by Calculated Risk on 4/11/2019 10:04:00 AM

From SacRealtor.org: Spring sales season kicks off in March

March ended with 1,320 total sales, a 30% increase from the 1,015 sales of February. Compared to the same month last year (1,395), the current figure is down 5.4%.
...
The Active Listing Inventory decreased 5.6%, dropping from 1,994 to 1,883 units. The Months of Inventory decreased 30% from 2 to 1.4 Months. This figure represents the amount of time (in months) it would take for the current rate of sales to deplete the total active listing inventory. [Note: Compared to March 2018, inventory is up 3.6%] .
...
The Median DOM (days on market) dropped for the first time since May 2018, falling from 27 to 18 from February to March. The Average DOM also decreased, dropping from 43 to 37. “Days on market” represents the days between the initial listing of the home as “active” and the day it goes “pending.”
emphasis added

CR Note: Inventory is still low - months of inventory is at 1.4 months, probably closer to 4 months would be normal - and this is the smallest YoY increase since October 2017.

by Calculated Risk on 4/11/2019 08:35:00 AM

The DOL reported:

In the week ending April 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 196,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since October 4, 1969 when it was 193,000. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 202,000 to 204,000. The 4-week moving average was 207,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since December 6, 1969 when it was 204,500. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 213,500 to 214,000
emphasis added

The previous week was revised up.

The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971.

Click on graph for larger image.


The dashed line on the graph is the current 4-week average. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims decreased to 207,000.

This was below the consensus forecast.

by Calculated Risk on 4/10/2019 08:00:00 PM

Thursday:
• At 8:30 AM ET, The initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for 211 thousand initial claims, up from 202 thousand the previous week.

• At 8:30 AM, The Producer Price Index for March from the BLS. The consensus is for a 0.3% increase in PPI, and a 0.2% increase in core PPI.

by Calculated Risk on 4/10/2019 04:19:00 PM

From the HAR: The Houston Housing Market Blossoms in March

Lower interest rates pushed fence-sitters into buying mode as single-family home sales rose nearly five percent in March compared to a year earlier. The strongest sales activity was recorded among homes priced between $250,000 and $500,000, followed closely by the luxury segment ($750,000 and above). Once again, renters placed strong demand on single-family and townhome/condo leases across greater Houston. Housing inventory expanded to its highest level in five months, laying fertile ground for consumers as we move further into the spring buying season.

According to the latest monthly report from the Houston Association of Realtors® (HAR), sales of single-family homes increased 4.9 percent in March, with 7,072 homes sold versus 6,740 in March of 2018. Home sales edged up slightly in February following three consecutive months of declines.
...
March sales of all property types totaled 8,475, up 3.6 compared to the same month last year. Total dollar volume for the month jumped 5.7 percent to $2.4 billion.

“Home sales are benefitting from some of the lowest interest rates in years, but we also continue to see tremendous strength in the rental segment, and with inventory growing steadily, the Houston real estate market looks solid,” said HAR Chair Shannon Cobb Evans with Heritage Texas Properties. “We are also encouraged by the Texas Workforce Commission’s latest report about a 2.4-percent increase in employment across metro Houston over the past year, which bodes well for housing.”
...
Single-family homes inventory reached a 3.9-months supply in March. That is up from 3.3 months a year earlier and marks the greatest supply of homes since October 2018. ...
emphasis added

CR Note: Total active listings increased 17.5 percent year-over-year to 41,127.

by Calculated Risk on 4/10/2019 02:05:00 PM

Note that some participants think a rate hike later this year might be appropriate.

From the Fed: Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, March 19-20, 2019. A few excerpts:

In their discussion of monetary policy decisions at the current meeting, participants agreed that it would be appropriate to maintain the current target range for the federal funds rate at 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 percent. Participants judged that the labor market remained strong, but that information received over the intermeeting period, including recent readings on household spending and business fixed investment, pointed to slower economic growth in the early part of this year than in the fourth quarter of 2018. Despite these indications of softer first-quarter growth, participants generally expected economic activity to continue to expand, labor markets to remain strong, and inflation to remain near 2 percent. Participants also noted significant uncertainties surrounding their economic outlooks, including those related to global economic and financial developments. In light of these uncertainties as well as continued evidence of muted inflation pressures, participants generally agreed that a patient approach to determining future adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate remained appropriate. Several participants observed that the characterization of the Committee's approach to monetary policy as "patient" would need to be reviewed regularly as the economic outlook and uncertainties surrounding the outlook evolve. A couple of participants noted that the "patient" characterization should not be seen as limiting the Committee's options for making policy adjustments when they are deemed appropriate.

With regard to the outlook for monetary policy beyond this meeting, a majority of participants expected that the evolution of the economic outlook and risks to the outlook would likely warrant leaving the target range unchanged for the remainder of the year. Several of these participants noted that the current target range for the federal funds rate was close to their estimates of its longer-run neutral level and foresaw economic growth continuing near its longer-run trend rate over the forecast period. Participants continued to emphasize that their decisions about the appropriate target range for the federal funds rate at coming meetings would depend on their ongoing assessments of the economic outlook, as informed by a wide range of data, as well as on how the risks to the outlook evolved. Several participants noted that their views of the appropriate target range for the federal funds rate could shift in either direction based on incoming data and other developments. Some participants indicated that if the economy evolved as they currently expected, with economic growth above its longer-run trend rate, they would likely judge it appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate modestly later this year.
emphasis added

by Calculated Risk on 4/10/2019 11:36:00 AM

The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI this morning:

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.3% (3.3% annualized rate) in March. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% (2.8% annualized rate) during the month. The median CPI and 16% trimmed-mean CPI are measures of core inflation calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland based on data released in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) monthly CPI report.

Earlier today, the BLS reported that the seasonally adjusted CPI for all urban consumers rose 0.4% (5.0% annualized rate) in March. The CPI less food and energy rose 0.1% (1.8% annualized rate) on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Note: The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI details for March here. Motor fuel increased at a 111.3% annualized rate in March.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the year-over-year change for these four key measures of inflation. On a year-over-year basis, the median CPI rose 2.8%, the trimmed-mean CPI rose 2.3%, and the CPI less food and energy rose 1.8%. Core PCE is for February and increased 1.9% year-over-year.

On a monthly basis, median CPI was at 3.3% annualized, trimmed-mean CPI was at 2.8% annualized, and core CPI was at 2.0% annualized.

Using these measures, inflation was about the same in March as in February on a year-over-year basis. Overall, these measures are at or above the Fed's 2% target (Core PCE is below 2%).

by Calculated Risk on 4/10/2019 08:37:00 AM

From the BLS:

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in March on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.2 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.9 percent before seasonal adjustment.
...
The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.1 percent in March, the same increase as in February.
..
The all items index increased 1.9 percent for the 12 months ending March, a larger increase than the 1.5-percent rise for the period ending February. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.0 percent over the last 12 months.
emphasis added

I'll post a graph later today after the Cleveland Fed releases the median and trimmed-mean CPI.

by Calculated Risk on 4/10/2019 07:00:00 AM

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey

Mortgage applications decreased 5.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 5, 2019.

... The Refinance Index decreased 11 percent from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 1 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 1 percent compared with the previous week and was 13 percent higher than the same week one year ago.
...
“Mortgage rates inched back up last week, but remain substantially lower than they were in the second half of last year,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. “As quickly as refinance activity increased in recent weeks, it backed down again in response to the rise in rates. However, this spring’s lower borrowing costs, coupled with the strong job market, continue to push purchase application volume much higher. Purchase applications are now up more than 13 percent compared to last year at this time.”
...
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($484,350 or less) increased to 4.40 percent from 4.36 percent, with points increasing to 0.47 from 0.44 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.


The first graph shows the refinance index since 1990.

Once mortgage rates fell more than 50 bps from the highs of last year, a number of recent buyers were able to refinance.  But it would take another significant decrease in rates to see further refinance activity.

The second graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index

According to the MBA, purchase activity is up 13% year-over-year.

by Calculated Risk on 4/09/2019 07:15:00 PM

Wednesday:
• At 7:00 AM ET, The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the mortgage purchase applications index.

• At 8:30 AM, The Consumer Price Index for March from the BLS. The consensus is for 0.3% increase in CPI, and a 0.2% increase in core CPI.

• At 2:00 PM, FOMC Minutes, Meeting of March 19-20, 2019

by Calculated Risk on 4/09/2019 02:36:00 PM

The Northwest Multiple Listing Service reported Housing Market Rebounds From February Freeze

Both pending sales and new listing activity around Western Washington surged during March as buyers, sellers, and brokers emerged from February's record snowfall.
...
At month end, there were 12,017 active listings of single family homes and condos in the Northwest MLS database. That represents an increase of more than 36 percent from a year ago when there were only 8,825 active listings. Inventory more than doubled in King County compared to a year ago, rising from 2,060 active listings to 4,263 at the end of March. Nine counties reported less inventory than 12 months ago.
emphasis added

The press release is for the Northwest. In King County, sales were down 8.3% year-over-year, and active inventory was up 36% year-over-year.

In Seattle, sales were down 7.8% year-over-year, and inventory was up 136% year-over-year from very low levels.  This is another market with inventory increasing sharply year-over-year, but months-of-supply in Seattle is still on the low side at 2.0 months.