The housing market is about to see a major youth infusion from members of Generation Y moving into households of their own, but what kind of homes they will want or be able to afford are among the open questions that will be especially challenging for established builders who may be ill-equipped to respond to the magnitude of the changes likely to characterize the recovery period that lies ahead.

Turning the tables on young men, young women will be the demographic group to watch, as they come to the housing market better educated and with higher paying jobs than their male counterparts.

In an NAHB webinar on June 30, James Chung, president of Reach Advisors, cited some demographic statistics about the U.S. population that ought to have an especially upbeat ring in the ears of the developers of multifamily rental properties. However, he cautioned that the dynamics of the marketplace will be dramatically different. Read More

Released on June 30, new appraisal-related polices and additional guidance from Fannie Mae address many of the NAHB concerns that surfaced during the association’s appraisal summits late last year and have continued  with ongoing conversations involving members, industry partners and the housing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs).

The new policy represents good news on many fronts and should provide NAHB members with the guidance they need to navigate many of the appraisal issues that have been hampering their business.... Read More