by Calculated Risk on 7/17/2013 08:30:00 AM

From the Census Bureau: Permits, Starts and Completions

Housing Starts:
Privately-owned housing starts in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 836,000. This is 9.9 percent below the revised May estimate of 928,000, but is 10.4 percent above the June 2012 rate of 757,000.

Single-family housing starts in June were at a rate of 591,000; this is 0.8 percent below the revised May figure of 596,000. The June rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 236,000.

Building Permits:
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 911,000. This is 7.5 percent below the revised May rate of 985,000, but is 16.1 percent above the June 2012 estimate of 785,000.

Single-family authorizations in June were at a rate of 624,000; this is 0.6 percent above the revised May figure of 620,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 261,000 in June.

Click on graph for larger image.

The first graph shows single and multi-family housing starts for the last several years.

Multi-family starts (red, 2+ units) decreased in June (Multi-family is volatile month-to-month).

Single-family starts (blue) decreased slightly to 591,000 SAAR in June (Note: May was revised down from 599 thousand to 596 thousand).

The second graph shows total and single unit starts since 1968.

This shows the huge collapse following the housing bubble, and that housing starts have been generally increasing after moving sideways for about two years and a half years.

This was well below expectations of 951 thousand starts in June and the lowest level for starts since August 2012.  Total starts in June were up 10.4% from June 2012; single family starts were only up 11.5% year-over-year.  I'll have more later ...