According to the National Association of Home Builders’ Housing Market Index, builder confidence slipped three points to 25 in April, the first decline after seven consecutive months of gains. The index measures builders’ perception of the market for newly built, single-family homes on a scale where any number below 50 indicates more builders view conditions as poor than good. David Crowe, NAHB’s chief economist, said the decline is a pause in what has been a fairly rapid build-up in confidence since last September. According to Crowe, despite increased interest from potential buyers, builders have yet to see that interest translate into sales activity. Still, regional results show that most of the decline was felt in the Midwest, where confidence was down eight points. The Northeast posted a four point gain and reached its highest level since May 2010. The West was unchanged at 32 and the south dropped three points to 24.
