New Housing For-Sale Builders NAICS 236117

Jan 24, 2026 - New Home Sales Dip Slightly

• New single-family home sales fell 0.1% month-over-month but were up 18.7% year-over-year in October 2025, according to the US Census Bureau. The October new home sales data was delayed due to the 43-day government shutdown. October's total new home sales reached 737,000 units, following two previous months of gains. Some industry watchers suggest that while mortgage rates gradually inched lower throughout 2025, they are likely to remain elevated, Reuters reports. Mortgage rates closely track the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield, which is under upward pressure from the federal deficit and above-target inflation. There are emerging signals that labor-market concerns are weighing on new-home purchase demand.
• President Trump’s Federal Housing Finance Agency director, Bill Pulte, is pressuring major home builders to curb stock buybacks and redirect capital toward lowering housing costs, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move signals that penalties could follow if companies fail to support the administration’s affordability agenda. Pulte argued that builders have kept prices high while spending billions on repurchases, and he warned that access to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s liquidity should not “fund buybacks at the expense of Americans who need to get in homes.” While builders defend buybacks as efficient capital returns, Pulte has urged them privately to build more homes and cut prices, underscoring rising political scrutiny of an industry that has posted record profits.

• Home builder confidence in the single-family market dropped in January amid continued affordability concerns and high construction costs, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Home builder sentiment, as measured by the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), fell two points to 37 in January 2026. Any HMI reading over 50 indicates that more builders see conditions as good than poor. The high end of the single-family market is faring relatively well compared to the medium- and low-end, which are pressured by high home prices and mortgage rates. Down payments have become a particular sore spot among many potential buyers as home prices remain elevated. However, as of January 15, the average mortgage rate fell to 6.06%, marking the lowest rate in three years, according to Freddie Mac. The HMI survey also showed that 40% of builders reduced home prices in January, which marked the third consecutive month when the share of builders offering discounts was 40% or higher.
• President Donald Trump said he will move to ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes, a proposal aimed at easing the nation’s severe housing shortage but one that faces legal and political hurdles, according to The Wall Street Journal. Institutional buyers own only a small share of U.S. homes overall, but they hold significant market power in cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, and Phoenix, where investor activity has made it harder for first-time buyers to compete. Critics say investor purchases have contributed to rising prices, which are up more than 50% since 2019, while supporters argue rental firms provide access to desirable neighborhoods. The proposed ban would not force investors to sell existing holdings and would likely require congressional approval, drawing pushback from industry groups and lawmakers.