Updated
Updated · HousingWire · Aug 19
US Housing Starts Drop 12.4% to 1.239 Million as Permits Rise to 1.443 Million
Updated
Updated · HousingWire · Aug 19

US Housing Starts Drop 12.4% to 1.239 Million as Permits Rise to 1.443 Million

3 articles · Updated · HousingWire · Aug 19

Summary

  • 1.239 million housing starts in July missed estimates and fell 12.4% from June, with single-family starts down 9.9% to 808,000.
  • Rising rates, weak demand growth and high capital costs are keeping builders from expanding supply, even as the market continues to build at a restrained pace.
  • 1.443 million building permits rose 5.0% from June and 3.1% from a year earlier, but the pickup still points to a market largely moving sideways rather than accelerating.
  • Builders are seen holding production in check while new-home sales stay in a narrow long-term range, suggesting construction will remain constrained until demand improves.

Insights

Could the sudden collapse in July housing starts be the ultimate warning sign of a broader economic freeze?
Why are future building permits secretly surging while actual US housing construction plummets to its lowest level since 2022?
With builders slashing prices and shrinking floor plans, will this historic drop in construction finally trigger a buyer's market?