News and Resources

As BAGI members — along with homebuilders, remodelers and consumers nationwide — are well aware, costs are unfortunately climbing higher. Rising labor costs, land prices and permit fees have been contributing to escalating home prices for years, but tariffs imposed throughout the past year and a half have added an additional burden to the industry.

Used homes don’t feature many of the things most desired by today’s homebuyers. New homes are constantly being redesigned and tweaked to reflect what today’s homebuyers are looking for, including things like open kitchens and large walk-in closets!

Finding the right builder is just as important as finding the right floor plan, since it is their expertise that will be responsible for constructing your new home. Your satisfaction will depend on their experience, skills, and commitment to customer service.

What is the link between housing availability & Regional Economic Growth? An insufficient supply of housing has slowed economic growth nationally. Housing production across the US and in the Indianapolis Region has not kept up with demand. Commuting patterns are not expected to change. While Marion and Hamilton Counties are expected to capture the largest […]

Before You Move In to Your New Home Before you go to settlement on your purchase of a newly constructed home, you and your builder will do a walk-through to conduct a final inspection. This walk-through provides an opportunity to spot items which may need to be corrected or adjusted, learn about the way your […]

Sooner or later, you may join the millions of people who remodel their homes each year. Perhaps it was that moment when you realized that avocado green and harvest gold are no longer the “in” colors for today’s trendy kitchens. Or maybe you had an epiphany one day as you stood in line to use […]

Green Building Green practices in home building, remodeling, and land development have marked a shift in the way we live today. Thanks to more durable roof coverings, insulated windows, increased insulation, and high-efficiency heating, cooling, and water heating equipment, homes built today are 100% more energy-efficient than homes built in the 1970s. In the long-term, […]

Whether your looking for inspiration for your next home renovation or you’re ready to start browsing for a new home, here are a few of the top design trends you’ll see in 2019 – many of which you can see in person at First Internet Bank Home-A-Rama this fall! BLACK WINDOW FRAMES Do you prefer […]

NAHB’s Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 54 in the first quarter of 2019, falling three points from the previous quarter. The RMI has been consistently above 50 — indicating that more remodelers report market activity is higher compared to the prior quarter than report it is lower — since the second quarter […]

A new NAHB study presents the most recent and comprehensive estimates of home building employment, including self-employed workers, by state and congressional district. NAHB Economics estimates that out of 10.3 million people working in construction in 2017, more than 4 million people worked in residential construction, accounting for 2.6% of the US employed civilian labor […]

On this week’s episode of Housing Developments, NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz shares his 2019 economic forecast for the industry and what the recent change in the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index means for builders. Dietz also discusses how the skilled labor shortage is affecting housing supply. NAHB CEO Jerry Howard and guest host Paul […]

Total housing starts fell 0.3% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.14 million units from a downwardly revised reading in February, according to a report from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Department. The report was delayed due to the partial government shutdown earlier this year. The March reading of […]

Although Earth Day only comes once a year, consumers are thinking green year-round. For home buyers, it’s a matter of how the conversation is framed to ensure they understand the value of investing in green building practices. For example, in the latest version of What Home Buyers Really Want, NAHB asked prospective and recent home […]

Clint Lovette is the NAHB Remodeler of the Month for April. Allowing a client’s phone call, email or text to go unanswered “is like going to bed being angry at your spouse,” said Clint Lovette, CGR, CAPS, president of Lovette Design+Build in Birmingham, Ala. “It only makes it worse in the morning.” Since getting into […]

Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 692,000 units in March after a slightly revised February report, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the highest sales pace since November 2017. “These numbers indicate […]

The mission of Oxford Mills — a $38 million historic rehabilitation in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood — was to create a vibrant, synergistic, education-based community of teacher housing and nonprofit organizations. Comprising two former industrial buildings, this high-density housing project includes 114 apartments that provide much-needed workforce housing and 38,000 square feet of commercial/office space for […]

This is a two-part series that will cover the initial marketing process, followed by the integration of sales and internal operations to maximize success. For today’s home buyers, the customer experience does not always start in the sales center. In fact, many customers have likely already researched your company online before they visit you in […]

By Carmel Ford on April 12, 2019 • On average, home buyers are willing to pay an additional $8,728 upfront on a home in order to save $1,000 a year in utility bills, according to NAHB’s recently released study, What Home Buyers Really Want (2019 Edition) (Figure 1). The study is based on a survey […]

By Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington on April 15, 2019 • Over the first two months of 2019, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 116,189. On a year-over-year basis, this is a 6.2% decline over the February 2018 level of 123,871.   Year-to-date ending in February, single-family permits reported growth only in the […]

By Robert Dietz on April 16, 2019 • Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes rose one point to 63 in April, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. Sentiment levels have held in the low 60s for the past three months.Builders report solid […]

A new NAHB study presents the most recent and comprehensive estimates of home building employment, including self-employed workers, by state and congressional district. NAHB Economics estimates that out of 10.3 million people working in construction in 2017, more than 4 million people worked in residential construction, accounting for 2.6% of the US employed civilian labor […]

By Carmel Ford on April 18, 2019 • The Remodeling Market Index (RMI) fell three points to 54 in the first quarter of 2019, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Despite the drop, the RMI is still over the index break-even point of 50, which indicates that more remodelers report that market activity […]

By Robert Dietz on April 19, 2019 • According to a estimates from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Department, single-family starts continued to show weakness in March, despite the recent stabilization in the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). After downward revisions made to the February data, single-family starts were down 0.4% […]

After a strong gain in February, existing home sales, released by the National Association of Realtors, fell back in March despite lower interest rates and a strong labor market. Total existing home sales, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, declined 4.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.21 million in March. On a […]

By Robert Dietz on April 23, 2019 • Contracts for new, single-family home sales increased almost 5% on a monthly basis to a 692,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to estimates from the joint release of HUD and the Census Bureau. The months’ supply number improved to 6.0, which indicates the market is stabilizing after […]

By Litic Murali on April 24, 2019 • The latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Application Survey for the week ending on April 19 show a decrease in purchasing and refinancing activities, with refinancing decreasing for the third consecutive week. On a seasonally adjusted basis, refinancing activity decreased by 11%. March showed a […]

NAHB analysis of the most recent Quarterly Sales by Price and Financing published by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that conventional loans accounted for 71.3% of new home sales in the first quarter of 2019, a 3.3-percentage point decrease from Q4 2018 (revised). The decline comes despite lower mortgage rates, continuing a post-2012 pattern in […]

1. Customization: The ability to customize your home means YOU make the home uniquely yours. You have the ability to design the home to your specific needs and desires. You can find the perfect floor plan or design your own. 2. Warranty: A home is typically the largest purchase you’ll ever make. Don’t you want […]

Finding the right homebuilder is just as important as finding the right floor plan. It’s your builder’s expertise that will be responsible for constructing your new home and your satisfaction will depend on their experience, skills and commitment to customer service. It’s important that the builder you choose has these qualifications and is able to […]

The advantage of getting pre-qualified and pre-approved for financing before beginning to build a new home is you’ll know in advance how much you can afford. Many people think if a lender pre-qualifies them for a mortgage then they have been pre-approved for a new home loan. BUT there is a difference between being pre-qualified […]

Sooner or later, you may join the millions of people who remodel their homes each year. Perhaps it was the moment you realized avocado green and harvest gold are no longer the “in” colors for today’s trendy kitchens. Or maybe you had an epiphany one day as you stood in line to use your own […]

Remodeling your home can be an exciting and rewarding process. Whether you are making modest changes in one or two rooms or transforming the entire house, the process can be pleasant and smooth — IF you take the time to plan your project carefully. BAGI remodeling members suggest homeowners follow these 10 steps to help […]