The Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey (CPS/HVS) reported the U.S. homeownership rate at 66% in the third quarter of 2023, amid persistently tight housing supply and elevated mortgage interest rates. The homeownership rate remained statistically unchanged from the second quarter reading (65.9%). Compared to the peak of 69.2% in 2004, the homeownership rate is 3.2 percentage points lower and remains… Read More ›

Chelsea Modular Homes of Marlboro, New York has introduced housing modules providing flexibility in interior layout as well as a level of style that is unusual in factory-built housing.  The first Georgetown model comprised 2396 square feet with hard costs of construction of approximately $47.  Developed by architect David Martin, who also has an industrial design background, the Georgetown’s rafter-roof system differs from the hinged-truss systems used by the majority of modular housing companies to facilitate the roof’s transportation.  The…

The Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) provides valuable information on the characteristics of new homes started construction, such as air conditioning and heating system installations. Air Conditioning In 2022, 97.1 percent of new single-family homes started had a central AC system, slightly higher than 96.5 percent in 2021. The trend, going back to 2000, shows a steady rise in the share of… Read More ›

The most recent data release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed that personal income increased 0.3% in September. The pace of personal income growth slowed after reaching a 1% monthly gain in January 2023. Gains in personal income are largely driven by increases in wages and salaries. With spending increasing faster than personal income, the September personal savings… Read More ›

Stephen Moore, Class of 2008 Stephen Moore has held many major positions in NAHB, including the Design Committee where he was instrumental in the creation of the Best in American Living Awards in partnership with Professional Builder magazine and Better Homes and Garden. He joined BSB Design as marketing director in 1991 in the depths of the recession. At the time, the firm operated two offices with 36 employees and no marketing department. Over the past 16 years, Moore and…

NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (SOC) indicates shares of new single-family homes built with private wells and individual septic systems increased in 2022, compared with the previous year. About 10% of new single-family homes started in 2022 were served by individual wells and 18% had private septic systems. These shares, however, vary widely across the nine… Read More ›

Housing’s share of the economy remained at 15.9% at the end of the third quarter of 2023. Overall GDP increased at a 4.9% annual rate, following a 2.1% increase in the second quarter of 2023 and 2.2% increase in the first quarter of 2023. Housing’s share of GDP remained at 15.9% for the third consecutive quarter in 2023. In the… Read More ›

The U.S. economy had remarkable growth in the third quarter of 2023, fueled by consumer spending. The GDP price index rose 3.5% for the third quarter, up from a 1.7% increase in the second quarter. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index, capturing inflation (or deflation) across a wide range of consumer expenses and reflecting changes in consumer behavior, rose… Read More ›

Surrounded by old, bent trees with lots of character, this custom home on Hilton Head Island, SC overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.  An architectural transplant, it reflects the owner’s East Coast heritage in its cedar shingles, calming gray-blue paint and crisp white trim.  The New England style house features a lot of detail, playfulness and design coherence, from the cupola details that cap the garage and library to the pergolas at the garage and front entry to round windows that peek…

The challenge for this project was designing an architecturally interesting, livable layout, inside a 2,000-square-foot space. This design features a creative footprint that allows for three bedrooms, an open shared living space, and the perfect location to extend the living space out to a patio. The modern lines mix with timber framing, stone and rustic siding to create a contemporary cabin that connects with the landscape. The demand for mountain modern design is easy to understand when you see the…