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.

NAHB Now

DOL to Enforce States’ Compliance with Registered Apprenticeship Program
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released guidance requiring states to harmonize their laws, regulations and practices with federal rules concerning the administration of the National Apprenticeship System (NAS).
Builder Sentiment Inches Higher but Affordability Concerns Persist
Builder sentiment inched up in March even as builders continue to express affordability concerns stemming from elevated construction costs and shortages of buildable lots and labor.
Trump’s Executive Orders on Housing Would Ease Affordability Crisis
President Trump on March 13 issued two executive orders on housing to remove regulatory barriers and provide better access to mortgage credit that will help ease the nation’s housing affordability crisis.
NAHB Commends President Trump’s Executive Orders on Housing
NAHB Chairman Bill Owens issued the following statement after President Trump announced today’s executive orders on housing.
New Training Center Strengthens Florida HBA’s 50-Year Apprenticeship Program
Since 1973, the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Apprenticeship Program has trained more than 2,500 skilled trades professionals for careers in residential construction.

Upcoming Meetings & Events

New Members

Eye On Housing

Builder Sentiment Inches Higher but Affordability Concerns Persist
Builder sentiment inched up in March even as builders continue to express affordability concerns stemming from elevated construction costs and shortages of buildable lots and labor. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes rose one point to 38 in March, following a revised upward one-point revision in February, according to the National […]
Small Gains for New Single-Family Home Size
New single-family home size had been falling since 2015 in response to declining affordability conditions. An exception occurred in 2021, when new home size increased as interest rates reached historic lows. However, as mortgage interest rates increased in 2022 and 2023 and affordability worsened, demand shifted back toward smaller homes. More recent data suggest these […]
Flat Conditions for Open Construction Jobs
The number of open positions in construction in January was flat year-over-year, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level of open jobs is down measurably from three years ago due to declines in construction activity, particularly in housing. However, recent gains for nonresidential construction combined with soft […]
Custom Home Building Expanded in 2025
In a year that saw a more than 6% decline for overall single-family housing starts, custom home building posted a gain. The custom building market is less sensitive to the interest rate cycle than other forms of home building but is more sensitive to changes in household wealth and stock prices. With spec home building […]
Weaker Conditions for Single-Family Built-for-Rent Housing
Single-family built-for-rent (or built-to-rent, BTR) construction fell back in the fourth quarter of 2025, as a higher cost of financing and increased multifamily supply crowded out development. Housing legislation now under final consideration in Congress would also weaken the sector. The legislation, as approved by the Senate, would require institutionally financed new-construction single-family rental housing […]