Rising Home Prices Keep More Buyers on the Sidelines
NAHB’s latest Housing Trends Report revealed that the majority (67%) of buyers who were actively house hunting in the first quarter of 2022 have spent at least three months searching for a home without success. And the most common reason these long-term searchers cite for not having bought is their inability to find an affordable home (48%).
Other top reasons include their inability to find a desirable neighborhood (34%), followed by the inability to find a home with desirable features (31%), and being outbid by other buyers (29%).
When asked what they are most likely to do next if still unable to find a home in the next few months, most (52%) active buyers searching for at least three months said they will continue looking for the “right” home in the same location.
However, the share of buyers who plan to give up their home search until next year or later is showing a clear upward trend, rising from 20% in the 2nd quarter of 2021 to 25% in the first quarter of 2022.
Rose Quint, NAHB assistant vice president for survey research, provides more analysis in this Eye on Housing blog post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Construction Costs | Material Costs
Dec 23, 2025
Lumber Capacity Has Peaked for 2025An annual revision to the Federal Reserve G.17 Industrial Production report shows current sawmill production levels above 2017 by 7.5%, but just 0.3% above 2023 levels.
Building Systems Councils
Dec 22, 2025
Can Offsite Housing Solve the Housing Affordability Crisis?Offsite construction – a method in which components are planned, designed, fabricated in a factory setting and then transported and assembled onsite – is something more community-based organizations (CBOs) are turning to as a solution to the housing affordability crisis.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Dec 22, 2025
State-Level Employment Situation: September 2025In September 2025, nonfarm payroll employment was largely unchanged across states on a monthly basis, with a limited number of states seeing statistically significant increases or decreases. This reflects generally stable job counts across states despite broader labor market fluctuations. The data were impacted by collection delays due to the federal government shutdown.
Economics
Dec 19, 2025
Existing Home Sales Edge Higher in NovemberExisting home sales rose for the third consecutive month in November as lower mortgage rates continued to boost home sales, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). However, the increase remained modest as mortgage rates still stayed above 6% while down from recent highs. The weakening job market also weighed on buyer activity.
Economics
Dec 18, 2025
Lumber Capacity Lower Midway Through 2025Sawmill production has remained essentially flat over the past two years, according to the Federal Reserve G.17 Industrial Production report. This most recent data release contained an annual revision, which resulted in higher estimates for both production and capacity in U.S. sawmills.