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Welcome to the Athens Area Home Builders Association

The Athens Area Home Builders Association is a non-profit professional trade association made up of member companies, representing residential and light commercial builders, subcontractors, suppliers, and many other service providers to the building industry throughout Athens-Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Stephens, and Walton Counties. Together we are the foundation for the local home-building industry - building pride in our community through interaction, commitment, professionalism, education, community service, and environmental responsibility.

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RSS Eye On Housing

  • Consumer Confidence Retreats in June
    After a strong rebound in May, consumer confidence resumed its downward trend in June. Consumers remain concerned about the economy and labor market amid ongoing uncertainty, especially around tariffs. This month’s decline erased almost half of last month’s sharp gain, suggesting continued volatility in consumer sentiment. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board,...
  • Is U.S. Lumber Self-Reliance Possible?
    Lumber cost uncertainty has risen from the start of the year, driven in part by potential higher tariffs, particularly on Canadian softwood lumber. Despite the continued use and threat of tariffs, U.S. sawmill and wood preservation firms have not increased production to a level that replaces imports. In fact, utilization rates continue to fall, meaning...
  • Existing Home Sales Edge Higher in May
    Existing home sales rose 0.8% in May but remained near historical lows, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Despite the modest increase, this marks the slowest pace for May since 2009. The sluggish sales suggest higher mortgage rates and elevated home prices continue to sideline buyers even with improved inventory conditions. Mortgage rates...
  • Single-family Construction Loan Volume Grows
    Credit conditions for builders and developers eased in the first quarter of 2025 as the level of outstanding 1-4 family residential construction loans rose for the first time in two years, according to data released by FDIC. While the volume of 1-4 family residential construction loans rose, a drop in other real estate development loans...
  • The Fed Pause Continues
    Reflecting most forecasters’ expectations for the June FOMC meeting, the Federal Reserve continued its post-2024 pause for federal funds rate cuts, retaining a target rate of 4.5% to 4.25%. The pause comes after a 100 basis point series of reductions in late 2024. Despite these cuts, mortgage rates have remained in the high 6% range....