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US homebuilder sentiment climbs in August
U.S. homebuilders are feeling increasingly optimistic about their sales prospects, reflecting a pickup in demand and positive expectations for additional growth during the rest of this year. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Tuesday rose to 68 this month, which is up four points from a reading of 64 in July and the highest level since May.
Here’s the No. 1 new home market in the U.S.
The Dallas-Fort Worth market is the No. 1 market in the nation for new homes, according to a new report from Metrostudy, a provider of primary and secondary market information to the housing industry. Dallas-area housing starts increased 3.4 percent from the first to the second quarter of 2017, the study showed. This makes a total 31,049 new home starts within the past 12 months ending in the second quarter. Housing starts jumped 14 percent from the second quarter of 2016 to the second quarter of 2017.
What do buyers want more — a bigger house or a bigger yard?
According to a consumer survey by Wakefield Research, commissioned by residential construction company Taylor Morrison, 56 percent of buyers would be willing to sacrifice a larger house for a larger yard. Sizable outdoor space means extra “breathing room” from neighbors. This is something that 48 percent of millennials and 53 percent of non-millennials say is the most important exterior feature of a home, beating other outdoor elements such as siding, driveway style, exterior paint color and roofing finish.
