… Home builders are doing plenty with what they have, as Housing Starts rose 2.6% in April to a 717,000 annual rate. Single-family units were up 2.3% for the month and are up 18.8% from a year ago. Multi-family starts were up 3.2% for the month and are up a whopping 63.0% from a year ago. This reflects interest in the condo market, attractive to first time buyers and downsizers, as well as to investors in rental units. Building Permits were down 7.0% in April to a 715,000 annual rate, although permits for single-unit homes are up 18.5% versus a year ago.
Experts say housing starts have to hit a 1.5 million annual rate just to meet the need created by population growth and “scrappage” of older units. That probably won’t happen until 2016, so the home building recovery is still very young. But the National Association of Home Builders reported builders’ sentiment rose in May to its highest level in five years. At 29, it still has a long way to go before it’s in positive territory above 50, last seen in April 2006.