September single-family housing starts reached highest level since 2007 (Multifamily starts fell 16.4%)


Single-family housing starts soared in September, a new report from the U.S.
 Census Bureau shows, despite an overall rate that was dragged down by a decline in multifamily starts.
Privately owned housing starts in September rose to an annual rate of 1.415 million, 1.9% above the revised August estimate of 1.388 million and 11.1% above the September 2019 rate of 1.274 million, the Bureau said. Single-family housing starts in September were at an annual rate of 1.108 million, which is 8.5% above the revised August figure of 1.021 million, and a level not seen since 2007, Doug Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae, said.
“While starts were up 10.4% from a year prior, the somewhat modest month-over-month change was due to largely offsetting trends in single-family and multifamily starts,” Duncan said. “The former rose 8.5% over the month to 1.1 million annualized units, a level not seen since 2007. In contrast, multifamily starts fell 16.4%, to one of the slowest monthly paces since 2013, not including this past April.”
Mortgage Bankers Association Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni noted that single-family permits jumped 24.3% from a year ago.
“Builders are gearing up for an even faster pace in the months ahead, which is welcome news for households wanting to buy a new home,” Fratantoni said. “The housing market is being constrained by the lack of inventory, with both new and existing homes being sold faster than new listings are arriving.”



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