Special questions added to the National Association of Home Builders’ monthly builder survey found 90% or more of respondents had experienced shortages of plywood, oriented strand board, framing lumber and appliances, with most other materials also hard to come by.

The COVID pandemic has caused a shakeup in where, and how, many people work. That has helped propel a thriving housing market.

Of the 99 million residential properties in the U.S., approximately 1.4 million (or 1.4%) are vacant this quarter, with “zombie” home rates increasing both quarterly (21%) and annually (5.6%).

The number of Asian-headed households grew 83% in the past two decades, but economic inequality and inequity between different Asian ethnic regions is still an issue.

“Demand is robust throughout the country, but homebuyers continue to be held back by the lack of homes for sale and rapidly increasing home prices.” — MBA Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting Joel Kan 

First-time homebuyers found their long-term plans changed due to COVID.

Higher income, backed up by lower mortgage rates, has expanded the reach of the average homebuyer, but an increased demand for homes has concurrently driven up prices, negating two of the three main factors in First American Financial Corp.’s Real House Price Index.  

Existing-home sales slid for the third month in a row in April, declining 2.7% from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.85 million, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The limited inventory that has plagued the housing market continued, although at an abated pace.

Whether they’re still weary of going to a gym full of people or just looking to work off those extra pandemic pounds in privacy, homebuyers are increasingly prioritizing home exercise rooms.

Americans believe it’s a much better time to sell a home than to buy one, according to Fannie Mae’s latest survey of home purchase sentiment.

The employment numbers for March were revised down as well. The most recent data indicate a 770,000 increase in jobs for the month, compared to the previously reported increase of 916,000.

Lumber prices have tripled over the past 12 months, driving up the price of the average new single-family home by $35,872. NAHB hopes to alleviate the situation by meeting with the White House, lawmakers and others.

“This is a sign that the competitive purchase market, driven by low housing inventory and high demand, is pushing prices higher and weighing down on activity.” — Mortgage Bankers Association Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting Joel Kan

Nationwide, the seasonally adjusted housing index rose 1.1% month over month in February and 12% year over year, up from monthly and yearly increases of 0.8% and 11.2% in January, respectively.

Year over year, the pace of sales was up 66.8% nationwide.