Podcast: Biden Administration Is Making it Harder to Finance Homes
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD) was busy last week, publishing two new determinations that increase the requirements for borrowers to use federal mortgage programs when purchasing new homes.
On the latest episode of the NAHB podcast Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez welcome to the program Jessica Lynch, VP of Housing Finance, to discuss the new rules.
First, Lynch explains the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard from HUD that will require a complicated, three-tiered process for determining the extent of the floodplain, with a preference for a climate-informed science approach, for owners of new homes to qualify for FHA mortgage insurance.
Lynch then discusses the recent move by HUD to require all new homes purchased under certain mortgage program to be built to the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), regardless of whether a state or jurisdiction has adopted that version of the IECC.
Watch the full episode below and subscribe to Housing Development through your favorite podcast provider or watch all the episodes on YouTube.
Latest from NAHBNow
Economics
Oct 27, 2026
Affordability Challenges Push New Home Sales Lower
Sales of newly built single-family homes decreased 0.6% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000, following a downwardly revised August estimate, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales was 5.3% lower than a year earlier.
Economics | Workforce Development
Oct 26, 2026
How Old Are America's Construction Workers?
NAHB analysis takes a deeper look into the median ages of construction workers by state and by trade.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Oct 26, 2026
Uptick for Non-Conventional Financing in 2025
Nationwide, the share of non-conventional financing for new home sales accounted for 32.4% of the market, according to NAHB analysis of the 2025 Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC) data.
Economics
Oct 23, 2026
A Quarter of Remodelers Started ADUs Over Past Twelve Months
When asked if remodelers started a project involving an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) over the past twelve months, 24% indicated that they were building an addition for use as an ADU and 23% indicated that they were converting an existing space to an ADU, according to NAHB’s Remodeling Market Index (RMI).
Economics
Oct 23, 2026
Slabs Overtake Basements in the East North Central Division
Nearly three-quarters of new single-family homes started in 2025 were built on slab foundations, according to NAHB analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC).