COVID-19 BUILDING INDUSTRY UPDATES
UPCOMING WEBINAR: REGISTER NOW!
May 18 at 1:30 p.m.
We're live with Patrick Jankowski, Senior Vice President of Research and Regional Economist at the Greater Houston Partnership.

He will share a presentation on the regional economy, the impact of COVID-19 and local projections on the oil and gas industry.
 Q&A to follow. Submit questions | Register now
CREDIT FOR BUILDERS TIGHTENS, VIRUS BLAMED
For the first time since 2012, builders and developers reported tighter credit conditions on loans for land acquisition, development and single-family construction (AD&C) in NAHB’s AD&C financing survey for the first quarter of 2020. The net tightening index jumped to 22.7, about 40 points higher than the -22.3 reported in the fourth quarter of 2019. The index is constructed so that positive numbers indicate tightening of credit, with larger positive numbers indicating more widespread tightening. 

A similar index from the Federal Reserve’s survey of senior loan officers also showed a spike in tightening. The Fed index jumped to 52.4 in the first quarter of 2020, 45 points higher than the 7.4 reported in the fourth quarter of 2019 and the highest it’s been since 2009. Read more
SURVIVING DOWNTURN: NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION
In the business world, knowing when to take action can be the difference between your company’s continual growth or eventual decay. Timing is everything.

The coronavirus pandemic has created significant challenges and uncertainty for many, particularly those in the housing industry. While these challenges are substantial, now is not the time to simply stand idle and hope your business is lucky enough to survive.

Now is the time to:

Be proactive, not reactive. Surveys have shown most successful people want at least 80% of their efforts to be proactive and no more than 20% reactive. In recent months, many business leaders were pressed to be 80% reactive. Functioning this way is neither sustainable or beneficial to a successful business. It is critical now to move back to being predominantly proactive. List the things you can control and adjust your business plan accordingly. This will not only make you productive but also help your mindset. Read more
BUILDING MATERIALS PRICES POST RECORD MONTHLY DECLINE IN APRIL
Prices paid for goods used in residential construction decreased 4.1% in April (not seasonally adjusted)—the largest monthly decline on record—according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI)  report  released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The year-to-date decline (-5.4%) in residential construction inputs prices is more than three times larger than the previous record (-1.3% in 2009). Read more
For more visit ghba.org/covid19