Eye On Housing
Single-family housing permits and starts were higher in June as housing demand and construction remains a bright spot for the overall economy. Demand is being supported by low interest rates and renewed focus on the importance of home amidst the virus crisis. Single-family starts in June were estimated by Census/HUD at an 831,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, after an revised… Read More ›
In a strong signal that the housing market is ready to lead a post-COVID economic recovery, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes jumped 14 points to 72 in July, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The HMI now stands at the solid pre-pandemic reading in March before the outbreak… Read More ›
Over the first five months of 2020 – and at the onset of the impact of the coronavirus, total single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 348,898. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an 2.0% increase over the May 2019 level of 342,116, but a slowdown compared to April YoY rate of 8.5%. Year-to-date ending in April, single-family permits… Read More ›
NAHB analysis of the Census Construction Spending data shows total private residential construction spending stood at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $535.9 billion in May. It was down 4.0% in May, after a 5.1% decline in April, due to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 lockdowns. On a year-over-year basis, however, total private construction spending inched up 0.7%…. Read More ›
New home sales jumped in May, as housing demand was supported by low interest rates, a renewed household focus on housing, and rising demand in lower-density markets. Census and HUD estimated new home sales in May at a 676,000 seasonally adjusted annual pace, a 17% gain over April. However, as we noted last month, the April data was downwardly revised… Read More ›
Single-family housing starts were flat in May, albeit off an upwardly revised estimate for construction in April. Single-family starts in May were estimated by Census/HUD at a 675,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, after an revised estimate of 674,000 for April. However, the turning point for the market was found in the permits data. Consistent with recent gains in the NAHB/Wells… Read More ›
Reversing a quarterly decline during the final quarter of 2019, the volume of residential construction lending posted a slight gain during the first quarter of 2020. This was prompted by the strong start for home construction in the early months of the year. The volume of 1-4 unit residential construction loans made by FDIC-insured institutions increased 2% after a 0.7%… Read More ›
In a sign that housing stands poised to lead a post-pandemic economic recovery, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes jumped 21 points to 58 in June, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Any reading above 50 indicates a positive market. As the nation reopens, housing is well-positioned to lead… Read More ›
Over the first four months of 2020 – and at the onset of the impact of the coronavirus, total single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 283,344. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an 8.5% increase over the April 2019 level of 261,119. Year-to-date ending in April, single-family permits across the four regions ranging from an increase of 11.5%… Read More ›
NAHB analysis of the Census Construction Spending data shows total private residential construction spending stood at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $536.8 billion in April. It was down 4.5% in April, after a 0.2% dip in March, due to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 lockdowns. On a year-over-year basis, however, total private construction spending rose 6.2%. The… Read More ›