“December saw sales retreat, but the pull back was more a sign of supply constraints than an indication of a weakened demand for housing.” — NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun

While multifamily starts surged 13.7% compared to November, the pace of new single-family housing construction slid 2.3%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“While lean existing home inventory and solid buyer demand are supporting the need for new construction, the combination of ongoing increases for building materials, worsening skilled labor shortages and higher mortgage rates point to declines for housing affordability in 2022.” — NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke

Board member Stephen Joyce will serve as interim CEO as the company conducts a search for a permanent replacement.

The Swanepoel Power 200, or SP 200, annual ranking of the most-powerful and influential leaders in residential real estate has been released.

Despite the record low number of homes for sale, prices and pending sales continue to rise.

Taylor Morrison topped Lifestory Research’s annual list of America’s Most Trusted® Homebuilders — for the seventh consecutive year.

At the same time, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.33%, its highest level since April 2021, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Inflation concerns are influencing plans for homebuyers and sellers, according to a recent Redfin survey.

“There was less pending home sales action this time around, which I would ascribe to low housing supply, but also to buyers being hesitant about home prices,” National Association of REALTORS® chief economist Lawrence Yun said.

The median sales price of new homes hit a new high of $416,900.

The median existing-home sales price for all housing types rose again on an annual basis, marking 117 consecutive months of gains.

The partnership will help potential homeowners find down-payment assistance programs to make homeownership more attainable, especially for first-time buyers.

LoanSnap said it used  its innovative AI technology, affectionately called Nell, to close the loan in the record-breaking amount of time.

“November’s housing starts report signals strength for the housing market.”  — First American deputy chief economist Odeta Kushi

In unveiling its predictions, the National Association of Realtors also released its top 10 housing-market “hidden gems” for 2022.