News You Can Use - Trends and Numbers

Overall Housing Starts Rise 3.6 Percent in June, With Single-Family Starts Up 14.4 Percent

Privately-owned housing starts in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 582,000, 3.6 percent above the revised May estimate of 562,000, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Single-family housing starts in June were at a rate of 470,000, a 14.4 percent increase above the revised May figure of 411,000, the agency reported. Read more.

Existing-home Sales Rise 3.6 Percent in June 2009
Existing-home sales rose for the third consecutive month with inventory easing and home prices declining less sharply in June, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – increased 3.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million units in June from a downwardly revised pace of 4.72 million in May, but are 0.2 percent lower than the 4.90 million-unit level in June 2008.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, is hopeful about the gain. "The increase in existing-home sales occurred in all major regions of the country," he said. "We expect a gradual uptrend in sales to continue due to tax credit incentives and historically high affordability conditions. Despite the rise in closed transactions, many Realtors® are reporting lost sales as a result of new appraisal standards that went into effect May 1 of this year." Read more.


New Home Sales Soar 11 Percent in June
Sales of new single-family houses in June 2009 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 384,000, 11 percent above sales in May, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The figure, however, is 21.3 percent below the June 2008 estimate of 488,000.

Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 11 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 384,000 units, according to U.S. Commerce Department numbers released today. Coming on the heels of an upwardly revised number for May, the gain marks a third consecutive month of improved sales activity. Read more.


Survey Finds Home Prices Increased Significantly in May
NEW YORK, NY -- According to the May 2009 RPX Monthly Housing Market Report released last week by Radar Logic Incorporated, the price per square foot for housing increased from April to May in 22 of the 25 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) covered by the report. The price gains in most of these MSAs were larger than average for the month of May, which may indicate that seasonal market forces are being augmented by a more lasting recovery in these housing markets.

Radar Logic's 25-MSA Composite increased 2.1% in May on a month-over-month basis, which was an improvement from its 1.2% increase in April. The 25-MSA Composite has increased 3.7% since March 30, 2009, when it hit its lowest point since the end of the housing boom. Read more.

Consumer Confidence Falls for Second Straight Month
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index™, which had retreated in June, declined further in July. The Index now stands at 46.6, down from 49.3 in June. The Present Situation Index decreased to 23.4 from 25.0 last month. The Expectations Index declined to 62.0 from 65.5 in June. Read more.