Low mortgage rates and a healthy job market have lifted the real estate market, which continues to recover from the depths of the housing bust that began nearly a decade ago. Greater demand and tight inventories have led to rising prices, such that the potential to return to the historic sales rate of 650,000 new homes could be limited. Builders say they’re struggling to find both workers and land for additional construction.
June’s median sales price rose 6.1 percent from a year ago to $306,700. Just 4.9 months’ supply of new homes is listed for sale, well below this historic average of six months. Sales surged in the West and Midwest by more than 10 percent in June, but declined in the Northeast and South.
The market for new houses is roughly just a tenth of the size of the existing-home market, where sales are also rising even as the number of listings are shrinking on a yearly basis. The National Association of Realtors said last week that sales of existing homes rose 1.1 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million, the best performance since February 2007. But the number of listings has fallen 5.8 percent from a year ago to 2.12 million.
Residential building development in the region has increased this year, mimicking national trends.
“I attribute the growth to the economy’s upswing,” said Kathleen Unger, the Home Builders Association of Dayton’s executive director. “People are looking for permanence once again. They feel secure in their jobs and they want roots that are fully entrenched, and that comes with building or buying a house.”
Single-family unit permits obtained in the Dayton region have increased 24.3 percent in 2016, according to data comparing number from April 2015 to 2016.
According to data ranging from January to May 2015 and the same months in 2016, permit numbers for single-family residential development increased in Warren and Greene counties. Miami County stayed flat, decreasing from 58 last year to 57 this year.
Builders remain relatively confident that they’ll continue to expand, although their optimism waned slightly in July.
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index dropped one point to 59. Readings above 50 indicate more builders view sales conditions as good, rather than poor. The index had mostly held at 58 this year before rising to 60 in June.
Builders’ view of current sales and traffic by prospective buyers slipped one point this month. Their outlook for sales over the next six months slid three points.
Construction of single-family houses has increased, rising 4.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 778,000 in June.
Propelling much of this demand has been an improving job market coupled with cheaper borrowing costs.
The unemployment rate is a solid 4.9 percent. Employers added 287,000 workers in June, a strong rebound after the pace of hiring slipped in April and May.
Buyers have also benefited from interest rates staying close to record lows. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said the average for the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.45 percent last week, down sharply from 4.04 percent a year ago.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.