by Calculated Risk on 4/23/2011 11:45:00 AM

Below is a summary of economic data last week mostly in graphs:

• March Existing Home Sales: 5.10 million SAAR, 8.4 months of supply

The NAR reports: Existing-Home Sales Rise in March

Click on graph for larger image in new window.

This graph shows existing home sales, on a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) basis since 1993.

Sales in March 2011 (5.10 million SAAR) were 3.7% higher than last month, and were 6.3% lower than March 2010.

The second graph shows the year-over-year (YoY) change in reported existing home inventory and months-of-supply. Inventory is not seasonally adjusted, so it really helps to look at the YoY change.

Although inventory increased from February to March (as usual), inventory decreased 2.1% year-over-year in March (from March 2010). This is the second consecutive month with a small YoY decrease in inventory.

Inventory should increase over the next few months (the normal seasonal pattern), and the YoY change is something to watch closely this year. Inventory is already very high, and any YoY increase in inventory would put more downward pressure on house prices.

The third graph shows existing home sales Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA).

The red columns in January, February and March are for 2011.

Sales NSA are below the tax credit boosted level of sales in March 2010, but above the level of March sales in 2008 and 2009.

• Housing Starts increased in March

Total housing starts were at 549 thousand (SAAR) in March, up 7.2% from the revised February rate of 512 thousand (revised up from 479 thousand).

Single-family starts increased 7.7% to 422 thousand in March (February was revised up to 392 thousand from 375 thousand).

The graph shows total and single unit starts since 1968. This shows the huge collapse following the housing bubble, and that housing starts have mostly been moving sideways for over two years - with slight ups and downs due to the home buyer tax credit.

• AIA: Architecture Billings Index little changed in March

This graph shows the Architecture Billings Index since 1996. The index showed billings increased slightly in March (index at 50.5, anything above indicates an increase in billings).

Note: Nonresidential construction includes commercial and industrial facilities like hotels and office buildings, as well as schools, hospitals and other institutions.

According to the AIA, there is an "approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending" on non-residential construction. So this indicator suggests the drag from CRE investment will end mid-year 2011 or so - but there won't be a strong increase in investment.

• Moody's: Commercial Real Estate Prices declined 3.3% in February

Moody's reported that the Moody’s/REAL All Property Type Aggregate Index declined 3.3% in February. Note: Moody's CRE price index is a repeat sales index like Case-Shiller - but there are far fewer commercial sales and there are a large percentage of distressed sales - and that can impact prices and make the index very volatile.

Here is a comparison of the Moodys/REAL Commercial Property Price Index (CPPI) and the Case-Shiller composite 20 index. The Case-Shiller Composite 20 residential index is in blue (with Dec 2000 set to 1.0 to line up the indexes).

According to Moody's, CRE prices are down 4.9% from a year ago and down about 44.7% from the peak in 2007. Prices are just above the post-bubble low last August - and about at the levels of 2002.

• Other Economic Stories ...
• Residential Remodeling Index shows strong increase year-over-year in February
• NAHB Builder Confidence index declines slightly in April
• DOT: Vehicle Miles Driven increased in February
• Philly Fed Survey shows slower expansion in April
• Unofficial Problem Bank list at 978 Institutions

Best wishes to all!