3.8%: How much existing single-family home sales grew in January on a year-over-year basis.

25 million: The expansion of U.S. households between 2015 and 2035, as predicted by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. It also said millennials under 30 and minorities would be major players in this upward trend.

40%: How much single-family starts are expected to increase from 2016 to 2021, according to ConstructConnect.

$1.2 trillion: The total of overall construction spending in 2017, a 6.3% increase over the previous year, according to ConstructConnect. The forecaster said spending should expand 7.2% in 2018.

82%: The share of homebuilders who took part in an NAHB survey and said they felt a lack of qualified laborers would be their most daunting challenge in 2017. This compares to a 13% share in 2011.