Noel has three decades of experience in the home construction industry. His company has created more than 1,000 custom homes in the New Orleans area, NAHB officials said.

The most recent GOP tax plan, unveiled today, would cut taxes by $1.5 trillion over a decade, supporters say. It would cut the income tax brackets from seven to four, ranging from 12 percent to 39.6 percent. But it eliminates the mortgage interest deduction for homes costing more than $500,000.

Scheduled events include fundraisers, awards ceremonies and visits to local schools.

Increasing home prices could not be offset by a quarter-point drop in mortgage interest rates, which caused the association’s Housing Opportunity Index to decline two points.

Increases ranged from 13.3 percent in the Western U.S. and 6.2 percent in the South.

Robert Dietz, the association’s chief economist, said the building industry should be strong in 2017.

Since the Great Recession decimated the industry, the number of available construction jobs has been increasing, NAHB said, but a skilled labor shortage is still leaving many jobs unfilled. 

However, for the year overall, the trend is positive, said NAHB Chairman Ed Brady, a home builder from Bloomington, Illinois.