US House Prices Growth | Economic Indicators (2024)

FAQs

Why is housing starts a good indicator of economic growth? ›

Housing starts measure new construction of privately owned housing units and are considered an important leading indicator on the economy. Housing starts highlight American households' wealth but can also show their sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

Home sales can be a good indicator of the health of the state's economy and housing markets. In addition, changing trends in home sales offer information about potential growth in property tax revenues in the future.

US House Price Index YoY is at 5.14%, compared to 5.86% last month and 3.27% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 4.60%.

Real estate affects the economy because it makes up a large portion of individual and business wealth across economic sectors. When real estate prices rise, wealth increases, so individuals and businesses are more likely to borrow and spend.

Real GDP is a better indicator as it prevents money illusion- the illusion of a higher market value of disposable income.

Why are housing starts considered to be one important economic indicator? Housing starts are the number of new dwellings built, so if housing starts fall, then no new homes are being built, meaning jobs will decline in turn hurting the economy. Which industry perhaps suffered the most during the Great Depression?

Increasing access to affordable housing bolsters economic growth. Research shows that the shortage of affordable housing costs the American economy about $2 trillion a year in lower wages and productivity.

Economic indicators include measures of macroeconomic performance (gross domestic product [GDP], consumption, investment, and international trade) and stability (central government budgets, prices, the money supply, and the balance of payments).

The FHFA HPI serves as a timely, accurate indicator of house price trends at various geographic levels. Because of the breadth of the sample, it provides more information than is available in other house price indexes.

While mortgage rates have contributed to high costs, supply and demand have also affected the price growth of homes in the U.S., Brannon said. “When demand for other consumer products comes up, or when it increases, it's usually not too hard for people to scale up supply,” Brannon said.

What state has the most expensive housing? ›

1. Hawaii. Apparently, everything's more expensive when you live in an island paradise in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii's astronomical median home sale price (second only to California) is due to high demand for relatively limited land available for development.

Share: Housing's combined contribution to GDP generally averages 15-18%, and occurs in two basic ways: Residential investment (averaging roughly 3-5% of GDP), which includes construction of new single-family and multifamily structures, residential remodeling, production of manufactured homes, and brokers' fees.

Lower prices: With fewer buyers who can afford the purchase, home sellers will likely no longer see multiple offers or bidding wars for their properties. This can lead to lower home prices. Lower rates: During a recession, the Federal Reserve will often lower interest rates to stimulate the economy.

Housing has an outsized impact on inflation

Home prices are not included in the CPI, as the purchase of a home is considered an investment rather than an expenditure by the BLS. But rents and a concept referred to as "owner equivalent rents" are included.

Access to affordable housing allows businesses to have access to a reliable workforce. A lack of affordable housing can put pressure on employees with long commutes or financial pressure from unaffordable rents or mortgage payments. A reliable workforce is critical to the financial success of any business of any size.

GDP is important because it gives information about the size of the economy and how an economy is performing. The growth rate of real GDP is often used as an indicator of the general health of the economy. In broad terms, an increase in real GDP is interpreted as a sign that the economy is doing well.

Housing starts are a lagging indicator which comes out after the release of GDP and can be a strong predictor of the GDP number. Housing starts are a leading indicator which comes out before the release of GDP and can be a strong predictor of the GDP number.

While not typically a market moving data release, the market will decline further if permits, starts and completions are worse than expected, and rise more if better than expected. More housing construction means more economic activity and an environment that will likely benefit stocks globally.