Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Lots may be getting smaller, but they’re also getting more expensive, according to analyzed data taken from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction. Single-family lot prices reached a new record high in 2017—half of the lots were priced at or above $47,400. While this is a new nominal record, when adjusted for inflation, lot values have still not reached their peaks from the housing boom days, the National Association of Home Builders reports. During the housing boom, half of lots were priced at more than $43,000—this is more than $50,000 when converted to 2017 values. However, some regions within the U.S. have seen their lot prices surpass their former peaks, even when adjusted for inflation. Rising lot values are the most pronounced in the West South Central and West North Central divisions, where lot values have climbed to new historical records. The West South Central division—which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana—tended to have values below the national median historically but started to catch up in 2015 to national numbers. Half of the lots in the region are selling for more than $56,000, which is a significant increase from the housing boom years when half of lots were priced under $30,000. The West North Central division—which includes Iowa, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota—also saw lot prices reach a record high. Half of the lots in the region were priced above $64,000 in 2017, which also exceeded values from the housing boom days.   “Given that the nation’s lots are getting smaller and home production is still significantly below the historically normal levels, it might seem surprising that lot values keep going up,” the NAHB notes on its blog, Eye On Housing. “However, the rising values are consistent with persistent record lot shortages. They are also consistent with significant and rising regulatory costs that ultimately increase development costs and boost lot values.”