Podcast: WOTUS Decision, Good Housing Data and Politics
In the latest episode of NAHB's podcast, Housing Developments, co-hosts CEO Jim Tobin and SVP of Communications Paul Lopez discuss the importance of yesterday's Supreme Court decision rescinding key parts of the Biden Administration's Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.
The pair also talk about some recent positive data for the housing and home building industry and the political landscape now that the Republican presidential nominee field is rapidly growing.
Listen to Housing Developments wherever you get your podcasts or watch a video of the full episode below.
Latest from NAHBNow
For the first time since 2022, the share of new homes with two-story foyers increased, according to the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction (SOC). Despite the increase, the market share of two-story foyers has generally trended downward since 2017, with most new single-family homes being built without a two-story foyer both nationally and regionally.
Mortgage rates rose sharply in September as multiple factors applied significant upward pressure on U.S. treasury bond yields, a key factor in mortgage rates.
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Mortgage application activity declined as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose sharply. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, decreased 7.7% month-over-month in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to a year ago, total mortgage applications were lower by 35.4%.
Mortgage rates rose sharply in September as multiple factors applied significant upward pressure on the U.S. treasury yields. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.86% in September, up nearly 20 basis points (bps) from August.
In 2025, around a quarter of new homes were built with a two-story foyer, slightly up from 2024, according to data obtained from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) and tabulated by NAHB.