US Housing Starts Plummet In July, Near COVID Lows

After Housing Starts exploded higher in June (driven by a massive rebound in multi-family units), July was expected to see a reflexive decline of 5.9% MoM…

…things were considerably worse, with US Housing Starts plunging 12.4% MoM (the third major monthly drop in four months)…

On the other hand, the more forward-looking Building Permits (preliminary for July) rose 5.0% MoM (well above the 0.6% MoM expected), after two months in a row of declines.

On a SAAR basis, Starts at back near post-COVID lows while Permits are holding in a four year range…

Under the hood, both Single-Family and Multi-Family movements were stroinger for Permits abut weaker for Starts (after multi-family starts soared last month)…

This shouldn’t be a total surprise after yesterday’s decline in builder sentiment (confidence among US homebuilders dropped for a second month to the lowest level of the year, dragged lower by elevated borrowing costs and higher material and land prices).

It seems recent rises in the mortgage rate (and inventories already at over-stuffed levels, given the slowness of sales) has finally dented the homebuilders’ self-satisfying confidence… and the lack of affordability leaves the American Dream fading into Renter Nation…