U.S. Oct housing starts rose 2.9 pct

Biz.Yahoo/Reuters ^ | November 19, 2003

[Starwind]

U.S. Oct housing starts rose 2.9 pct
Wednesday November 19, 8:31 am ET

 WASHINGTON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Commerce Department housing
starts, building permits and housing completions data.
 Starts and building permits with percent changes, seasonally
adjusted annual rates in 1,000s of units:
PCT CHANGE    Oct     Sep     Aug Oct 03/02
 Starts       2.9     4.0    -3.1      18.6
 Permits      5.2    -1.4     5.6       8.8
RATES         Oct     Sep     Aug  Oct 2002
 Starts     1,960   1,905   1,831     1,653
 Permits    1,973   1,875   1,901     1,813
STARTS        Oct     Sep     Aug  Oct 2002
 Single     1,617   1,530   1,490     1,366
 Multiple     319     329     309       254
PERMITS       Oct     Sep     Aug  Oct 2002
 Single     1,535   1,487   1,484     1,390
 Multiple     438     388     417       423
REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
STARTS        Pct   Rate  PERMITS       Pct   Rate
 Northeast  -18.0    146   Northeast   12.8    185
 Midwest     -8.0    390   Midwest     -1.3    379
 South        4.9    898   South        5.8    890
 West        17.7    526   West         6.8    519
Actual Starts and Permits, unadjusted in 1,000s:
.              Oct    Sep    Aug  Oct'02
 Starts        173    169    164    147
 Permits       179    163    165    163
Completions of new privately-owned housing units (seasonally
adjusted annual rates, in 1,000s):
 RATES:         Oct    Sep   Oct'02
Total Units    1,727  1,715   1,591
FORECAST:  
Reuters survey of economists forecast:
US Oct housing starts 1.850 mln unit rate
US Oct building permits 1.850 mln unit rate
HISTORICAL COMPARISONS/NOTES:
U.S. Oct single-family permits, starts highest on record.
U.S. Oct single-family completions 1.475 mln units, highest
on record.
U.S. Oct permits rate highest since Feb'84 (1.987 mln
units), starts rate highest since Jan'86 (1.972 mln).
US OCT HOUSING COMPLETIONS +0.7 PCT TO 1.727 MLN UNIT RATE VS
SEPT 1.715 MLN
  The department revised September building permits on Oct. 27.

[Starwind]

The full Dept of Commerce report (.pdf) is at NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION IN OCTOBER 2003

[Starwind]

Fyi...

[Starwind]

Revisions to building permits-Commerce Dept
Friday November 28, 10:23 am ET

 WASHINGTON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The Commerce Department on
Friday revised U.S. building permit data issued on Nov. 19.
 The data are seasonally adjusted annual rates, in 1,000s:
 PCT CHANGE:  Oct   (Prev)  Sept   (Prev)   Oct03/02  (Prev)
  Permits     5.7     5.2   -1.4    -1.4       9.3      8.8
 RATES        Oct   (Prev)  Sept   (Prev)   Oct03/02  (Prev)
  Permits   1,981   1,973  1,875   1,875     1,813    1,813
 PERMITS      Oct   (Prev)  Sept   (Prev)   Oct03/02  (Prev)
  Single    1,539   1,535  1,487   1,487     1,390    1,390
  Multiple    442     438    388     388       423      423
REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
.             Pct  (Prev)   Rate  (Prev)
 Northeast   14.0   12.8     187    185
 Midwest     -0.5   -1.3     382    379
 South        5.2    5.8     885    890
 West         8.4    6.8     527    519
Actual Permits, unadjusted in 1,000s:
.             Oct  (Prev)  Sept  (Prev)   Oct02  (Prev)
  Permits     179    179    163    163    163     163