Podcast: Mid-Year Update on Economic Indicators and Advocacy Priorities

On the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, sponsored by LG Pro Builder, COO Paul Lopez welcomed NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz and Chief Advocacy Officer Ken Wingert for a mid-year check-in on key economic indicators and NAHB policy priorities driving home building for the rest of 2025.

With NAHB CEO Jim Tobin on travel, Lopez covered a lot of ground with the two experts.

The three discussed NAHB’s recent Legislative Conference, which saw some 1,000 NAHB members come to Washington to meet with their members of Congress. This year, Wingert noted that the key messages delivered by members were hitting a receptive audience.

“Everyone recognizes we need to build more houses,” said Wingert.

The group also talked about the recent Housing Market Index (HMI) reading. Dr. Robert Dietz noted that the combination of builder uncertainty and consumer reticence to buy with interest rates so high has led to falling home builder confidence.

“Builders are telling us it’s tough to price homes because of the uncertainty due to cost factors and availability of labor,” noted Dietz.

But Dietz noted that the foundation of the economy is still solid and his team is forecasting only a 30% chance of a recession in 2025.

Listen to Housing Developments on any podcast provider or watch below for more, including some interesting answers to, “What keeps you up at night?” Be sure to check out the podcast archives on YouTube for past episodes.