Home Construction Slumps as Supply Constraints Weigh on Production

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Logo

Home construction fell sharply in July, adding to evidence that elevated construction costs and surging house prices continued to be a headwind for the housing market.

Housing starts fell 7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.534 million units last month, according to a Commerce Department report (pdf). While this is the slowest pace since April, it remained 2.5 percent above the July 2020 figure.

Building permits—a leading indicator for future construction—climbed 2.6 percent in July, reversing a three-month falling trend. Still, the gains were confined to the multi-family home segment, with single-family house building permits dropping by 1.7 percent over the month, suggesting little relief from the housing shortage that is driving up prices and increasingly pushing prospective buyers to the sidelines.

Homebuilders have been hit by rising material and skilled labor costs, which, combined with a shortage of housing stock, have sent home prices soaring. The median price of an existing single-family home in the United States surged by 22.9 percent in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the year-earlier period, hitting an all-time high of $357,900, the National Association of Realtors said in an Aug. 12 report.

Rising home prices have increasingly sidelined prospective buyers, with a recent National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) report showing that the main reason people actively looking to buy a home gave for not pulling the trigger on a purchase was the inability to find one within their price range. Two-thirds of active buyers in the second quarter of 2021 spent three months or more searching for a home but remained empty-handed.

The Commerce Department’s new residential construction report also showed that the number of houses authorized for construction but not yet started in July rose by a monthly 2.6 percent to the third-highest reading on record, reinforcing the view that builders remained hesitant to begin new projects.

“While the demographics and interest for home buying remain solid, higher costs and material access issues have resulted in lower levels of home building and even put a hold on some new home sales,” NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz said in a statement.

By Tom Ozimek

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

Trump’s Proposal For NATO To Stop Buying Russian Oil & Start Tariffing China Is Unrealistic

Trump proposed on social media that NATO stop buying Russian oil and start tariffing China 50-100% as part of his plan for ending the Ukrainian Conflict.

The Choices We Make

Death and disagreement are inevitable. Love and hate are choices. We will all die. Before we do, what choices will we make?

Elon Musk Speaks at Unite the Kingdom Rally

Tommy Robinson held rally, with Elon Musk appearing virtually, calling attention to leftist politicians who allow foreign immigrants to invade England.

Doxed Democrats Are Getting Fired Left and Left

Not a misprint because a title of “left and...

Hold Up, Feds, Without Federalism, There Is No USA

Federalism is essential to governing the U.S., yet the federal government is undermining it by bribing states to implement unnecessary federal programs.

ABC Reporter Apologizes for Calling Texts From Kirk’s Alleged Murderer ‘Very Touching’

ABC reporter apologized after describing text messages between Charlie Kirk’s alleged murderer and the man’s boyfriend as “very touching.”

Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates for First Time in 2025

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time this year following its two-day policy meeting that concluded on Sept. 17.

Driver Rams Car Into FBI Pittsburgh Gate in Potential Act of Terror, Official Says

Driver crashes car into FBI Pittsburgh office gate in a suspected targeted attack the agency says may be an act of terror against the bureau.

RFK Jr. Plans to Change Childhood Vaccine Schedule, Ousted CDC Director Says

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to change the immunization schedule for children, Susan Monare, fired director of the CDC testified.

Rubio Says US Visa Revocations Underway After Charlie Kirk Death Celebrations

SoS Marco Rubio said foreign nationals who made celebratory comments over Charlie Kirk’s assassination will have their U.S. visas revoked.

Trump Supports Designating Antifa a Terrorist Organization

President Trump said he would support designating the antifa movement a terrorist organization in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination last week.

US Conducts Strike on Another Drug Boat From Venezuela: Trump

Three people were killed in a U.S. strike on a Venezuelan drug boat, President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 15.

Trump Signs Memo Targeting Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising

President Trump signed a memo to ensure drug ads give fair, balanced, and complete information to protect and inform American consumers.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central