New Construction Craters in July

Tuesday, August 18th, 2026

Economic uncertainty continues to push builders to temper their expectations (and pace of construction) based on the latest monthly new residential construction report by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Bureau’s report for July states that privately owned housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.24 million. This is a considerable decrease (12.4%)…

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Builder sentiment remains muted from economic and geopolitical uncertainty, elevated mortgage rates and rising construction costs, with the latest data and analysis from homebuilders painting an overall still-muddled picture of near-term housing demand and affordability. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes inched up one point to 35 in August, according to…

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In May, housing construction starts bottomed-out to a six year low, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, attributed to ongoing challenges such as construction costs and high mortgage rates triggered by rising inflation. The newest monthly update, however, shows a recovery—for at least one sector of the housing market. The latest monthly new residential construction…

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Builder sentiment remains subdued as rising material costs, elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges continue to strain the housing market. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell two points to 35 in June, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released June 15.…

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Sales of newly built single-family homes fell 6.2% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 622,000, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, as the 2026 housing market remains sluggish overall. The pace of new-home sales is down 11.3% from a…

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The United States Senate today passed legislation now called the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a comprehensive, bipartisan legislative package designed to increase housing supply and access. The bill will now have to be sent back to the House, where it must face reconciliation and another vote before going to President Donald Trump’s desk.…

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Bill Owens, a Worthington, Ohio-based remodeler and home builder with more than 40 years of experience in residential construction, has been elected 2026 chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the organization has announced. The election took place earlier this week during the association’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando.  According to a release,…

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