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 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released the NAHB Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the third quarter, posting a reading of 62—up one point compared to the previous quarter.
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.
Latest Economic News
In the third quarter of 2026, the NAHB Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 62, up one point compared to the previous quarter. The RMI has remained within a narrow band between 59 and 70 for the past four years.
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.