Tag Archives: National Association of Home Builders

New home sales jumped 15.6 percent in January--the strongest gain in 20 years--to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 437,000, the highest since July 2008, the Census Bureau and HUD reported Tuesday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected the report to show a much smaller sales pace: 381,000. January's rate of sales was the highest since July 2008. At the same time, the months' supply of new homes for sale dropped to its lowest level since March 2005.

As regulatory institutions begin to provide some clarity to the mortgage market, the National Association of Home Builders insists the market still lacks confidence and is badly in need of a sound and functional appraisal system. ""At the center of this ongoing crisis in confidence is an appraisal system that remains dysfunctional and is a major impediment to reestablishing a vibrant and stable housing finance framework,"" NAHB stated in a white paper released last week, titled A Comprehensive Blueprint for Residential Appraisal Reform.

Housing starts plunged 8.5 percent in January--the steepest drop in two years--to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 890,000, the Census Bureau and HUD reported jointly Wednesday. Applications for residential permits rose 1.8 percent to a rate of 925,000, the highest level since June 2008. Economists had expected start activity to drop to 914,000 in January from the initial report for December of 954,000 starts. Permits, according to the consensus forecast, were expected to increase to 920,000 from the original report of 903,000 in December.

Led by a sharp drop in the South, builder confidence slipped in February to 46, the lowest level since November, the National Association of Home Builders reported Tuesday. Economists had expected the Housing Market Index (HMI), a measure of confidence, would improve to 48 from January's reading of 47. The national index has stalled since reaching an 80-month high of 47 in December.

President Obama faces a budget obstacle in his plans to rebuild crumbling bridges and address other pressing infrastructure needs. Unlike many governments, the United States does not have a separate budget for capital spending, which means each tax dollar is as likely to go to the construction of, say, a courthouse, as it is to paying the salary of a judge or court clerk who works there. What would having a separate capital budget do for the country? For starters, it would rationalize our spending and make it more difficult for lawmakers to lard up spending bills with long-term projects.

The industry seems to agree the multifamily housing market is recovering well and will continue to show positive signs this year. Both Fannie Mae and the National Association of Home Builders report low vacancies and climbing rents for 2012 and anticipate a strong market in 2013. Fannie Mae expects asking rent prices to increase about 2.5 percent this year and expects vacancy rates to increase to about 6 percent, keeping in line with historical norms.

New home sales fell 7.3 percent in December to an annual pace of 369,000, the sharpest monthly drop in almost two years, the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development reported Friday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected the report to show a sales rose to 388,000. The monthly drop in sales was the largest since February 2011, when sales fell 11.4 percent. Nonetheless, December 2012 sales were up 8.8 percent over December 2011.

Speaking at the NAHB's International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, chief economists David Crowe (for the NAHB), David Berson (Nationwide), and Frank Nothaft (Freddie Mac) talked about the trends the housing industry can expect to see and the potential threats that may impede the recovery. In total, NAHB forecasts 949,000 total housing starts in 2013, up 21.5 percent from 781,000 in 2012. Single-family starts are expected to rise 22 percent to 650,000 in 2013 and an additional 30 percent to 844,000 in 2014.

Builders broke ground on new homes at the rate of 954,000 in December, a 12.1 percent jump over November and the most since July 2008, the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development reported jointly Thursday. Applications for residential permits rose a modest 0.3 percent, and residential completions rose 1.6 percent. Rebuilding in the wake of superstorm Sandy contributed to the increase in total starts as activity in the Northeast jumped to a pace of 85,000 from 70,000 in November.

Builder confidence stalled in January as the Housing Market Index (HMI) stood at 47, remaining at its highest level since April 2006, the National Association of Home Builders reported Wednesday. Economists had expected the index to tick up to 48.