Texas home builders see record sales but Days on Market jumps
HomesUSA.com reports record inventory, average prices mixed Dallas, TX – January 24, 2023 – Texas home builders saw record new home sales last month for 2022. Still, inventory continues to climb, also setting a new record, and it's taking longer to sell a home, according to a new HomesUSA.com New Home Sales Report released today by Ben Caballero, the nation's top-ranked real estate agent and HomesUSA.com CEO. The HomesUSA.com New Home Sales Report uses Multiple Listing Services data – the most complete, current, and accurate information available – from the Realtor Associations of Austin, North Texas, Houston, and San Antonio. Caballero notes that the 3-month moving average of Texas' new home sales in its four largest markets increased in December to 4,467 from 4,103 in November – a record for the year. However, the HomesUSA.com New Home Sales Index shows the pace of new home sales also slowed for the fourth straight month. The statewide 3-month moving average for Days on Market in December jumped by more than 10 days, increasing to 73.57 days versus 63 days in November. "Overall, Texas builders defied market expectations as December was the top sales month for 2022 – rarely the best month of the year for sales," said Caballero. "While builders may be struggling on several fronts as home buyers face higher interest rates, in Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, builders are showing remarkable resilience. In terms of total new home sales, Texas continues to buck the national trend," he added. According to Caballero, home prices appear to be stabilizing. The 3-month moving average of new home sales prices statewide were slightly higher last month at $463,514 from $461,511 in November. Austin and San Antonio recorded higher average new home prices last month – both experiencing increases of over $10,000 and $8,000 respectively. The 3-month moving average price for new homes dropped in the state's two biggest markets: Houston and Dallas-Ft. Worth. The 3-month moving average price for new homes in Austin, which continues to have the highest-priced new homes in the state, increased in December to $533,703 versus $523,723 in November. San Antonio's average new home price in December was $396,487 versus $388,183 in November. Houston's average new home price decreased in December to $423,512 from $427,038 in November. In Dallas-Ft. Worth, the average new home price declined in December to $501,789 from $502,466 in November. Still, builders are facing mounting pressure as building inventory also hits a record high for the year. Local MLSs show the 3-month average of active listings in Texas' four largest markets for December climbing to 28,088 from 27,146 in November. The number of active listings of new homes in Texas has nearly doubled year-over-year, registering 14,383 listings in December 2021. "Building enough homes to close the inventory gap still may be the biggest challenge for builders in 2023," Caballero said. Caballero sounded the housing inventory alarm in May 2021, in an opinion column for Inman News, noting a US shortfall of over 5.52 million homes. Finally, Caballero noted statewide pending new home sales reported to the MLSs increased last month. In December, the 3-month moving average of pending new home sales statewide was 4,605 versus 4,461 in November. Two of Texas's major new home markets – Dallas-Ft. Worth and Austin – reported an increase in pending new home sales last month, with San Antonio and Houston being exceptions. San Antonio reported flat pending new home sales in December of 596 versus 597 in November while Houston's pending new home sales decreased in December to 1,522 from 1,538 in November. HomesUSA.com is sharing its New Home Sales Report and New Home Sales Index before the Commerce Department releases its nationwide New Residential Sales Report for December, set for Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 10:00 am Eastern. The HomesUSA.com monthly report is based on closed sales recorded inside the MLSs by the 10th day of the following month. Sales reported late by agents are not included. The report features 3-month and 12-month moving averages for six essential market data, including Days on Market, sales volume, sales prices, a sales-to-list price ratio, pending sales, and active listings. Caballero explained the 3-month moving average indices track market seasonality, while the 12-month moving average removes the seasonality and tracks the longer trend. Days on Market – New Homes in Texas (Exclusive Data) The HomesUSA.com New Home Sales Index showed the 3-month moving average of Days on Market continues to increase statewide and in all four major new home markets in December. In Dallas-Ft. Worth, the DOM increased to 83.16 days from 68.59 days in November. Houston's DOM was 76.09 days versus 68.43 days in November. In San Antonio, the DOM was 68.94 days versus 65.43 days in November. In Austin, the DOM increased to 52.24 days versus 40.27 days in November. (See Chart 1: Texas New Homes Days on Market) Texas New Home Sales Data Based on all available local MLS data, total new home sales in Texas were higher statewide and in all four major new home markets last month, according to the 3-month moving average. Dallas-Ft. Worth new home sales increased to 1,458 versus 1,241 in November. In Houston, December's total sales were 1,677 versus 1,548 in November. In San Antonio, new home sales in December rose to 580 versus 575 in November. In Austin, new home sales increased in December to 752 versus 740 in November. (See Chart 2: Texas New Home Sales) Texas New Home Prices The average price of new homes in Texas shows higher prices statewide, but lower prices in two of the four major new home markets last month. In Dallas-Ft. Worth, the 3-month moving average price for new homes was lower in December at $501,789 versus $502,466 in November. In Houston, the average new home price was also lower in December at $423,512 versus $427,038 in November. Austin's 3-month moving average price increased in December to $533,703 from $523,723 in November. In San Antonio, the average new home price also increased in December at $396,487 versus $388,183 in November. (See Chart 3: Texas New Home Prices) Texas Sales-to-List Price Ratio New home sales statewide and in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio are continuing to move away from 100 percent of the asking price. Statewide, the 3-month moving average of the sales-to-list price ratio in December was 97.59 versus 98.17 percent in November. Dallas-Ft. Worth's ratio was 98.05 versus 98.52 percent in November. In Houston, the ratio was 97.44 versus 97.80 percent in November. In Austin, the sales-to-price ratio in December was 96.79 versus 98.02 percent in November. San Antonio's ratio in December was 97.92 versus 98.48 percent in November. (See Chart 4: Texas Sales-to-List Price Ratio) Texas Pending New Homes Sales Data Based on local MLS data, pending new home sales increased statewide and in two of the four Texas major new home markets last month. Statewide MLS data shows pending sales in December were 4,605 versus 4,461 in November. Pending new home sales last month in Dallas-Ft. Worth were 1,773 versus 1,700 in November. In Austin, pending new home sales in December were 714 versus 626 in November. In Houston, pending new home sales in December decreased to 1,522 versus 1,538 in November. In San Antonio, pending sales last month were 596 versus 597 in November. (See Chart 5: Texas Pending New Home Sales) Texas Active Listings for New Homes MLS data shows the 3-month moving average for active listings statewide increased in December to 28,088 versus 27,146 in November. Last month, all four major Texas new home markets posted higher active listings. Dallas-Ft. Worth's active listings in December were 7,513 versus 7,253 in November. Last month's active listings in Houston were 11,545 versus 11,363 in November. December's active listings in Austin were higher at 4,634 versus 4,348 in November. San Antonio reported active new home listings in December were 4,395 versus 4,182 in November. (See Chart 6: Texas Active Listings and Chart A: 12-Month Moving Averages) About the HomesUSA.com New Home Sales Index The HomesUSA.com Index is reported as both a 3-month and 12-month moving average of the Days on Market (DOM) for new homes listed in the local Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) for the four largest Texas markets, including Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Created by Ben Caballero, founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com, it is the first Days on Market index to track Texas new home market and includes homes listed while under construction. About Ben Caballero and HomesUSA.com® Ben Caballero, founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com, is a three-time Guinness World Record title holder for ‘Most annual home sale transactions through MLS by an individual sell-side real estate agent – current.' Ranked by REAL Trends as America's top real estate agent for home sales since 2013, Ben is the most productive real estate agent in U.S. history. He is the only agent to exceed $1 billion in residential sales transactions in a single year, a feat first achieved in 2015 and repeated each year through 2018 when he achieved more than $2 billion. An award-winning innovator and technology pioneer, Ben works with more than 60 home builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. His podcast series is available on iTunes and Google Podcasts. Learn more at HomesUSA.com |Twitter: @bcaballero - @HomesUSA | Facebook: /HomesUSAdotcom.

Thousands of Texas real estate agents learn how to work with home builders
HomesUSA Alliance helps agents specialize, earn educational credits DALLAS, Jan. 12, 2022 -- An effort to provide new home sales education to Texas real estate agents has already helped more than 4,000 real estate sales professionals statewide learn how to better work with home builders. HomesUSA Alliance, founded by the real estate industry giants Ben Caballero and Bob Hafer, is now empowering hundreds of agents annually to become certified as new home sales specialists while earning educational credits required to maintain an active real estate license in Texas. During the pandemic, the two-day immersive coursework offered by HomesUSA Alliance became available remotely via Zoom. According to co-founder Bob Hafer, its popularity exploded as accessibility increased, with 1,100 agents have now taken either the two-day program or signed up for individual classes. The next 2-day series of classes, available via Zoom, is set for January 19-20, 2022, and open to agents throughout Texas and nationwide. Registration is via the HomesUSAAlliance.com website on its Calendar page. Hafer, who created and teaches the classes, notes the number of agents he can teach has nearly doubled during the pandemic as previously, in-person class attendance was required. In addition, the locations for classes were limited to Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Austin, Texas. Now the program is available to agents nationwide. "Working with builders offers agents a new way to grow their business rapidly. Ben became the No. 1 ranked real estate agent in America by becoming a new home sales specialist," said Hafer, "and I've spent my lifetime in the home building business. We created HomesUSA Alliance knowing from personal experience builders and real estate agents can benefit greatly from a closer working relationship." The Alliance delivers a comprehensive source of new home information for agents that provides better insight into how the building industry works. "Agents often misunderstand why builders do what they do, and the same is true for builders when it comes to knowing why agents do what they do," said Ben Caballero, co-founder of the Alliance, founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com, and a two-time Guinness World Record title holder. "Through a targeted education, we are helping to close this knowledge gap," Caballero explained. Because the classes are approved for continuing education (CE) credits by the Texas Real Estate Commission, agents can earn 11 credits from the six courses during the two-day program. Priced affordably at $200, once agents complete all six (6) CE courses, they also can earn their New Home Sales Certification from HomesUSA Alliance. "The Texas Real Estate Commission requires agents to take 18 hours of approved Continuing Education credit every two years," notes Hafer, "and the Alliance course covers about two-thirds of your two-year requirement in just two days." "But the biggest benefit the courses deliver, based on testimonials of agents who have completed the program, isn't the CE credit, but the fact they get information about how to work with builders and sell new homes that's not available anywhere else," explains Caballero. "Niches create riches in real estate is an old saying but one that may be truer today than ever," Caballero said. "The fact is there are more than 220,000 agents in Texas, and the vast majority never show a buyer a new home. Yet, we know that nationally, more than 80 percent of all real estate sales involve an agent. So, we teach real estate agents to specialize in a great business niche – how to work with builders and sell new homes. Agents who take this training will create a competitive advantage in the marketplace for themselves and will be able to serve their clients better," he added. There are six bi-monthly two-day classes, and they can be taken all at once or individually. Class titles are "Building Your Real Estate Business Through New Home Sales," "Everything You Need to Know About New Home Construction," "How to Negotiate Successfully with a New Home Builder," "Understanding New Home Builder Contracts and Addendums," and "New Home Construction Blueprint Reading for Realtors," and "How to Recognize a Green Built New Home." Registration is available online at HomesUSAAlliance.com. About HomesUSA Alliance The HomesUSA Alliance's mission is to improve builder-agent relationships through better communication. With these classes Agents benefit greatly with better insight into how home builders work. Founded by real estate industry giants Ben Caballero and Bob Hafer, the Alliance is their way of giving back to an industry that has enriched their professional and personal lives. About Ben Caballero and HomesUSA.com® Ben Caballero, founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com, is a two-time Guinness World Record title holder for "Most annual home sale transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent." Ranked by REAL Trends as America's top real estate agent for home sales since 2013, Ben is the most productive real estate agent in U.S. history. He is the only agent to exceed $1 billion in residential sales transactions in a single year, a feat first achieved in 2015 and repeated each year through 2018 when he achieved more than $2 billion. An award-winning innovator and technology pioneer, Ben works with more than 60 home builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. His podcast series is available on iTunes and Google Play. An infographic illustrating Ben's sales production is here. Learn more at HomesUSA.com | Twitter: @bcaballero - @HomesUSA | Facebook: /HomesUSAdotcom.

HUD and Census Bureau Report Residential Construction Activity in June 2019
WASHINGTON (July 17, 2019) - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for June 2019. Building Permits Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,220,000. This is 6.1 percent (±1.2 percent) below the revised May rate of 1,299,000 and is 6.6 percent (±1.1 percent) below the June 2018 rate of 1,306,000. Single‐family authorizations in June were at a rate of 813,000; this is 0.4 percent (±1.0 percent)* above the revised May figure of 810,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 360,000 in June. Housing Starts Privately owned housing starts in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,253,000. This is 0.9 percent (±7.9 percent)* below the revised May estimate of 1,265,000, but is 6.2 percent (±7.8 percent)* above the June 2018 rate of 1,180,000. Single‐family housing starts in June were at a rate of 847,000; this is 3.5 percent (±9.6 percent)* above the revised May figure of 818,000. The June rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 396,000. Housing Completions Privately‐owned housing completions in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,161,000. This is 4.8 percent (±12.8 percent)* below the revised May estimate of 1,220,000 and is 3.7 percent (±10.5 percent)* below the June 2018 rate of 1,205,000. Single‐family housing completions in June were at a rate of 870,000; this is 1.8 percent (±11.5 percent)* below the revised May rate of 886,000. The June rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 283,000. Read more about new residential construction activity. Explanatory Notes In interpreting changes in the statistics in this release, note that month-to-month changes in seasonally adjusted statistics often show movements which may be irregular. It may take three months to establish an underlying trend for building permit authorizations, six months for total starts, and six months for total completions. The statistics in this release are estimated from sample surveys and are subject to sampling variability as well as nonsampling error including bias and variance from response, nonreporting, and undercoverage. Estimated relative standard errors of the most recent data are shown in the tables. Whenever a statement such as “2.5 percent (±3.2 percent) above” appears in the text, this indicates the range (-0.7 to +5.7 percent) in which the actual percentage change is likely to have occurred. All ranges given for percentage changes are 90 percent confidence intervals and account only for sampling variability. If a range does not contain zero, the change is statistically significant. If it does contain zero, the change is not statistically significant; that is, it is uncertain whether there was an increase or decrease. The same policies apply to the confidence intervals for percentage changes shown in the tables. On average, the preliminary seasonally adjusted estimates of total building permits, housing starts and housing completions are revised 3 percent or less. Explanations of confidence intervals and sampling variability can be found at the Census Bureau’s website. * The 90 percent confidence interval includes zero. In such cases, there is insufficient statistical evidence to conclude that the actual change is different from zero.

Housing Economists Call for Increase in Home Construction
WASHINGTON (May 18, 2018) – An increase in housing supply is crucial to the health and sustainability of the real estate market and the economy, according to speakers at a session organized by the REALTOR® University Richard J. Rosenthal Center for Real Estate Studies during the 2018 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo. The session, "Outlook for Home Prices and Residential Construction," focused on rapidly rising home prices, tight home inventories and whether or not the country is in the middle of a bubble. All three of the panelists agreed that more new home construction is necessary to meet rising demand from increasing household formation and curtail the affordability crisis. "Young adults of today are forming households at a much lower rate than previous generations, and high housing costs contribute to that," said Len Kiefer, deputy chief economist for Freddie Mac. According to Kiefer, one third to three quarters of U.S. markets have an elevated home price-to-income ratio and many major markets, such as Austin, Miami and Portland, are getting close to surpassing their 2008 ratio. "Are we in a bubble? No, not currently," said Kiefer. He outlined ways the current market is different from the one leading to the recession, such as no signs of over leveraging and the very low ratios of household income to debt. The aggregate risk of mortgages in the U.S. is also comparatively low "Those risky loans that contribute to the last bubble have largely gone away in the current market," he said. However, the panelists were quick to point out that just because we are not currently in a bubble does not mean we won't enter one. If supply and demand continues to become more and more out of balance, it could trigger a fast price growth, said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "A best-case scenario is largely dependent on new home construction. An increase in inventory will provide some much-needed release," he said. Ken Simonson, chief economist for Associated General Contractors of America, discussed how low employment in construction is also contributing to the lag in new home construction, despite high demand. "Construction saw a 30 percent drop in employment in the previous decade, the largest drop of any industry. They also began laying people off a year before the recession began and did not start hiring again until much later than other industries," said Simonson. This has led to difficulty in bringing skilled laborers back to the industry. "Construction companies are having to hire people with no experience and spend more time and money on training," he said. Material costs have also contributed to the low rate of construction. The price of diesel fuel, which is used in earth moving vehicles and in transporting materials, has risen 42 percent since 2017. The cost of lumber and plywood has also increased 11 percent, copper and brass mill shapes have risen 10 percent and ready-mix concrete has risen 7 percent. The National Association of Realtors® is America's largest trade association, representing 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

HUD and Census Bureau Report Residential Construction Activity in November 2017
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for November 2017. Building Permits: Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,298,000. This is 1.4 percent (±1.7 percent)* below the revised October rate of 1,316,000 but is 3.4 percent (±2.3 percent) above the November 2016 rate of 1,255,000. Single-family authorizations in November were at a rate of 862,000; this is 1.4 percent (±1.6 percent)* above the revised October figure of 850,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 395,000 in November. Housing Starts: Privately owned housing starts in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,297,000. This is 3.3 percent (±9.1 percent)* above the revised October estimate of 1,256,000 and is 12.9 percent (±11.7 percent) above the November 2016 rate of 1,149,000. Single-family housing starts in November were at a rate of 930,000; this is 5.3 percent (±10.2 percent)* above the revised October figure of 883,000. The November rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 359,000. Housing Completions: Privately owned housing completions in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,116,000. This is 6.1 percent (±10.4 percent)* below the revised October estimate of 1,189,000 and is 7.2 percent (±12.5 percent)* below the November 2016 rate of 1,203,000. Single-family housing completions in November were at a rate of 752,000; this is 4.6 percent (±12.0 percent)* below the revised October rate of 788,000. The November rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 353,000. The December report is scheduled for release on January 18, 2018. Read more about new residential construction activity. Explanatory Notes In interpreting changes in the statistics in this release, note that month-to-month changes in seasonally adjusted statistics often show movements which may be irregular. It may take three months to establish an underlying trend for building permit authorizations, six months for total starts, and six months for total completions. The statistics in this release are estimated from sample surveys and are subject to sampling variability as well as nonsampling error including bias and variance from response, nonreporting, and undercoverage. Estimated relative standard errors of the most recent data are shown in the tables. Whenever a statement such as “2.5 percent (±3.2 percent) above” appears in the text, this indicates the range (-0.7 to +5.7 percent) in which the actual percentage change is likely to have occurred. All ranges given for percentage changes are 90 percent confidence intervals and account only for sampling variability. If a range does not contain zero, the change is statistically significant. If it does contain zero, the change is not statistically significant; that is, it is uncertain whether there was an increase or decrease. The same policies apply to the confidence intervals for percentage changes shown in the tables. On average, the preliminary seasonally adjusted estimates of total building permits, housing starts and housing completions are revised 3 percent or less. Explanations of confidence intervals and sampling variability can be found at the Census Bureau’s website. * The 90 percent confidence interval includes zero. In such cases, there is insufficient statistical evidence to conclude that the actual change is different from zero.

BuildersUpdate.com Selected as Exclusive New Construction Data Supplier to Realtors Property Resource®
AUSTIN, Texas--BuildersUpdate.com has reached an exclusive agreement with Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®) to provide RPR with new home construction data for REALTORS® to access nationwide. "RPR is very excited about this new partnership," said RPR CEO Dale Ross. "Our goal is to provide REALTORS® with the latest in high value property information to assist their clients and customers at all levels of the real estate transaction. By adding new home construction data through Builders Update, agents will have access to an important resource in today's rapidly changing market, while being protected in the sales process." According to Bill Gaul, CEO of Builders Update, new home data availability for agents is often spotty and difficult to acquire. The agreement will initially make about 100,000 new home listings available to agents through RPR. "We are pleased that we have worked out an agreement with RPR®, a system that is both technically advanced and highly regarded in the country as the 'go-to' resource for licensed agents," said Gaul. "I was immediately impressed after receiving a presentation about RPR® capabilities and functionality, however, a depth of new home construction data was missing." Bob Seeman, VP of Business Development for Builders Update, added, "Agents want to sell homes, brokers want to make money, and once agents realize how easy it is to use this data provided to RPR in their presentations, they will increase their earnings potential. Agents will now have 24/7 access to thousands of new home listings and builders will be able to make their homes available to hundreds of thousands licensed Realtors® working with pre-qualified buyers who would consider a new home." Builders typically spend a great deal of money and time trying to woo consumers directly, but in fact, according to NAR, 64% of new home construction is sold with the help of a REALTOR®. "The reality," said Gaul, "is that reaching agents using a tool like this is far more cost-effective for a builder because the agents are ready with a pre-qualified client. About BuildersUpdate.com BuildersUpdate.com is a web-based search engine to locate new home inventory, communities, to-be-builts, and coming soon communities.

Builders Digital Experience (BDX) Updates New Home Source Professional Platform For Real Estate Agents
AUSTIN, TX (APRIL 26, 2016)--Builders Digital Experience (BDX) has launched major updates to the NewHomeSourceProfessional.com platform, which allows real estate agents to search for new construction homes and is used by a number of MLSs nationwide to complement their current database. With listing data provided directly from thousands of builders nationwide, the new platform offers a modern interface, more search filters, multiple result views (homes or communities in list, photo, and map options), expanded detail pages, and printable reports, plus saved searches and saved listings that can be shared directly with clients. All agents with a free account on New Home Source Professional now also get a free, multi-purpose Consumer Portal, which serves as both a standalone, agent-branded new construction website for agents to generate new business and a place for clients to review shared listings and searches. In 2015, nearly 10% of all homes sold were new construction, according to the National Association of Homebuilders. Yet because much of the inventory is in the form of builder plans that do not have fixed addresses or prices, it often doesn't appear in MLS systems. That's why over 25 MLSs partner with BDX to provide New Home Source Professional to members. Current partners include CRMLS, MRIS, MRED, MFRMLS, MIAMI, ARMLS, MLSListings, GLVAR and ABOR. MLSs have added the platform through a no-cost partnership with BDX, which includes an MLS-branded version of New Home Source Professional. More than 400,000 agents currently have access the platform via their MLS. "New Home Source Professional gives my Subscribers access to the unique information on a new property that does not fit into the traditional MLS," said Sean Murphy, Executive Vice President of the MLS of Southern Arizona. "Their team has been responsive to the feedback from my Subscribers and it shows in the updated platform. The updates to the platform will make using the service a more fulfilling and productive experience for my Subscribers." The new tools are in addition to existing platform features and information, including builder contact information, interactive assets, compensation details, promotions, events, community-level data and educational articles and videos for agents. The updates are for desktop and tablet users, with mobile set for a summer launch. The platform updates were based on feedback from agents and BDX's MLS partners, who are part of an expanding industry effort to make sure agents have single access to all new construction inventory and develop relationships between agents and builders. About Builders Digital ExperienceBuilders Digital Experience (BDX) is a leading provider of digital marketing and sales solutions for home builders. In addition to hosting the top new home listing site (NewHomeSource.com), and providing distribution of new home listings to hundreds of real estate websites, BDX offers website development, interactive floor plans, photo realistic renderings, and digital sales solutions to builders and real estate developers. Together these online and interactive resources help builders create a true digital experience for their buyers. For more information, visit http://www.thebdx.com.

NAR HOME Survey Underscores Need for More Single-family Home Construction
  WASHINGTON, March 15, 2016 — Over three-quarters of surveyed households would purchase a single-family home if they were to buy in the next six months, and 79 percent of renters would choose to buy outside of an urban area, according to the second installment of the National Association of Realtors® new quarterly consumer survey. The survey also found that confidence about now being a good time to buy is waning amongst renters, particularly in the West – where prices have solidly risen. In NAR's first quarter Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) survey, respondents were asked about their confidence in the U.S. economy and various questions about their housing expectations and preferences, including a question on if they were to purchase a house in the next six months, what type of home and in what area would they choose to buy.   The survey data reveals an overwhelming consumer preference for single-family homes in suburban areas. Most current homeowners (85 percent) and 75 percent of renters said they would purchase a single-family home, while only 15 percent of homeowners and 21 percent of renters said that would buy in an urban area. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says the survey findings call attention to the glaring need for more supply of single-family homes. "The American Dream for most consumers is not a cramped, 500-square-foot condo in the middle of the city, but instead a larger home within close proximity to the jobs and entertainment an urban area provides," he said. "While this is not a new discovery, supply and demand imbalances and unhealthy levels of price growth in several metro areas have made buying an affordable home an onerous task for far too many first-time buyers and middle-class families." According to Yun, it's time for homebuilders to double their focus on constructing single-family homes. With millennials increasingly buying in the suburbs – as NAR reported earlier this month – tight inventory and affordability concerns will likely worsen without significant headways made in housing starts in relation to job creation. Renters lose optimism about now being a good time to buy Heading into the spring buying season, NAR's survey found that compared to the December 2015 survey the same share of homeowners (82 percent) but fewer renters (62 percent versus 68 percent last quarter) believe that now is a good time to buy. "A high number of homeowners are expressing that it's a good time to buy and this sentiment is no doubt being fueled by the $4.4 trillion in housing equity accumulation in the past three years," says Yun. "On the other hand, accelerating home prices and the perceived difficulty in obtaining a mortgage appears to be tugging at the confidence of renters." Overall, respondents over the age of 65, those living in the Midwest and those with incomes over $100,000 were the most optimistic about buying now. Among current homeowners, fewer (56 percent) believe it is a good time to sell compared to the fourth quarter of 2015 (61 percent). Amidst steep price increases and tight supply, respondents in the West were the most likely to think now is a good time to sell, while also being the least likely to think now is a good time to buy. Slightly fewer households think the U.S. economy is improving Among all households in the survey, less than half believe the economy is improving (48 percent), down from 50 percent in last quarter's survey. Renters, those living in urban areas and respondents with lower incomes were the most optimistic. The HOME survey's monthly Personal Financial Outlook Index of all households has slightly dipped (to 58.1) since December (59.6), but is mostly unchanged from March 2015 – reflecting stable confidence that respondents' financial situation will be better in six months. Currently, renters, younger and lower income households and those living in urban areas are more optimistic about their future financial situation. Location matters depending on lifestyle Across all age groups, when asked about their future buying preferences, survey responses were closely tied to each generation's typical lifestyle, with younger buyers being more likely to consider buying a single-family home. Not surprisingly, renters and younger buyers would for the most part purchase larger homes, whereas older buyers would purchase similar or smaller sized homes. Highlighting the apparent appetite for some older households to downsize and live in the city, respondents over the age of 65 were the most likely to consider a condo and nearly as likely as respondents under the age of 35 to consider purchasing in an urban area. Most respondents indicated their preference to stay in a similar area to their current living situation if they were to buy in the next six months. Over two-thirds of those living in rural areas and 75 percent of those living in suburban areas would buy in a similar area. Only those living in an urban area would be more likely to move elsewhere, with a suburban area within 20 miles of the city being the most frequent choice of urban buyers moving to another type of area. About NAR's HOME survey In January through early March 2016, a sample of U.S. households was surveyed via random-digit dial, including half via cell phones and the other half via land lines. The survey was conducted by an established survey research firm, TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence. Each month approximately 900 qualified households responded to the survey. The data was compiled for this report and a total of 2,781 household responses are represented.

New Home Listings From BDX Now Featured on Homes.com
AUSTIN, TX, OCTOBER 20, 2015 — Builders Digital Experience (BDX), industry aggregator of the number one new home search site, NewHomeSource.com, and leading provider of digital marketing and sales solutions for home builders announced they have launched their new home listings on Homes.com. Homes.com® is the fourth largest real estate website and leading online real estate destination and provider of real estate marketing solutions. Through the partnership, BDX is the exclusive provider of aggregated new home listings on Homes.com, adding approximately 80,000 new construction listings and dramatically expanding consumer choices as they search for their next home. Builders listing all of their communities with BDX will automatically have their data included on the Homes.com website. "We are excited to expand our distribution of new home content to Homes.com. This partnership provides BDX builder customers with access to a large incremental audience of home shoppers who may not have considered new construction," said Peter Brumme, Builders Digital Experience Vice President and General Manager. "Providing Homes.com with the most comprehensive and up to date set of new home plans means consumers using Homes.com can greatly broaden their options for new homes," said Brumme Through the partnership with BDX home builders will receive the following benefits on Homes.com: Access to more than 13 million transaction-ready consumers visiting Homes.com each month. Leads delivered directly to BDX builders. Placement in a dedicated new homes section on Homes.com. Immediate ability to add new home listings on Homes.com through the BDX platform. New home plans are also featured within the main search results page alongside resale homes. "Homes.com is thrilled to officially launch the BDX partnership on Homes.com, supporting our ongoing efforts to provide consumers with more quality listings along with direct access to real estate professionals in their local area," said David Mele, president of Homes.com. "With 90 percent of the consumers visiting Homes.com looking for their next home, builders listing with BDX offer our consumers additional options to consider when purchasing their next home." Builders interested in having their new home plans included on Homes.com should visit http://www.theBDX.com. About Builders Digital Experience Builders Digital Experience (BDX) is a leading provider of digital marketing and sales solutions for home builders. In addition to hosting the top new home listing site (NewHomeSource.com), and providing distribution of new home listings to hundreds of real estate websites, BDX offers website development, interactive floor plans, photo realistic renderings, and digital sales solutions to builders and real estate developers. Together these online and interactive resources help builders create a true digital experience for their buyers. For more information, visit http://www.theBDX.com. About Homes.com Homes.com is a leading provider of real estate marketing and media services, including brand advertising, property listing exposure and syndication, search engine marketing and instant response lead generation. Homes.com Connect offers the real estate industry's first-ever all-inclusive marketing platform for agents and brokers featuring single-login convenience. Homes.com is visited by more than 13 million consumers each month to search three million properties for sale or rent, to locate real estate agents in their area and to find useful home buying tips. For more information, visit http://www.Homes.com.

Homes.com and BDX Announce Exclusive Partnership
  NORFOLK, VA. SEPTEMBER 02, 2015 —Homes.com®, leading online real estate destination and provider of real estate marketing solutions, is now partnering with Builders Digital Experience (BDX), a leading provider of digital marketing and sales solutions for home builders and the digital aggregator of new home content from builders throughout the U.S. BDX will be the exclusive provider of aggregated new home listings on Homes.com, adding approximately 80,000 new construction listings and dramatically expanding consumer choices as they search for their next home. Builders listing all of their communities with BDX will automatically have their data included on the Homes.com website. "This new partnership with BDX offers consumers searching for their next home more quality listings, direct access to local builders and a more comprehensive picture of the local housing market and inventory, while reinforcing Homes.com's position as a leader in the online real estate space," said Dave Mele, president of Homes.com. "With 90 percent of the consumers visiting Homes.com looking for their next home and over half wanting a home that is 'move-in ready,' partnering with BDX to add more new construction options is a win for everyone." Homes.com's partnership with BDX offers new home builders: Access to more than 13 million transaction-ready consumers visiting Homes.com each month. Exclusive, real-time leads delivered directly to BDX builders. Immediate ability to add new home listings on Homes.com through the BDX platform "We know that 56 percent of homebuyers go into a home search considering new construction, and now through our relationship with Homes.com, homebuyers now have access to additional new home content in their search for available home options in their area," said Peter Brumme, Builders Digital Experience vice president and general manager. Builders interested in learning more about advertising on Homes.com or the benefits of BDX should visit http://connect.homes.com/advertise/builders/. About Homes.com Homes.com is a leading provider of real estate marketing and media services, including brand advertising, property listing exposure and syndication, search engine marketing and instant response lead generation. Homes.com Connect offers the real estate industry's first-ever all-inclusive marketing platform for agents and brokers featuring single-login convenience. Homes.com is visited by more than 13 million consumers each month to search three million properties for sale or rent, to locate real estate agents in their area and to find useful home buying tips. For more information, visit http://www.Homes.com. About Builders Digital Experience Builders Digital Experience (BDX) is a leading provider of digital marketing and sales solutions for home builders. In addition to hosting the top new home listing site (NewHomeSource.com), and providing distribution of new home listings to hundreds of real estate websites, BDX offers website development, interactive floor plans, photo realistic renderings, and digital sales solutions to builders and real estate developers. Together these online and interactive resources help builders create a true digital experience for their buyers. For more information, visit http://www.theBDX.com.

New Home Source Professional Launches New Home Data for MRIS Customers
Austin, Texas (January 15, 2015)--Builders Digital Experience, Inc. (BDX) announced that customers of Rockville, MD based Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), the industry-leading Mid-Atlantic region multiple listing service (MLS), now have access to new home construction data. The new home data is compiled solely from real estate agent-friendly builders (builders committed to pay compensation to real estate agents participating in the transaction) and is available via a new integration agreement with New Home Source Professional. New Home Source Professional is the premier web site for real estate professionals to get all of the information that they need about new homes and communities for their clients. Designed specifically for real estate agents, New Home Source Professional has the largest searchable collection of new homes available anywhere, including plans, builder promotions and community-level data. MRIS is part of a growing list of MLS organizations across the country that are working with New Home Source Professional to bring this new home data to MLS customers. As part of the agreements, these MLSs have a turnkey, branded "new home channel" accessible through their MLS interface. MLS customers can search and view builders' new home inventory from within their MLS systems through a customized version of NewHomeSourceProfessional.com. This access to new home information allows agents to serve buyers in an increasingly competitive digital landscape. MLS integrations are already active and available for customers of the following MLSs: MRIS in the Mid-Atlantic area including Maryland, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) in Chicago, IL; California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS) in Los Angeles and Orange County; MLSListings in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area; Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABOR) in Austin, TX; Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® (GLVAR) in Las Vegas, NV. East Bay Regional Data Inc. (EBRDI) in Concord, CA Contra Costa Association of REALTORS® (CCAR) in Walnut Creek, CA; Bay East Association of REALTORS® in Pleasanton, CA; Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) in Phoenix, AZ; Northeast Florida Multiple Listing Service (RealtyWeb) in Jacksonville, FL; Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound Association of REALTORS® (JTHS MLS) in Jupiter, FL; San Diego County Regional Multiple Listing Service (Sandicor) in San Diego, CA; Regional MLS (RMLS) in Portland, OR; Tucson Association of REALTORS® MLS (TAR/MLS) in Tucson, AZ; Information and Real Estate Services (IRES), in Loveland, CO; "Nationally, based on our research of consumers and real estate agents, 48% of agents prefer selling new construction homes and our relationship with MRIS allows them to bring an unprecedented level of new home information directly to their clients," said Tim Costello, Chief Executive Officer, Builders Digital Experience. MLSs interested in adding new home community and plan listings to their member dashboard should contact Bill Barnes at BBarnes(at)theBDX(dot)com or 954-661-5301. To learn more about New Home Source Professional and MRIS, please visit http://www.mris.com/mris-products/affiliated-services/new-home-source-professional. About Builders Digital Experience Builders Digital Experience, LLC (BDX) was founded to combine the industry's leading new home resources under one roof and offer builders innovative online marketing options, streamlined customer service and support, and greater value. Capitalizing on over 14 years of building industry experience, BDX operates http://www.NewHomeSourceProfessional.com, the leading new home website for real estate agents, while also providing other services to builders, including advertising and online listings, video production, rich media renderings, mobile search, custom website production and more. For more information, visit http://www.thebdx.com. About MRIS MRIS is Real Estate in Real Time™. We're a leading provider of real estate information technology and services, and are frequently ranked among the most productive Multiple Listing Services (MLS) in the nation, facilitating over $45 billion in system wide sales in 2014. In its core market, MRIS supports over 45,000 real estate professionals spanning the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland, Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C. and parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. MRIS provides a portfolio of technology solutions and proprietary databases for real estate professionals, as well as broker and agent software products and an industry-leading consumer portal, MRIShomes.com (formerly HomesDatabase). In addition, the CURE Solutions Group, a subsidiary of MRIS, provides proprietary back-end technology to other MLS systems, serving nearly 120,000 customers each day. Visit MRIS at MRIS.com.