Homebuilder Sentiment Rises Two Points in August

Washington, DC, August 15, 2016—Builder confidence in the market for newly constructed single-family homes in August rose two points to 60 from a downwardly revised reading of 58 in July on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).

“New construction and new home sales are on the rise in most areas of the country, and this is helping to boost builder sentiment,” said NAHB chairman Ed Brady, a home builder and developer from Bloomington, Illinois.

Two of the three HMI components posted gains in August. The component gauging current sales conditions rose two points to 65, while the index charting sales expectations in the next six months increased one point to 67.  The component measuring buyer traffic fell one point to 44.

Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the South registered a two-point uptick to 63, the Northeast rose two points to 41 while the West was unchanged at 69. The Midwest dropped two points to 55.