Newsletter Stories

• Construction employment increases in 32 states
  Construction employment rose in 32 states from April 2025 to April 2026, according to an analysis of new federal data released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)on May 22, 2026. Texas added the most construction jobs, adding approximately 18,700 jobs, followed by North Carolina, Ohio, Louisiana, Illinois and Missouri. Louisiana had the largest […]
• Housing economist comments on core inflation report
  The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the April report for Personal Income and Outlays, outlining core inflation at 0.4% for the month and a 3.8%12-month inflation rate. This is an indication that on the next Fed decision on June 17, 2026 might continue March’s holding pattern. The BEA data does not relay one […]
• March sees lowest saving rates since June 2022
  According to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, March 2026 saw the lowest personal saving rates since June 2022. On a year-over-year basis, personal income was 2.5% higher in March than in April 2025. As consumer spending outpaced income growth, the personal saving rate fell to 2.6%. This data point implies households […]
• Home buying demand ticks up
  The housing market is showing signs of life; contract cancellations decreased in April 2026, indicating an uptick in homebuyers’ demand. Home-sale agreements were only down by -0.1 percentage points from March on a seasonally adjusted basis. This is tied with January for the lowest level of contract cancellations since September 2024, though the level has varied […]
• Price drops become less common as market stabilizes
  According to a new analysis from Redfin, price cuts were slightly less common in April 2026, as the housing market showed signs of stabilization and rising homebuyer demand. More than 35.4% of U.S. home sellers cut their asking price in April 2026, down slightly from 35.6% a month earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis. This is […]
• Mortgage rates average 6.51%
  On May 21, 2026, Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey, showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.51%. This is up from last week, when it averaged 6.36%. In May 2025, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.86%. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.51% this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief […]
• Brookfield receives approval for 12,000 homes on retired California Navy base
  Brookfield Residential just received unanimous approval from the Concord City Council to redevelop the Concord Naval Weapons Station in Northern California. Brookfield’s master-planned community is expected to revitalize the San Francisco Bay Area with the proposed development of 12,000 new homes, businesses, schools, fire stations and around 800 acres of dedicated parks. Estimations are putting […]
• Construction sees life in custom homebuilding
  The custom home market is not as heavily impacted by the interest rate cycle in comparison to other forms of homebuilding, making it a relative bright spot in residential construction. While overall single-family construction has been down 5% for the first four months of 2026, custom homebuilding is providing relief in the homebuilding. According to […]
• AD – Spot9 – Skyscraper
  The post AD – Spot9 – Skyscraper appeared first on Builder and Developer Magazine.
• NAHB strives to tackle workforce gaps in housing
  The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) state and local teams met with mayors, city leaders, planners and builders to address workforce development challenges as part of the America’s Housing Comeback discussion series spearheaded by the National League of Cities and the American Planning Association. The discussion allowed city leaders to hear directly from builders […]