New Residential Construction Report: May 2013

Today’s New Residential Construction Report showed mixed results in May with an 6.8% increase to total housing starts and a 3.1% decline to total housing permits while single family housing permits improved on the month.

Single family housing permits, the most leading of indicators, increased 1.3% from April to 622K single family units (SAAR), and  increased 24.6% above the level seen in May 2012 but still remained well below levels seen at the peak in September 2005.

Single family housing starts increased 0.3% from April to 599K units (SAAR), and rose 16.3% above the level seen in May 2012 but still remained well below the peak set in early 2006.