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Housing starts and building permits data for May came in below expectations as mortgage rates continue to remain high. Pulte Capital CEO Bill Pulte and S&P Global Ratings Homebuilders Director Maurice Austin join Morning Brief to discuss the state of the housing market and its relationship to ongoing rate pressures. "I think it's a little bit of a speed bump. The housing market is very strong. It continues to be very strong," Pulte explains. He notes that big home builders — such as PulteGroup (PHM), which his family originally founded — are in a good position as they "have a balance sheet, have access to the mortgage bond market and, frankly, are taking market share right now." As the market awaits an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve, Pulte adds that a cut will "dramatically increase" the price of homes. With more people being able to afford mortgages, demand could skyrocket, creating an affordability issue. Austin adds, "What we've seen is the level of sales incentives remain elevated, and they will continue to be so as long as rates stay higher for longer, which ultimately could lead to negative profitability on the homebuilder side." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Melanie Riehl
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