Sales of newly built, single-family homes in September increased 12.3% to a 759,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales in September was up 33.9% from a year ago.It takes 400 tons of aggregates to construct the average…
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Single-Family Starts Post Unexpected Gain in September
Despite elevated mortgage rates averaging above 7%, single-family starts posted a solid gain in September as more buyers are turning to new homes because of a dearth of inventory in the resale market. Overall housing starts increased 7% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.36 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing…
Read MoreHousing Starts Lower on Rising Mortgage Rates
Higher mortgage rates averaging above 7% put a damper on single-family production in August, as builders also continue to face supply-side challenges in the form of elevated construction costs, a lack of skilled labor and a shortage of buildable lots. Led by a sharp decline in multifamily production, overall housing starts fell 11.3% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual…
Read MoreNew Home Sales Increase in July
Low existing inventory and solid demand more than offset rising mortgage rates and elevated construction costs to boost new home sales last month. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in July increased 4.4% to a 714,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised reading in June, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban…
Read MoreNew Home Sales Cool in June on Higher Mortgage Rates
Sales of newly built, single-family homes in June fell 2.5% to 697,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised reading in May, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. However, new home sales are up 23.8% from a year ago.It takes 400 tons of aggregates to construct…
Read MoreSingle-Family Starts Show Gradual Improvement in April
A lack of existing inventory and stabilizing mortgage rates helped push single-family production up to the highest rate thus far in 2023 even as builders continue to deal with high construction costs, persistent labor shortages and tightening credit conditions for construction loans. Overall housing starts in April increased 2.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.40 million units, according…
Read MoreMartin Marietta Total Revenues Spike 10% in First Quarter
Martin Marietta Materials Inc. announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, reporting total revenues of $1.354.1 billion, versus $1.230.8 in the first quarter of 2022, a 10.0% increase. The Building Materials business generated record first-quarter revenues of $1.27 billion, a 10.1% increase. Gross profit increased 99.4% to a first-quarter record of $275.9 million. Double-digit pricing gains, partially offset…
Read MoreMarch New Home Sales Jump
Lower mortgage rates and limited existing inventory helped to push new home sales up in March, even as builders continue to grapple with increased construction costs and material supply disruptions. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in March increased 9.6% to a 683,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised reading in February, according to newly released data by…
Read MoreHousing Sentiment Drops, But What About the Growing Population?
For decades now, I have written columns and made industry presentations around the country that talk about the one, sure-fire driver of construction in America: population growth. Yes, the long, historical graph line has a sawtooth to it, but generally speaking, it is the population growth in our country that has driven construction growth, as we build homes to house…
Read MoreNew Home Sales Remain Relatively Flat in February
Higher mortgage rates and home prices, as well as increased construction costs contributed to lackluster new home sales in February, but signs point to improvement later in the year. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in February increased 1.1% to a 640,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised reading in January, according to newly released data by the…
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