Housing starts — May 17

The Commerce Department will release housing starts data for April on Tuesday, May 17. Last month, the department reported housing starts dropped 8.8% in March to a 1.09 million annualized rate. Despite the dip, March housing starts were still 14.2% higher than March 2015.

Experts said March's disappointing results signaled "some cooling in the housing market" and echoed other economic indicators in March, including business spending and retail sales results that didn't reach predicted levels. 

Will Tuesday's housing starts offer good news for the residential industry?

Building inspectors feature article — May 17

Many states have rules allowing third-party building inspectors but leave it up to the different municipalities or jurisdictions to decide how, or if, they will use them. In our feature article on Tuesday, May 17, we'll talk with experts to find out how a local building department typically uses third-party inspectors, the pros and cons of using them, and how they can maintain the quality and safety of structures.

AIA billings — May 18

The American Institute of Architects will release its Architectural Billings Index on Wednesday, May 18. Last month, the AIA announced the index grew to 51.9 in March, up from February's score of 50.3. The March score once again represented a rise in design services, as any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings. 

March's rise in the index represented the second-straight month of increases. However, the first quarter overall "was somewhat disappointing in terms of the growth of design activity," AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker said in the report. He added that design services "fortunately expanded a bit entering the traditionally busy spring season."

The ABI is a significant report for the commercial construction industry, as it serves as an indicator of future construction spending — with a lead time of about nine to 12 months.

How to boost productivity feature article — May 19

In a recent World Economic Forum study, analysts reported that the construction industry loses billions of dollars every year due to low productivity. The WEF said the industry must focus on "digitalization and construction techniques" if it wants to catch up to global business communities.

In our feature article on Thursday, May 19, we'll gather insight from industry players who are trying to boost productivity through operational and technological advancements and find out what successes they've had, as well as the challenges they still face.

Existing home sales — May 20

The Commerce Department will release existing home sales data for April on Friday, May 20. Last month, the department announced existing home sales rose 5.1% between February and March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.33 million.

NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun attributed the overall "choppiness in sales activity so far this year" to ongoing concerns of a lack of available inventory and rising prices. "Buyer demand remains sturdy in most areas this spring and the mid-priced market is doing quite well," he said in a release. "However, sales are softer both at the very low and very high ends of the market because of supply limitations and affordability pressures."

Will Friday's results offer another month of gains for existing home sales?