First-time home buyers get a lot of attention, and for good reason. Historically speaking, they make up around 40 percent of all home sales. And though the share has been lower in recent years, the trend among younger buyers is an important indicator for the real estate market and, therefore, gets a lot of press. But older Americans buy homes too, of course. For that reason, the National Association of Home Builders takes a quarterly measure of the market for new homes among buyers 55 and older. According to the most recent results, builders are optimistic about sales among older buyers, though there was a decline from the previous quarter. Robert Dietz, NAHB’s chief economist, says the dip was due to recent natural disasters rather than decreasing confidence. “The decline in the 55+ Single-Family Housing Market Index is consistent with slight softening of other measures of single-family construction seen recently, driven by the effect of the natural disasters on top of ongoing issues with the supply of labor, lots and some building materials.” Dietz said. “However, market conditions on balance remain favorable, and we expect gradual continued growth in the 55+ housing sector.” More here.
