Latest Posts:
Tag

single-family

Browsing
In Research & Trends

Economies of Scale in Single-family Home Construction

No Comments


The cost per square foot of a single-family home declines systematically as the home becomes larger, according to NAHB analysis of two recent data sources. In microeconomics, unit costs that decline as a business operation increases in size are called economies of scale.

In home building, economies of scale may exist in several forms. It is conceivable, for instance, that homes cost less if they are built in larger subdivisions, or by larger companies, where design costs may be spread over a large number of production units. This post, however, focuses on economies of scale at the level of an individual home. In other words, does cost per square foot decline, all else equal, as a home increases in size?

The answer is yes, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau with partial funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development). Last Friday’s post reported on how the sale price per square foot of new single-family detached homes varies across time and geography. The chart below shows how it varies with the size of the home (measured in square footage of finished floor space). It is easy to see that the median price declines systematically, from a high of $200 per square foot for homes under 1,200 square feet to a low of only $132 per square foot for homes with 5,000 square feet or more.

There could be several reasons for this. A conventional explanation is that some components of construction cost—for example, design, regulatory and waste disposal costs—may be more or less fixed and not change much with house size.

The above sale price numbers are calculated after subtracting the value of the improved lot, but do not otherwise control for differences in quality or amenities present in the homes. One of the private services that does carefully control for quality and amenities when estimating construction costs per square foot is RSMeans. The chart below shows the base cost per square foot for a two-story home in each of the four RSMeans quality tiers: Economy, Average, Custom and Luxury.

Within each tier, characteristics of the home (other than square footage) are held constant. The “Average” two-story home, for instance, has a simple design from standard plans, no basement, a kitchen, single full bathroom, asphalt shingles on the roof, wood framing, wood siding, gypsum wallboard interior, and average quality materials and workmanship. As in the previous chart, cost per square foot declines systematically as the house gets bigger. Although the rate of decline varies, at the low end of the size scale, doubling the size of the home reduces the base cost per square foot by somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 percent. Interested readers may consult RSMeans for further details.

The bottom line is that economies of scale are ubiquitous in new single-family homes throughout both the Census sale price and private cost estimating data. This is significant due to the volume of queries NAHB fields about construction costs. Almost invariably, the queries ask for cost per square foot. To avoid large errors, it is important the requesters realize that the number will change depending on the size of the home. If you apply cost per square foot for a 3,000 square-foot home to a home with only 1,500 square feet, for instance, you will drastically underestimate the home’s total cost. Ideally, this post will be able to serve as a reference in these situations.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Post-Pandemic Square Foot Price Hikes End in 2023

No Comments


Median square foot prices (excluding record-high improved lot values) for new single-family detached (SFD) homes started in 2023 remained largely stable, according to NAHB’s analysis of the latest Survey of Construction data. For custom, or contractor-built, homes, the median price was $162 per square foot of floor space, not significantly different from $156 in 2022. For spec starts, after excluding lot values, the median was $150 per square foot of floor area. There remains a significant regional variation in square foot prices. In the spec market, after excluding lot values, median prices ranged from $262 per square foot in New England to $133 in the East South Central division.

Contract prices of custom homes do not include the value of an improved lot as these homes are built on the owner’s land (with either the owner or a contractor acting as a general contractor). Consequently, contract prices are typically reported as lower than the sale prices of spec homes. To make the comparison more meaningful, the cost of lot development is excluded from sale prices in this analysis.

The recent modest square foot price changes marked a sharp decline from the double-digit price hikes that characterized home building in the post-pandemic environment. Just a year prior, in 2022, increases for square foot prices in new SFD homes were approaching 20%, more than doubling the historically high U.S. inflation rate of 8%. The deceleration for median square foot prices reflects relatively stable building material prices and slower growth in home building wages in 2023. The shifts towards cost-effective methods, such as building homes on slabs rather than with full or partial basements, also contributed to decelerating median square foot prices.

In the for-sale market, the New England division registered the highest and fastest rising median square foot prices. Half of new for-sale SFD homes started here in 2023 were sold at prices exceeding $262 per square foot of floor area, paid on top of the most expensive lot values in the nation. After showing slower appreciation in 2022-2023, the Pacific division came in second, with median prices of $216 per square foot.

The most economical SFD spec homes were started in the South region, where the median sale prices per square foot were below the national median of $150. The East South Central division is home to the least expensive for-sale homes. Half of all for-sale SFD homes started here in 2023 registered square foot prices of $133 or lower, paid on top of the most economical lot values in the country. The other two divisions in the South – West South Central and South Atlantic –registered median prices of $144 per square foot, the second lowest in the nation.

Because square foot prices in this analysis exclude the cost of developed lot, highly variant land values cannot explain the regional differences in square foot prices. However, overly restrictive zoning practices, more stringent construction codes and higher other regulatory costs undoubtedly contribute to higher per square foot prices. Regional differences in the types of homes, prevalent features and materials used in construction also contribute to price differences. In the South, for example, lower square foot prices partially reflect less frequent regional occurrence of costly new home features such as basements.

In the custom home market, new contractor-built SFD homes in New England are by far the most expensive to build. Half of custom SFD homes started in New England in 2023 registered prices greater than $233 per square foot of floor area. The East North Central division came in second with the median of $199 per square foot of floor space. The median custom square foot price in the neighboring Mid Atlantic division was $183 per square foot.

The Mountain division had similarly high custom square foot prices. Half of custom SFD started here in 2023 had prices of $184 per square foot or higher. The corresponding median price in the neighboring Pacific was $167 per square foot.

The West South Central and South Atlantic divisions are where the most economical custom homes were started in 2023 with half of new custom homes registering prices at or below $136 and $138 per square foot of floor space, respectively. The remaining division in the South – East South Central – recorded slightly higher median square foot contract prices of $145 – still below the national median of $162.

Typically, contractor-built custom homes are more expensive per square foot than for-sale homes after excluding improved lot values. Over the last two decades, this custom home premium averaged slightly above 9%, suggesting that new custom home buyers are not only willing to wait longer to move into a new home, but also pay extra for pricier features and materials.

However, these custom home premiums (see the chart below) largely disappeared in the post-pandemic environment characterized by supply chain disruptions, skyrocketing building materials costs and home prices setting new records monthly. In 2023, the custom home premium averaged 8%, close to its historic norm, suggesting that this recent trend reversed, and once again custom home buyers are likely to pay more for pricier features and materials.

The NAHB estimates in this post are based on the Survey of Construction (SOC) data. The survey information comes from interviews of builders and owners of the selected new houses. The reported prices are medians, meaning that half of all builders reported higher per square foot prices and the other half reported prices lower than the median. While the reported median prices cannot reflect the price variability within a division, and even less so within a metro area, they, nevertheless, highlight the regional differences in square foot prices.

For the square footage statistics, the SOC uses all completely finished floor space, including space in basements and attics with finished walls, floors, and ceilings. This does not include a garage, carport, porch, unfinished attic or utility room, or any unfinished area of the basement.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Number of Bathrooms in New Single-Family Homes in 2023

No Comments


A majority of single-family homes started in 2023 continued to have two full bathrooms according to the latest release of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction.  According to the latest data, 64.7% of new single-family homes started in 2023 had two full bathrooms, 23.8% had three full bathrooms, 6.9% had 4 or more full bathrooms, and only 4.6% had one full bathroom or less.

The recent data features the largest increase since 2018 in single-family homes with two bathrooms, as the share increased from 62.3% to 64.7%. This reverses the trend of the past two years when this share consecutively decreased. The share of single-family starts with 3 full bathrooms fell for the second straight year, down to 23.8%, while the share of single-family starts with 1 full bathroom or less rose to 4.6%, the third straight increase. Single-family homes started with 4 or more bathrooms share decreased to 6.9%, after increasing the prior two years.

Across the U.S., the New England census division had the highest share at 75.6% of new single-family starts having two full bathrooms. This share jumped by 22.2 percentage points from 2022, and this was the first time since 2017 that the New England share was the largest in the nation. The lowest share census division was the Middle Atlantic, with 50.0% of new single-family starts reporting two full bathrooms. The share of new single-family started with two full bathrooms fell 9.2 percentage points from 2022 in the Middle Atlantic.

Half-Bathrooms

Most new single-family homes started in 2023 have no half-bathrooms at 54.7%. Following closely is the share of new single-family homes with one half-bathroom at 43.8% . New single-family starts with two or more half-bathrooms had a small share of 1.5% in 2023.

Half-bathrooms are historically prevalent in the New England census division as 79.8% of new single-family starts had at least one in 2023. Half-bathrooms were the least common in the West South Central, with only 38.3% of new single-family starts reporting at least one half-bathroom. A trend of note is in the Pacific, where the share has fallen for five consecutive years, from 53.2% in 2018 to 40.7% in 2023.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Surprise Lift for New Home Sales in July

No Comments


Sales of new homes rose unexpectedly in July, following significant revisions in the previous months data.

Sales of newly built, single-family homes in July rose 10.6% to a 739,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from significant upward revisions in June, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales in July is up 5.6% from a year earlier. After the notably higher revisions for the May and June data, new home sales from January through July of 2024 are up 2.6% in 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. 

While mortgage rates moved lower in July, the Census estimated gains for new home sales do not match recent industry survey data including the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, which showed weakness in the current sales index. The Census estimate of new home sales is often volatile and subject to revisions, and it is possible that the July estimate for sales will be revised lower next month. NAHB is forecasting gradual improvements for the home building sector as the Fed eases monetary policy and mortgage interest rates trend lower.

A new home sale occurs when a sales contract is signed, or a deposit is accepted. The home can be in any stage of construction: not yet started, under construction or completed. In addition to adjusting for seasonal effects, the July reading of 739,000 units is the number of homes that would sell if this pace continued for the next 12 months.

New single-family home inventory in July ticked lower to a level of 462,000, down 1.1% from the previous month. Only 16.7% of inventory available for purchase consists of completed, ready-to-occupy homes (102,000), although this inventory component is up 44% from a year ago.

The total new home inventory level represents a 7.5 months’ supply at the current building pace. While this reduced level of months’ supply is above the commonly used balance measure of 6, the measure of total home inventory is lower. Given a lean level of resale inventory, total home inventory (new and existing) is near 4.5, which remains low.

The median new home price was $429,800, up 3.1% compared to last month, and a 1.4% decrease from this time last year.

Regionally, on a year-to-date basis, new home sales are up 5.4% in the Northeast, 22.1% in the Midwest and 6.1% in the West. New home sales are down 2.4% in the South.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Flat Conditions for Single-Family Home Size

No Comments


An expected impact of the virus crisis was a need for more residential space, as people use homes for more purposes including work. Home size correspondingly increased in 2021 as interest rates reached historic lows. However, as interest rates increased in 2022 and 2023, and housing affordability worsened, the demand for home size has trended lower.

According to second quarter 2024 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area edged up to 2,164 square feet, just off the lowest reading since the second half of 2009. Average (mean) square footage for new single-family homes registered at 2,363 square feet.

Since Great Recession lows (and on a one-year moving average basis), the average size of a new single-family home is now effectively flat at 2,387 square feet, while the median size is about 3% higher at 2,165 square feet.

Home size rose from 2009 to 2015 as entry-level new construction lost market share. Home size declined between 2016 and 2020 as more starter homes were developed. After a brief increase during the post-COVID building boom, home size trended lower due to declining affordability conditions. As interest rates decline, new home size could level off and increase in the quarters ahead.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Solid Levels of Single-Family Built-for-Rent Construction

No Comments


Single-family built-for-rent construction posted year-over-year gains as of the second quarter of 2024, as builders sought to add additional rental housing in a market facing ongoing, elevated mortgage interest rates.

According to NAHB’s analysis of data from the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, there were approximately 23,000 single-family built-for-rent (SFBFR) starts during the second quarter of 2024. This is almost 10% higher than the second quarter of 2023. Over the last four quarters, 83,000 such homes began construction, which is a more than 20% increase compared to the 69,000 estimated SFBFR starts in the four quarters prior to that period.

The SFBFR market is a source of inventory amid challenges over housing affordability and downpayment requirements in the for-sale market, particularly during a period when a growing number of people want more space and a single-family structure. Single-family built-for-rent construction differs in terms of structural characteristics compared to other newly-built single-family homes, particularly with respect to home size. However, investor demand for single-family homes, both existing and new, has cooled with higher interest rates. Nonetheless, builders continue to build projects of built-for-rent homes for their own operation.

Given the relatively small size of this market segment, the quarter-to-quarter movements typically are not statistically significant. The current four-quarter moving average of market share (8%) is nonetheless higher than the historical average of 2.7% (1992-2012).

Importantly, as measured for this analysis, the estimates noted above include only homes built and held by the builder for rental purposes. The estimates exclude homes that are sold to another party for rental purposes, which NAHB estimates may represent another three to five percent of single-family starts based on industry surveys.

The Census data notes an elevated share of single-family homes built as condos (non-fee simple), with this share averaging more than 3% over recent quarters. Some, but certainly not all, of these homes will be used for rental purposes. Additionally, it is theoretically possible some single-family built-for-rent units are being counted in multifamily starts, as a form of “horizontal multifamily,” given these units are often built on a single plat of land. However, spot checks by NAHB with permitting offices indicate no evidence of this data issue occurring.

Nonetheless, demand by investors for single-family rental units, new and existing, has cooled in recent quarters as financial conditions remain tight. This will continue to cool some investor demand for SFBFR housing.

With the onset of the Great Recession and declines for the homeownership rate, the share of built-for-rent homes increased in the years after the recession. While the market share of SFBFR homes is small, it has clearly expanded. Given affordability challenges in the for-sale market, the SFBFR market will likely retain an elevated market share even as the sector cools in the quarters ahead.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Best Quarter for Custom Home Building in Almost Two Years

No Comments


NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates gains for custom home building after some recent slowing. Custom home building typically involves home buyers less sensitive to changes for interest rates.

There were 52,000 total custom building starts during the second quarter of 2024. This marks an almost 6% increase compared to the second quarter of 2023 and the best reading since the third quarter of 2022. Over the last four quarters, custom housing starts totaled 180,000 homes, a 5% decline compared to the prior four quarter total (189,000) due to weakness in prior quarters.

After share declines due to a rise in spec building in the wake of the pandemic, the market share for custom homes increased until 2023 and then entered a period of retrenchment. As measured on a one-year moving average, the market share of custom home building, in terms of total single-family starts, has fallen back to just under 18%. This is down from a prior cycle peak of 31.5% set during the second quarter of 2009 and a 21% local peak rate at the beginning of 2023.

Note that this definition of custom home building does not include homes intended for sale, so the analysis in this post uses a narrow definition of the sector. It represents home construction undertaken on a contract basis for which the builder does not hold tax basis in the structure during construction.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Townhouse Construction Gains Continue

No Comments


Year-over-year gains for townhouse construction continued during the second quarter 2024 as demand for medium-density housing continues to be solid despite slowing for other sectors of the building industry.

According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, during the second quarter of 2024, single-family attached starts totaled 42,000, which is 8% higher than the second quarter of 2023. Over the last four quarters, townhouse construction starts totaled a strong 174,000 homes, which is 23% higher than the prior four-quarter period (142,000). Townhouses made up almost 15% of single-family housing starts for the second quarter of the year.

Using a one-year moving average, the market share of newly-built townhouses stood at 17.2% of all single-family starts for the second quarter. With recent gains, the four-quarter moving average market share remain at the highest on record, for data going back to 1985.

Prior to the current cycle, the peak market share of the last two decades for townhouse construction was set during the first quarter of 2008, when the percentage reached 14.6%, on a one-year moving average basis. This high point was set after a fairly consistent increase in the share beginning in the early 1990s.

The long-run prospects for townhouse construction are positive given growing numbers of homebuyers looking for medium-density residential neighborhoods, such as urban villages that offer walkable environments and other amenities. Where it can be zoned, it can be built.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Single-Family Starts Weak in July

No Comments


High interest rates for construction and development loans as well as ongoing challenges regarding labor shortages and higher prices for many building materials continued to slow the building market this summer.

Overall housing starts decreased 6.8% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.24 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the lowest pace since May 2020.

The July reading of 1.24 million starts is the number of housing units builders would begin if development kept this pace for the next 12 months. Within this overall number, single-family starts decreased 14.1% from an upwardly revised June figure to an 851,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate. However, on a year-to-date basis, single-family starts are up 11.4%.

The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, increased 14.5% to an annualized 387,000 pace.

The decline in new home construction mirrors our latest builder surveys (the NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI), which show that buyers remain concerned about challenging affordability conditions and builders are grappling with elevated rates for builder loans, a shortage of workers and lots, and supply chain concerns for some building materials.

Better inflation data points to the Federal Reserve moving to cut interest rates possibly as early as September, and with interest rates expected to moderate in the months ahead, this will help both buyers and builders who are dealing with tight lending conditions.

On a regional and year-to-date basis, combined single-family and multifamily starts are 1.3% lower in the Northeast, 5.1% lower in the Midwest, 5.4% lower in the South and 5.1% lower in the West.

Overall permits decreased 4.0% to a 1.40 million unit annualized rate in July. Single-family permits decreased 0.1% to a 938,000 unit rate. Multifamily permits decreased 11.1% to an annualized 458,000 pace.

Looking at regional data on a year-to-date basis, permits are 1.1% higher in the Northeast, 3.2% higher in the Midwest, 0.3% lower in the South and 4.1% lower in the West.

Single-family homes under construction fell back to a count of 653,000—down 4.1% compared to a year ago. The number of multifamily units under construction fell to an 886,000 count—down 13.2% compared to a year ago. The number of multifamily units under construction is now the lowest since July 2022.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
In Research & Trends

Builder Confidence Moves Lower as Market Waits for Rate Cuts

No Comments


A lack of affordability and buyer hesitation stemming from elevated interest rates and high home prices contributed to a decline in builder sentiment in August.

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes was 39 in August, down two points from a downwardly revised reading of 41 in July, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. This is the lowest reading since December 2023.

Almost three-quarters of the responses to the August HMI were collected during the first week of the month when interest rates averaged 6.73%, according to Freddie Mac. Mortgage rates declined notably the following week to 6.47%, the lowest reading since May 2023.

Challenging housing affordability conditions remain the top concern for prospective home buyers in the current reading of the HMI, as both present sales and traffic readings showed weakness. However, with current inflation data pointing to interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and mortgage rates down markedly in the second week of August, buyer interest and builder sentiment should improve in the months ahead.

The August HMI survey also revealed that 33% of builders cut home prices to bolster sales in August, above the July rate of 31% and the highest share in all of 2024. However, the average price reduction in August held steady at 6% for the 14th straight month. Meanwhile, the use of sales incentives increased to 64% in August from 61% in July, and this was the highest level since April 2019.

Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for more than 35 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

The HMI index charting current sales conditions in August fell two points to 44 and the gauge charting traffic of prospective buyers also declined by two points to 25. The component measuring sales expectations in the next six months increased one point to 49.

Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Northeast fell four points to 52, the Midwest dropped four points to 39, the South decreased two points to 42 and the West held steady at 37. The HMI tables can be found at nahb.org/hmi.

Discover more from Eye On Housing

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

Read More
By
Load More
Pin It