Overview
- Government data released Wednesday showed total housing starts up 10.8% to a 1.502 million annualized pace, the fastest since December 2024.
- Building permits, a leading read on future construction, fell 10.8% to 1.372 million, with single-family authorizations down 3.8% to 895,000 and multifamily down 23.5% to 427,000.
- Single-family groundbreakings rose 9.7% to 1.032 million, a 13‑month high, as the Northeast logged the strongest gains among regions.
- Builder confidence slipped in April as 30‑year mortgage rates moved higher and fuel-driven material costs rose, pushing many builders to rely on price cuts and incentives to attract buyers.
- The Census/HUD release, bundled after earlier delays, highlights how volatile monthly housing figures can be, so analysts caution that March’s rebound may not set a lasting trend.