Residential housing construction reached a new milestone this summer. July and August marked the first two consecutive months in which new home sales topped 600,000 units across the nation since the Great Recession.

A number of factors played into these results, including a low supply of homes, a broadening of the market with additional sales growth in lower price points, and rising household formation. These also point to a growing demand for housing as we move into 2017, according to NAHB's chief economist Robert Dietz.

Regionally speaking, most of that growth took place in the west, where home sales rose by 8%. No doubt Utah led that charge. The median price for a new home currently stands at $284,000. September's numbers are expected to look strong as well. There is much to look forward to in terms of construction in Utah as we gear up for 2017. Make sure you don't miss out by keeping your contractor's license up to date. We can provide you with continuing education and test prep - and we'll even take care of the paperwork for you, so that you can focus on what you do best: building homes for the strongest economy in the country.