Dive Brief:

• Homebuilder confidence in demand for housing earmarked for older buyers slid downward by just a hair in the first quarter of 2015, but remained well on the side of optimism.

• The National Association of Home Builders reported on Thursday that its 55+ Housing Market Index dropped by one point, to a reading of 58, from the prior quarter. A reading of greater than 50 means more builders than not are confident in the near future of the market for age-restricted housing.

• Still, two of the index’s three components increased: current sales and expected sales for the next six months. The decline reflected a drop in traffic of prospective buyers through models and homes for sale.

Dive Insight:

Once again, lousy winter weather is taking the blame for housing's poor first-quarter showing. “The weather had an effect on traffic, and moderated and delayed settlement schedules,” Timothy McCarthy, chairman of NAHB's 50+ Housing Council and managing partner of Traditions of America in Radnor, PA, said in a release.

Nonetheless, he said, builders in the 55+ market remain “bullish on the outlook for the balance of the year.”