Latest Issue of Building Women Magazine is Available to Members
The latest edition of Building Women Magazine, available now to NAHB members, introduces 2024 Professional Women in Building (PWB) Chair Luellen Smith.
The annual magazine features Smith’s mantra of "Building the Future with PWB" where she discusses prioritizing mentorship and growth including ramping up efforts for local council support and encouraging more women to engage in mentorship. It also spotlights how Smith’s early life on a farm helped her succeed in business, her dedication to volunteering, and how she built her career as an entrepreneur.
Other stories include:
- How women entering residential construction are blazing new trails
- How lessons from a mentor have pushed three women’s careers forward
- PWB members share tech tools to help boost your business
- PWB’s 2023 major accomplishments
- How a DIY blogger created a multifaceted business
- The best new clothing for women on the jobsite
Read the magazine and learn about the benefits to having a PWB membership at nahb.org/womeninbuilding.
Are you a PWB Council member? If not, join PWB locally through an HBA near you.
If you local does not have a council, you can join as an at-large member.
Latest from NAHBNow
Design | IBS
Jan 09, 2026
From Décor to Resiliency, IBS Design Central Covers It AllAt the 2026 NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) in Orlando Fla., there will be education sessions centered on design. Design Central will offer engaging presentations led by some of the industry’s top professionals, covering everything from décor to sustainability. Here are the Design Central presentations, all taking place at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC).
IBS
Jan 09, 2026
Final Touches Underway at The New American Home 2026Watching a new home come to life in the final stages of construction is a satisfying experience—not just for the owners, but for the builder as well. That feeling is only amplified when the home is a focal point of the International Builders’ Show (IBS)—the industry’s largest trade show.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Jan 09, 2026
Townhouse Construction Share Gains ContinueAccording to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, during the third quarter of 2025, single-family attached starts totaled 46,000. Over the last four quarters, townhouse construction starts totaled a strong 179,000 homes, which is 1% higher than the prior four-quarter period (177,000). Townhouses made almost 20% all of single-family housing starts for the third quarter of the year.
Economics
Jan 09, 2026
Job Growth Slowed as 2025 EndedJob growth continued to slow at the end of the year, reinforcing signs of a cooling labor market. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 50,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate edged down slightly to 4.4%.
Economics
Jan 09, 2026
Residential Construction Softens Amid Ongoing Housing Market HeadwindsThe latest residential housing market report, delayed by the federal government shutdown last fall, indicates that builders have faced significant headwinds in recent months. Elevated mortgage rates earlier in the year have restrained buyer demand and weighed on home building activity, alongside persistently high construction costs.