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
On Sept. 1, 2026, a temporary exception in the National Electrical Code (NEC) is scheduled to expire, which requires ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection for outdoor HVAC equipment.
In his August update, 2026 NAHB Chairman Bill Owens spotlights the feedback received through NAHB’s Industry Pulse Check and next steps on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act implementation.
Latest Economic News
Residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.4% in July and were up 5.0% from a year ago. Energy prices fell again in July but remained significantly higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, prices for services were down 0.3% over the month but were 6.2% higher than a year ago.
The latest homeownership rate declined to 65% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS). The homeownership rate was unchanged from a year ago, and not statistically different than the rate in the first quarter of the year (65.3%).
Led by declines in gasoline and diesel prices, inflation eased for the second consecutive month after reaching a three-year high in May. As energy prices moderated, shelter resumed its role as the largest driver of headline inflation, accounting for one-third of the annual increase and over two-thirds of the monthly increase.