Prospective Buyers’ Expectations for Housing Availability Improve for First Time Since 2020
After falling steadily for five quarters, the share of prospective buyers expecting the home search to get easier in the months ahead grew from 17% to 22% between the first and second quarters of 2022. The increase is largely the result of easing competition among buyers getting priced out of the market by recent increases in mortgage rates. In contrast, 67% expect the search to get harder/stay the same, down from 74% in the previous quarter.
Another measure confirms that buyers’ perceptions of housing inventory pivoted in the second quarter of 2022. After declining for five straight quarters, the share of buyers seeing more homes available for sale in their markets turned around in the second quarter of 2022, rising to 28% from 23% a quarter earlier.
Rose Quint, NAHB assistant vice president for survey research, provides a regional breakdown on both metrics in this Eye on Housing post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Advocacy
Feb 11, 2026
NAHB Cites Policy Priorities to Bipartisan Working GroupNAHB Chief Lobbyist Lake Coulson on Feb. 10 addressed members of the Congressional Bipartisan Policy Working Group and urged the nearly dozen Democratic and Republican members of Congress to assist home builders in three key areas – comprehensive housing legislation, building codes and workforce development.
Advocacy
Feb 10, 2026
NAHB Blitzes Capitol Hill in Support of Energy Choice ActIn an unprecedented move to advance legislation vital to NAHB members and the housing community, every member of the NAHB Government Affairs team fanned out across Capitol Hill today urging House lawmakers to bring the Energy Choice Act quickly to a vote on the House floor.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Feb 11, 2026
Job Growth Starts Year on Strong Note: However, 2025 Revisions Offer CautionThe U.S. labor market began 2026 at a surprisingly strong pace, while newly released benchmark revisions show that job growth in 2025 was considerably weaker than previously reported.
Economics
Feb 10, 2026
Credit Card Balances Rise in Q4 2025Overall consumer credit continued to expand in the fourth quarter of 2025, with growth in both nonrevolving and revolving credit. Nonrevolving credit, primarily student and auto loans, accounts for 74% of total outstanding consumer credit, while revolving credit, largely credit card balances, makes up the remaining 26%.
Economics
Feb 10, 2026
Weaker Demand, Unchanged Lending Conditions for Residential Mortgages in Fourth QuarterLending standards for most types of residential mortgages were essentially unchanged but overall demand was weaker in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the recent release of the Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS).