2025 Annual Housing & Construction Forecast

2025 Annual Housing & Construction Forecast

The 2025 Annual Housing and Construction Forecast, presented in partnership with the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association and the Cape Fear REALTORS®, will feature national experts Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington (NAHB) and Jessica Lautz (NAR) as well as local expert Mouhcine Guettabi (UNCW) to address what we can expect to see in the industry in 2025. This year's forecast will be at the Terraces on Sir Tyler. Registration includes breakfast and a physical copy of this year's Cape Fear Area Housing Economic Climate Report.

This event is open to WCFHBA and CFR membership only. Capacity is limited! This event has sold out the past three years, so don't delay getting your tickets! A waitlist will be enacted when capacity is reached.

Meet Our Speakers:

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington is NAHB’s Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis. She oversees the activities of the Forecasting & Analysis section of the Economics group which includes housing market analysis, industry surveys, developing and maintaining national, regional, long-term, and remodeling expenditures forecasts. Previously, she worked at NAHB as a Senior Economist, responsible for state and local analysis. Prior to joining NAHB, Danushka worked at J.D. Power as a Senior Economic Analyst in the automotive industry. She is a member of the Joint Advisory Board of Economists for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Danushka holds a B.A. degree in Economics and Business Administration from Otterbein University and M.A. degree in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University.

Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist and VP of Research, National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)

Dr. Jessica Lautz is the Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at the National Association of REALTORS®. She has been with NAR since 2007. The core of her research focuses on analyzing trends for both NAR members and housing consumers. She is in demand as a speaker and by major media outlets to provide commentary on the real estate market. She has testified before Congress on behalf of NAR. She also volunteers at Nottingham Trent University as an industry fellow mentoring real estate graduate students, is a committee chair at the National Association of Business Economics, bakes birthday cakes for underserved youth with Cake4Kids, and sits on the board of the Food Recovery Network. Dr. Lautz has been recognized by Housing Wire's Women of Influence and RISMedia's Newsmaker award. Jessica received her Doctorate of Real Estate from Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom. She also holds a Master's in Public Policy from American University and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Law and Justice from Central Washington University.

Mouhcine Guettabi, Associate Professor of Economics, University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW)

Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi joins the University of North Carolina Wilmington from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) where he was an associate professor of economics. He earned his PhD in economics with an emphasis on Urban and Regional Economics from Oklahoma State University in 2012. He is an applied microeconomist with two main streams of research: the effect of natural resources on households and communities, and the socioeconomic effects of unconditional cash transfers. His recently published research can be found in some of the leading economic journals such as the Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and the Journal of Regional Science. In addition to his academic work, during his time at UAA, he regularly produced economic forecasts, analyzed the state’s finances, conducted analysis on key policy issues, and testified in front of the legislature.