How Will the Economy Impact Housing for the Rest of 2024?
Limited inventory, higher construction costs and elevated interest rates continue to frustrate prospective home buyers. The new quarterly NAHB/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index recently underscored the burden that housing costs represent for middle- and low-income families. And builders are feeling the crunch, too, as noted in the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.
So what can the housing industry expect for the remainder of the year?
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz and Senior Economist Fan-Yu Kuo will provide an analysis and outlook of key macro issues affecting the economy and the housing industry in an upcoming webinar with Pro Builder magazine on June 26 at 2 p.m. ET.
The webinar will provide attendees with a better understanding of what macroeconomic factors are driving the housing industry in 2024, which key housing policies are affecting their business the most, and how they can prepare their business for what’s to come.
Topics will include:
- Federal Reserve’s monetary policy and current inflation and interest rate readings,
- Immigration,
- Existing home inventory, and
- Other factors affecting the home building industry.
The presentation will also include a live question-and-answer session for attendees.
Latest from NAHBNow
The housing industry is experiencing elevated costs across the board — from land to labor and building materials. NAHB’s Economics team is in the process of measuring how these rising costs impact the cost to build single-family homes. And we need your help.
Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution extending funding at current levels for federal programs through Dec. 11.
Latest Economic News
The average time needed to complete construction of a multifamily building after obtaining authorization edged down in 2025, according to the 2025 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau.
The U.S. labor market rebounded in August, with nonfarm payrolls increasing by 162,000 and upward revisions adding 55,000 jobs to June and July. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, as both employment and the labor force participation rate rose over the month.
In the second quarter of 2026, the national median price for a new single-family home was $410,700, $25,000 lower than the national median price of an existing home, which stood at $435,700.