Builder Confidence at New High with 55+ Housing Market

Feb 06, 2018

Builder confidence in the single-family 55+ housing market reached a new peak during the fourth quarter, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI) report.

The 55+ HMI hit 71 in the fourth quarter, up 12 points from the third quarter. This is the highest reading since the HMI was launched 10 years ago.

All three index components of the 55+ single-family HMI posted increases from the previous quarter: Present sales increased 14 points to a new high of 79, while expected sales for the next six months jumped 10 points to 73 and traffic of prospective buyers increased by seven points to 51.

The 55+ multifamily condo HMI posted a gain of three points to 54. The index component for present sales increased four points to 59, expected sales for the next six months rose five points to 60 and traffic of prospective buyers remained even at 40.

However, only two of the four components of the 55+ multifamily rental market went up from the third quarter: present production increased three points to 62 and expected future production rose four points to 61. Downward motion was recorded with the components tracking present demand for existing units (a four point drop to 71) and future expected demand (a nine point plunge to 67).

“The strong performance of the 55+ HMI at the end of 2017 is consistent with recent increases in broader measures of the housing market, including the NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “We expect continued growth in the market for new 55+ housing in 2018 due to favorable demographics, rising homeowner wealth and the current tight supply of existing homes on the market.”

About the author

Phil Hall

Link copied

Published

Feb 06, 2018

Regulation and Compliance

Mortgage AI Survey Finds Monitoring Gap At Smaller Lenders

Only 40% of smaller lenders surveyed reported ongoing AI monitoring, compared with 80% of larger lenders, as a new state examiner guide details the records regulators may request

Mortgage companies have been putting AI policies in place. Keeping watch over the tools after they go live is proving less consistent, particularly among smaller lenders.A new survey by the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR), the Mortgage Bankers...

Operations

Can AI Crack The Mortgage Approval Gap?

A company white paper links lower decline rates to its AI-enabled workflow, then estimates the potential lending volume if those rates held nationwide.

Mortgage applications processed through AngelAi at Sun West Mortgage had substantially lower decline rates in 2025 than applications in the national market, according to a new company white paper. The gap appeared across Asian, Black, Hispanic, and white applicant groups.Sun...

Nov

Pasadena, CA

More from

Industry News

Rocket Makes VantageScore Its Default After Testing Finds Borrower Savings

After four months of testing, Rocket will make VantageScore 4.0 its preferred model for eligible retail loans while keeping both scoring options available to brokers

Industry News

Sep 29, 2026

CHLA: More Freddie Mac MBS Buying Could Narrow Mortgage Spreads

Trade group estimates greater Freddie participation could compress spreads another 10 to 12 basis points as Fannie has taken the lead in GSE mortgage-bond buying

Industry News

Sep 23, 2026

Early Loan-Limit Race Splits Into Three Tiers

Lenders are now offering $845,000, $847,440, or $850,000 before FHFA sets the official 2027 limits

Industry News

Sep 23, 2026

Better, Garg Clash Over Claimed 46% Shareholder Support

Better disputes its former CEO’s preliminary consent count as the two sides trade accusations and an Oct. 2 target date approaches

C-Suite Strategies

Sep 23, 2026

Fannie Changes How Rent From A Former Home Counts

Fannie now prohibits leases for departing residences and permits market-analysis tools instead of Form 1007, creating a key documentation difference from Freddie Mac

Regulation and Compliance

Sep 22, 2026