U.S. Builder Confidence in 55+ Housing Sector Rises Again in Q2

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According to the National Association of Home Builders 55+ Housing Market Index released this week, U.S. home builder confidence in the single-family 55+ housing market strengthened in the second quarter of 2017 with a reading of 66, up 11 points from the previous quarter. This is the 13th consecutive quarter with a reading above 50, which means that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

"Demand for 55+ housing continues to grow, and this quarter's index is a reflection of that," said Dennis Cunningham, chairman of NAHB's 55+ Housing Industry Council and president of ActiveWest Builders in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. "Consumers in this market want a home that addresses their specific needs, and 55+ builders and developers are able to create homes and communities that cater to these needs."

There are separate 55+ HMIs for two segments of the 55+ housing market: single-family homes and multifamily condominiums. Each 55+ HMI measures builder sentiment based on a survey that asks if current sales, prospective buyer traffic and anticipated six-month sales for that market are good, fair or poor (high, average or low for traffic).

All three components of the 55+ single-family HMI posted increases from the previous quarter: Expected sales for the next six months increased 12 points to 80, an index high, while present sales rose eight points to 70 and traffic of prospective buyers jumped 19 points to 53, also an index high.

The 55+ multifamily condo HMI rose seven points to 53, with all three components posting gains in the second quarter: Present sales increased six points to 56, an index high, while expected sales for the next six months and traffic of prospective buyers both rose eight points to 55 and 45, respectively.

All four indices tracking production and demand of 55+ multifamily rentals posted gains in the second quarter: Present production rose three points to 53, expected future production climbed eight points to 52, current demand for existing units increased two points to 66 and expected future demand rose five points to 67.

"We are seeing strong demand in the 55+ housing sector due to favorable market conditions, such as record highs in the stock market and rising home prices," said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. "This quarter's reading is in line with our forecast, as we expect to see continued gradual gains in 2017."