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
Although housing ballot measures fared well nationwide in the midterm elections, two NAHB-backed initiatives were defeated: one to streamline environmental reviews in California and another to address minimum lot sizes for single-family homes in Massachusetts.
What does a change in mortgage rates or home prices mean for prospective home buyers in your market? NAHB’s new Priced-Out Housing Calculator helps answer that question.
Latest Economic News
Consumer credit growth accelerated in the third quarter of 2026, with both revolving and nonrevolving credit increasing at their fastest quarterly rates since 2022. Total outstanding consumer credit reached $5.22 trillion, continuing an upward trend that has strengthened over the past year.
Inflation remained elevated in October even as energy prices eased, raising expectations of another Fed rate hike. Shelter returned as the largest driver of headline inflation, accounting for over 30% of the monthly increase. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy components, rose by 0.3% for the third consecutive month, suggesting broad-based price pressures across the economy.
Wage growth for residential building workers showed signs of a modest rebound in September 2026 following a sharp slowdown earlier in the year. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nominal wage growth picked up from its June pace, although it remained relatively modest.