevated construction costs and shortages of buildable lots and labor. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes rose one point to 38 in March, following a revised upward one-point revision in February. …All responses to the March survey were received after the conflict with Iran started. Affordability for buyers and builders remains a top concern. Many buyers remain on the fence waiting for lower interest rates and due to economic uncertainty. …All three of the major HMI indices posted gains in March. The HMI index gauging current sales conditions increased one point to 42 from February to March, the index measuring future sales gained two points to 49 and the index charting traffic of prospective buyers posted a three-point increase to 25.