Eye On Housing
Over the first four months of 2019, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 261,119. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 6.5% decline over the April 2018 level of 279,302. Year-to-date ending in April, single-family permits reported growth only in the Northeast region of the country. The South, Midwest, and the West regions declined… Read More ›
In May, headline inflation rose slower relative to April, while core inflation remained unchanged. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), rose by 0.1% in May, after a 0.3% increase in April. It was the smallest gain since January 2019. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the “core”… Read More ›
NAHB analysis of multifamily construction permits over the last four quarters indicates relatively higher growth rates in less populated areas. A prior post reviewed the newly released Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) through the perspective of single-family permit activity. This post examines multifamily construction as classified into the seven HBGI regional geographies, as differentiated by urban density. Economic theory suggests… Read More ›
Following the Great Recession, the National Association of Home Builders created the Leading Market Index (LMI) to track the recovery of the housing market based on three factors: employment, house price indices, and housing construction. As the recovery transitioned into a period in which supply-side elements (land, labor, lumber, lending and laws) were limiting factors and housing affordability declined, the… Read More ›
According to estimates from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Department, single-family and multifamily starts improved in April, consistent with the recent stabilization of the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Single-family starts increased 6.2% to an 854,000 seasonally adjusted annual pace in April. Total multifamily starts increased 4.7% to a 381,000 annualized rate. On a year-to-date basis,… Read More ›
In April, core inflation remained unchanged. And, overall inflation decreased as increases in energy prices slowed and the food index fell. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), rose by 0.3% in April, after a 0.4% increase in March. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the “core” CPI… Read More ›
NAHB analysis of Census Construction Spending data shows that total private residential construction spending stood at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $500.9 billion in March, the lowest level since December 2016. It was the third consecutive monthly decrease after a rebound in December 2018. The total private residential construction spending was down by 1.8% in March after a… Read More ›
According to a estimates from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Department, single-family starts continued to show weakness in March, despite the recent stabilization in the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). After downward revisions made to the February data, single-family starts were down 0.4% to a 785,000 seasonally adjusted annual pace in March, the lowest such rate… Read More ›
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index for March. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.4% in March, after a 0.2% increase in February. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the “core” CPI increased by 0.1% in March, the same increase as in February. The price index for a… Read More ›
Total housing starts posted a 8.7 percent decrease in February (1.162 million units) compared to a upwardly revised January estimate of 1.273 million units according to the joint data release from the Census Bureau and HUD. Relative to February 2018, total starts are 9.9 percent below the annual pace of 1.29 million units. The rate of single-family starts posted a… Read More ›