NAHB: Construction loan growth hits post-recession high in third quarter

Residential construction loan volume reached a post-Great Recession high during the third quarter, as home building activity continued to expand in 2021, according to a report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The volume of 1-4 unit residential construction loans made by FDIC-insured institutions increased by 6% during the third quarter, NAHB reported. The volume of loans increased by $4.9 billion for the quarter. This loan volume expansion placed the total stock of home building construction loans at $86.9 billion, a post-Great Recession high.

On a year-over-year basis, the stock of residential construction loans is up 10.7%.  Since the first quarter of 2013, the stock of outstanding home building construction loans has grown by 113%, an increase of almost $46.2 billion.

The FDIC data represent only the stock of loans, not changes in the underlying flows, so it is an imperfect data source, according to NAHB. Lending remains much reduced from years past. The current amount of existing residential AD&C loans now stands 57% lower than the peak level of residential construction lending of $204 billion reached during the first quarter of 2008. Alternative sources of financing, including equity partners, have supplemented this capital market in recent years.

The FDIC data reveal that the total decline from peak lending for home building construction loans continues to exceed that of other AD&C loans (nonresidential, land development, and multifamily). Such forms of AD&C lending are off a smaller 28% from peak lending. For the third quarter, these loans posted a 1.1% increase, a possible indication of increased land development activity.