Measure of industry sentiment reaches highest level since July 2005
By Eric Morath | The Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—Home builders are confident President-elect Donald Trump’s policies will deliver a boost to their industry.
The National Association of Home Builders’ sentiment measure, released Thursday, rose in December to the highest level since July 2005, near the peak of the housing bubble.
The reading itself doesn’t suggest home building will surge back to precrisis levels, when construction started on about 80% more homes than the pace recorded in recent months. But the report does indicate that builders expect a Trump administration to lend more support to the industry, through reduced regulation and taxes.