Housing Starts Up Unexpectedly In September

Housing starts hit a five-month high in September, despite expectations that they’d fall. According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, housing starts were up 0.3 percent from August and 4.1 percent above last September’s levels. But despite the unexpected jump, building permits for future construction fell 5.6 percent because of a 20.2 percent drop in permits for multi-family units. Permits for single-family homes rose 0.5 percent. More here and here.

Filed under: Uncategorized, Building Permits, Housing Market, Housing Starts, News, Real Estate, Trends

Residential Construction Rises To 4-Month High

Housing starts rose 10.5 percent in August, reaching their highest level since April. The unexpected jump is a sign that the housing market is beginning to stabilize after the summer slump that followed the expiration of the homebuyer tax credit. According to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, building permits and housing completions were also up in August. Stuart Miller, Lennar’s chief executive, said there’s been an increase in activity after a tough summer for the housing industry. More here, here, and here.

Filed under: Uncategorized, Building Permits, Federal Programs, Housing Market, Housing Starts, News, Real Estate, Tax Credit, Trends

Housing Starts Rise As Permits Fall

Housing starts rose a less-than-expected 1.7 percent in July while applications for building permits fell to their lowest level since May 2009, according to a report from The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Permits were down 3.1 percent from June and 3.7 percent from last year. Year-over-year, housing starts fell 7 percent. The drop in building permits coincides with a report from The National Association of Home Builders showing builder confidence at its lowest level since March 2009. David Crowe, NAHB’s chief economist, said the report reflects the frustration builders are feeling regarding the effects foreclosed property sales are having on the new-homes market. Still, the NAHB feels that a combination of modest job gains, low mortgage rates, and pent-up demand will lead to a stronger housing market in the second half of 2010. More here, here, and here.

Filed under: Uncategorized, Builder Confidence, Building Permits, Foreclosures, Housing Market, Housing Starts, News, Real Estate, Sales, Trends

Housing Starts Down, Building Permits Up

Housing starts fell 5.0 percent in June, hitting their lowest level since October 2009. But though the Department of Commerce’s residential-construction statistics show the second-straight month of declines in privately owned housing starts, they also show a 2.1 percent rise in building permits. The unexpected jump in permits suggests a boost for building activity in July. Michael Gaspen, an economist at Barclays Capital, said the market is trying to find a bottom following the expiration of the tax credit but he still expects housing starts to slowly rebound in the second half of the year. More here, here, and here.

Filed under: Uncategorized, Building Permits, Federal Programs, Housing Market, Housing Starts, News, Real Estate, Trends

Housing Starts Up 41% Over Last Year

According to The Department of Commerce’s April report on new residential construction, housing starts jumped 40.9 percent from last year and 5.8 percent above the month before. Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, said increased demand from the home buyer tax credit lifted construction but its expiration has homebuilders wary, noting the 11.5 percent drop in building permits. Despite the drop in permits, which suggests starts will also fall off this summer, a recent report from the National Association of Home Builders showed builder confidence at a 2-1/2 year high. More here, here, here, and here.

Filed under: Mortgage Banking News, Building Permits, Housing Market, Housing Starts, News, Real Estate, Sales, Tax Credit, Trends