Best in American Living Awards Celebrating 40 Years of Design
For the past four decades, NAHB’s Best in American Living Awards (BALA) have celebrated the value and importance of good home and community design.
Over the next several months, BALA will celebrate its significant 40-year milestone by showcasing memorable trends and award-winning projects, as well as celebrating its esteemed BALA Hall of Fame inductees who helped set the stage for today’s design creativity and innovation.
Although trends and best practices in home design have evolved through the years, NAHB’s commitment to driving innovation and improving the places where we live, work and play remains steadfast. NAHB is proud to once again recognize and honor the architects, builders and designers who have become part of the BALA community and made their mark in defining excellence in residential design.
Visit BALA’s Special Section at bestinamericanliving.com to see more award-winning projects, influential design leaders and more.
Latest from NAHBNow
Financing
Nov 04, 2025
Mortgage Rates Reach Lowest Average in Over Than a YearMortgage rates in October fell to their lowest average in over a year. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.25% in October, 10 basis points (bps) lower than in September and 17 bps lower than a year ago.
Codes and Standards
Nov 03, 2025
Delaware Pauses State Energy Code Overhaul After HBA's ConcernsLast week, Gregory Patterson, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), wrote to building industry stakeholders that he was declining to approve the Department’s own proposal to create one of the most aggressive energy codes in the country.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Nov 04, 2025
The International Builders’ Show: The Leading Economic Forecast Event of the YearEvery year, NAHB and other industry experts and economists bring their latest insights to the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS). For 2026, IBS offers an unparalleled lineup of IBS Education sessions that cover every sector of the housing industry: single-family, multifamily, remodeling, design trends, and building materials.
Economics
Nov 03, 2025
Laundry Room Locations in New Homes and Apartments, 2024In 2024, most new single-family homes included laundry connections on the first floor (70%), according to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction. The first floor is also where most customers prefer to have the laundry, as shown in Chapter 2 of What Home Buyers Really Want.
Economics
Oct 31, 2025
Lowest Mortgage Rates in Over a Year in OctoberAverage mortgage rates in October trended downward to the lowest rates in over a year. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.25% in October, 10 basis points (bps) lower than September.