by Calculated Risk on 4/28/2014 07:15:00 PM

Here is another graphic of changing demographics: The Next America. Some people look at this graphic and see the need to support an aging population - I look at this graphic, and I see one of the wonders of the 20th Century (increased life expectancy) - I also see that soon (by 2020) all of the largest cohorts will be under 40!

For Tuesday ... just wondering ... Will S&P post the press release online on a timely basis? And will the S&P website crash again?

Tuesday:
• At 9:00 AM ET, S&P/Case-Shiller House Price Index for February. Although this is the February report, it is really a 3 month average of December, January and February. The consensus is for a 13.0% year-over-year increase in the Composite 20 index (NSA) for February. The Zillow forecast is for the Composite 20 to increase 12.8% year-over-year, and for prices to increase 0.6% month-to-month seasonally adjusted.

• At 10:00 AM, Conference Board's consumer confidence index for April. The consensus is for the index to increase to 83.0 from 82.3.

• Also at 10:00 AM, the Q1 Housing Vacancies and Homeownership report from the Census Bureau. This report is frequently mentioned by analysts and the media to report on the homeownership rate, and the homeowner and rental vacancy rates. However, this report doesn't track with other measures (like the decennial Census and the ACS).

by Calculated Risk on 4/28/2014 04:08:00 PM

Here is another weekly update on housing inventory ...

There is a clear seasonal pattern for inventory, with the low point for inventory in late December or early January, and then usually peaking in mid-to-late summer.

The Realtor (NAR) data is monthly and released with a lag (the most recent data was for March).  However Ben at Housing Tracker (Department of Numbers) has provided me some weekly inventory data for the last several years.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the Housing Tracker reported weekly inventory for the 54 metro areas for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

In 2011 and 2012, inventory only increased slightly early in the year and then declined significantly through the end of each year.

In 2013 (Blue), inventory increased for most of the year before declining seasonally during the holidays.  Inventory in 2013 finished up 2.7% YoY compared to 2012.

Inventory in 2014 (Red) is now 8.2% above the same week in 2013.

Inventory is still very low - still below the level in 2012 (yellow) when prices started increasing - but this increase in inventory should slow house price increases. 

Note: One of the key questions for 2014 will be: How much will inventory increase?  My guess is inventory will be up 10% to 15% year-over-year by the end of 2014 (inventory would still be below normal).

by Calculated Risk on 4/28/2014 12:12:00 PM

After a nice weekend of hiking, I'm ready to comment on the disappointing new home sales report for March.  See last week: New Home Sales decline to 384,000 Annual Rate in March

New home sales is one of the key reports each month (see: Ranking Economic Data).   However - as always - we shouldn't read too much into any one report.  

The Census Bureau reported that new home sales in Q1 combined were 107,000 not seasonally adjusted (NSA). This is down slightly from 109,000 in Q1 2012 (NSA) - so essentially there was little change when comparing Q1 2014 to Q1 2013.    This is what the public builders have been reporting too.

Weather probably played a small role in the disappointing year-over-year change, however higher mortgage rates and higher prices were probably larger factors. Also there were probably supply constraints in some areas and credit remains difficult for many potential borrowers.

In a way this reminds me of 1994/1995.  30 year fixed mortgage rates increased from around 7% in 1993 to over 9% at the end of 1994 (the Fed had raised the Fed Funds rate from 3% to 5 1/2% during that period).  A number of analysts thought the economy was going into recession based on slightly higher taxes, a higher Fed Funds rate - and they were pointing to the slight decline in new home sales as an indicator.  I disagreed.

I was one of the most optimistic people around at the end of 1994 and I was arguing that new home sales had bottomed in 1991, sales were still very low, housing was a slow moving market, and the demographics supported a higher sales rate over the next several years (new home sales were only 666 thousand in 1993, 670 thousand in 1994, and 667 thousand in 1995 - basically flat for a few years - and then increased to over 800 thousand in 1997).

Mortgage rates are up again - this time from 3.6% a year ago to over 4.3% now (and people are concerned about Fed "tapering").  However sales are even lower (only 429 thousand in 2013), demographics are once again favorable, and I still expect new home sales to increase to 750 thousand to 800 over the next several years.  That will be a significant increase from the  384 thousand sales rate in March!

Maybe sales will move sideways for a little longer, but remember Q1 was a difficult comparison period. Sales in 2013 were up 16.6% from 2012, but sales in Q1 2013 were up over 25% from Q1 of the previous year! The comparisons to last year will be a little easier in a few months - and I still expect to see solid year-over-year growth later this year.  

On revisions: Once again revisions were positive.  December sales were revised down slightly, but sales in January were revised up by 15 thousand, and sales in February were revised up 9 thousand (a combined upward revision of 20 thousand) - so overall revisions were positive.


And here is another update to the "distressing gap" graph that I first started posting over four years ago to show the emerging gap caused by distressed sales.  Now I'm looking for the gap to close over the next few years.

Click on graph for larger image.

The "distressing gap" graph shows existing home sales (left axis) and new home sales (right axis) through March 2014. This graph starts in 1994, but the relationship has been fairly steady back to the '60s.

Following the housing bubble and bust, the "distressing gap" appeared mostly because of distressed sales. The flood of distressed sales kept existing home sales elevated, and depressed new home sales since builders weren't able to compete with the low prices of all the foreclosed properties.

I expect existing home sales to decline some more or move sideways (distressed sales will slowly decline and be partially offset by more conventional / equity sales).  And I expect this gap to close, mostly from an increase in new home sales.

Note: Existing home sales are counted when transactions are closed, and new home sales are counted when contracts are signed. So the timing of sales is different.

by Calculated Risk on 4/28/2014 10:40:00 AM

Another solid regional manufacturing survey, this one from the Dallas Fed: Texas Manufacturing Picks Up and Outlook Improves Notably

Texas factory activity increased for the 12th month in a row in April, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, rose from 17.1 to 24.7, reaching its highest level in four years and indicating stronger output growth.

Some other measures of current manufacturing activity also reflected more robust growth. The new orders index posted a four-year high, rising to 21.3. The capacity utilization index rose to a multiyear high as well, climbing from 13.1 to 18.7, with a third of manufacturers noting an increase. The shipments index fell 7 points to 12.4, indicating the volume of shipments grew but at a slower pace than in March.

Perceptions of broader business conditions were markedly more optimistic in April. The general business activity index rose for a second consecutive month, increasing from 4.9 to 11.7. The company outlook index jumped nearly 15 points to a four-year high of 23.4, reflecting a sharp rise in optimism among manufacturers.

Labor market indicators reflected stronger employment growth and longer workweeks. The April employment index rose to 19.7, its highest reading in more than two years.
emphasis added

Here is a graph comparing the regional Fed surveys and the ISM manufacturing index:

Click on graph for larger image.

The New York and Philly Fed surveys are averaged together (dashed green, through April), and five Fed surveys are averaged (blue, through April) including New York, Philly, Richmond, Dallas and Kansas City. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) PMI (red) is through March (right axis).

All of the regional surveys showed expansion in April, and it appears the ISM index will be stronger for the month.  The ISM index for April will be released Thursday, May 1st and the consensus is for an increase to 54.2 from 53.7 in March.

by Calculated Risk on 4/28/2014 10:00:00 AM

From the NAR: Pending Home Sales Increase in March

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 3.4 percent to 97.4 from an upwardly revised 94.2 in February, but is 7.9 percent below March 2013 when it was 105.7.
...
The PHSI in the Northeast increased 1.4 percent to 78.8 in March, but is 5.9 percent below a year ago. In the Midwest the index slipped 0.8 percent to 94.5 in March, and is 10.1 percent below March 2013. Pending home sales in the South rose 5.6 percent to an index of 112.7 in March, but are 5.3 percent below a year ago. The index in the West increased 5.7 percent in March to 91.0, but is 11.1 percent below March 2013.

Mr Yun's once again lowered his forecast for 2014, and is now down to 4.9 million "Existing-home sales are expected to total just over 4.9 million this year, below the nearly 5.1 million in 2013." This is down from his earlier forecast of 5.1 million existing home sales this year. I'll once again take the under on his current forecast - but I think that it would be a positive sign if sales were under 5 million in 2014 as long as distressed sales continue to decline and conventional sales increase.

Note: Contract signings usually lead sales by about 45 to 60 days, so this would usually be for closed sales in April and May.