Home builder sentiment falls, but optimism still strong

Home builder sentiment went flat in January, with the composite HMI index remaining at 57 while the "buyer traffic" index declined to a level of 44 from 46 in the prior month.

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Elise Amendola/AP/File
A builder works on a new single-family home in North Andover, Mass.

Today, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released their latest Housing Market Index (HMI) showing that overall assessments of housing activity went flat in January with the composite HMI index remaining at 57 while the "buyer traffic" index declined to a level of 44 from 46 in the prior month.

Overall, conditions for new home construction appear to have softened some recently and still remain below the peak assessments see prior to the Great Recession.

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