housing solutions

  • May 2026 Luxury Housing Market Report

    May 2026 Luxury Housing Market Report

    Luxury home prices across the U.S. reached $1,283,432 in May 2026, despite year-over-year declines continuing at -1.4%. The pace of annual softening has pulled back considerably from the 5%-plus drops seen in early 2025, suggesting an uptick in the national luxury housing market.

    Among tracked luxury metros, Minneapolis and Boise City, Idaho, have fully surpassed their pandemic-era peaks as of February, at 5% and 4.2%, respectively. The composition of the top 10 luxury markets was unchanged from April, with the same 10 appearing in slightly different order.

    Year over year, Naples-Marco Island, Fla., at 4.3%, and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, Fla., at 3.2%, were the only markets on the list with positive annual price growth.

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  • USG Expands North American Manufacturing Network with New Alberta Wallboard Plant

    USG Expands North American Manufacturing Network with New Alberta Wallboard Plant

    USG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of building materials, today announced that its Canadian division, CGC Inc., has officially opened a new wallboard manufacturing plant in Wheatland County, Alberta. The CAD$210 million facility adds important wallboard capacity in Western Canada and strengthens USG’s broader North American manufacturing network.
    Located on 214 acres in Wheatland County, the new plant will manufacture Sheetrock® brand wallboard, an essential building material used in housing, commercial construction and infrastructure projects across North America. The facility is one of the most technologically advanced and sustainable plants in the global USG network and is designed to strengthen supply reliability in Western Canada.
    “As one of the most significant wallboard manufacturing investments in our company’s history, Wheatland represents a major milestone for our business and a significant commitment to the future of manufacturing and construction in North America,” said Chris Macey, President and CEO of USG Corporation. “The new facility strengthens our manufacturing network, adds critical capacity in Western markets and improves our ability to deliver the quality, reliability and performance our customers expect.”
    “We are proud to officially open our doors in Wheatland County and deepen our long-term commitment to Western Canada,” said Steve Youngblut, President of CGC Inc. “This modern, sustainable manufacturing hub will help ensure builders have access to the materials they need to build the homes and infrastructure Canada depends on, while supporting long-term jobs and economic growth in the region.”
    “Wheatland reflects Knauf Group’s long-term commitment to modern manufacturing, operational excellence and sustainable growth in North America,” said Dr. Uwe Knotzer, General Partner, Knauf Group and chairman of USG. “This facility is an important addition to our global manufacturing network and a strong example of how we invest for the long term in the markets, customers and communities we serve. Wheatland strengthens our ability to support growth in Western Canada with advanced, efficient and responsible manufacturing.”
    Construction of the facility followed a formal groundbreaking in 2024 and marks a major step in USG’s effort to modernize its manufacturing network and expand production capacity. Together with the revitalization of the Little Narrows gypsum quarry in Nova Scotia, USG, through its Canadian division CGC, is investing nearly CAD$325 million to strengthen supply, expand manufacturing capacity and improve service across its North American network. The Little Narrows project is also expected to increase gypsum supply along the Eastern Seaboard.
    Setting a new standard for sustainable manufacturing 
    The Wheatland plant supports CGC’s sustainability goals through industry-leading operational efficiency, including a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, a 25 per cent reduction in water usage, zero manufacturing waste to landfill and on-site solar generation that helps reduce the facility’s environmental footprint. By producing wallboard closer to customers in Western Canada, the facility also helps reduce transportation distances and associated emissions while improving supply reliability.
    Helping build North America since 1902 
    Founded in 1902, USG has played a leading role in the development of modern building materials in North America. In 1907, CGC was established in Nova Scotia as the Canadian Gypsum Company, initially focused on quarrying and exporting gypsum rock to the United States. Today, CGC is USG’s Canadian division, and both are part of Knauf Group, one of the world’s leading building materials manufacturers. Knauf’s long-term ownership supports continued investment in modernization, operational performance and growth, with the 2019 combination of USG and Knauf creating the world’s largest gypsum company.
  • Mortgage rates decrease to 6.48%

    Mortgage rates decrease to 6.48%

    On June 4, 2026, Freddie Mac announced that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.48%, according to its Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The FRM decreased from the week before, when it averaged 6.53%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.85%.

    “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased to 6.48% this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “With mortgage rates in the mid-6% range and income growth outpacing home price growth, housing affordability is marginally improving.”

    The 15-year FRM averaged 5.79%, down from the week prior when it averaged 5.87%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.99%.

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  • Connecticut expands building code adoption cycle

    Connecticut expands building code adoption cycle

    On June 9, 2026, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a bill into law that lays the groundwork to expand the state’s building code adoption cycle to every six years rather than the current three years. Housing affordability was a primary driver of the new law.

    The law calls for the state to pause its adoption of model building codes between the 2024 and 2030 cycles. The current law calls for the state to adopt new building codes within 18 months of their publication.

    The Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Connecticut (HBRA-CT) was instrumental in getting the law passed and providing more stability to home builders in the state. HBRA-CT officials successfully argued that adopting new building codes on a six-year cadence strikes the right balance between the need to keep up with evolving technologies and the ability of all impacted parties to transition to new code requirements. It also allows the industry to accumulate meaningful practical experience with adopted codes before deciding on new changes.

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