PCBC—the largest annual home building trade show in the western United States—has released its nationwide 2017 Trends Report focused on capital markets, land planning, and consumer insights for home building. Selected highlights from the report, created in conjunction with Meyers Research LLC, include:
• After a strong 2016, capital market experts remain optimistic—with 91 percent of investors bullish on access to equity capital—and expect the investment volume to continue at a solid pace in 2017; gateway coastal markets will be the biggest targets for capital deployment.
• Multifamily is facing numerous opportunities, including increased apartment demand from Gen Z and Baby Boomers, allowing for a healthy and balanced market for the foreseeable future. Developers are also taking heed to the disruptive elements in marketplace by installing package lockers and rooms to accommodate online grocery deliveries, dedicated ride share waiting rooms and functional smart home technology.
• With a new presidential administration and a focus on stimulating job growth, forecasters predict a positive impact on housing demand. Reduced levels of single-family home supply, coupled with favorable demographic groups looking to purchase, all point to growth for residential construction in the years ahead, even if interest rates remain in the range of 4.5 percent.
• The on-demand business model (think Amazon Prime and Uber) continues to transform options and expectations for consumers and extends to home design, green spaces, retail planning and more. They want more immersive involvement with places and spaces and that is how value will be created and realized in the re-defined landscape of economics, technology and demographics.
