Homebuilder sentiment has dropped every month in 2022, amid a volatile economy, reaching the lowest level since 2012 in December, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) published on Dec. 19.
The decline comes as inflation remains elevated and mortgage rates, driven by the Federal Reserve’s aggressive monetary tightening policy, are still high, weighing heavy on buyer demand.
Meanwhile, soaring costs for construction, materials, and labor have made it more expensive to build homes and increasingly difficult for builders to keep housing affordable for home buyers.
Builder confidence for newly-built single-family homes dropped two points to 31 in December, according to NAHB/HMI; the lowest confidence reading since mid-2012, with the exception of a drop at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020….