National Association of Home Builders

Sales of U.S. new homes fell in February for the second straight month, a reminder that the depressed housing market remains weak despite some improvement. But the Commerce Department also reported some positive signs.

U.S. homebuilders are growing less pessimistic about the housing market, despite tighter lending standards that have slowed home sales. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose four points to 25 in January. That's the highest level since June 2007. It's just the third time the index has been at 20 or above in two years.

A surge in apartment construction gave builders more work in November, but 2011 is still shaping up to be one of the worst years in history for homebuilders.

New forecasts show that the worst may be over for the construction industry, which was hit harder by the Great Recession than any other sector, as construction projects slowly resume. Some 27% of construction firms say they plan to add staff this year, while only 20% plan to cut jobs.

Technically, the homebuilder sentiment index inched one point higher to 16 in November. But the gain was offset by a revised one-point dip in October's reading, and the numbers remain well below those seen during a healthy housing market.

It may be one of the world's greatest mass psychology questions of all time: Why aren't people buying houses? Potential buyers are still looking -- that much has been established by recent attendance at open houses -- compared to a year ago, when most agents were taking home their plates of...

The U.S. housing sector took another hit this month as homebuilder sentiment unexpectedly fell to 13 in August from 14 in July. The measure has been drifting lower since the federal homebuyers tax credit expired this spring.

The Illinois attorney general sued five home repair companies he says took payments but did substandard work or none at all, at a cost of more than $167,000 to consumers. The companies are: C & P Development, Inc., and DM Realty & Building Inc. -- The AG's office received five...

Americans can be contradictory creatures: On the one hand, many Americans say they want government off their backs, Washington to be less intrusive in their lives, and more state involvement and less federal. That is, until we get to housing. A new poll from the National Association of Home...

A modest setback on the housing front, as home builder confidence unexpectedly fell in January, as concern about job growth and the large supply of foreclosed homes on the market weighed on builders' sentiment.