Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes was 45 in May, down six points from April, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.
The May HMI survey revealed that 25% of builders cut home prices to bolster sales in May, ending four months of consecutive declines in this metric. However, the average price reduction in May held steady at 6% for the 11th straight month. Meanwhile, the use of sales incentives ticked up to 59% in May from a reading of 57% in April.
All three HMI component indices posted declines in May.
- The HMI index charting current sales conditions in May fell six points to 51.
- The component measuring sales expectations in the next six months fell nine points to 51.
- The gauge charting traffic of prospective buyers declined four points to 30.
Regional data
Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Midwest increased three points to 49, the Northeast fell two points to 61, the South dropped two points to 49 and the West posted a four-point decline to 43.
NAHB's take on the data
"The market has slowed down since mortgage rates increased and this has pushed many potential buyers back to the sidelines," says NAHB Chairman Carl Harris.
"A lack of progress on reducing inflation pushed long-term interest rates higher in the first quarter and this is acting as a drag on builder sentiment," says NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. "The last leg in the inflation fight is to reduce shelter inflation, and this can only occur if builders are able to construct more attainable, affordable housing."
