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Peak Construction Spending?

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Construction spending grew at 13.7% YoY in July. It has only grown at a faster pace than that once - at the very peak of the idiocy in Q1 2006.

Nope - no bubble here...

 

So that got us wondering... how is it that Construction Spending is surging as Lumber Prices are collapsing? (unless homes are now made of Twitter share certficates).

 

The answer is simple - lag... and we have seen this picture before... and it did not end well.

Clearly, the exuberant construction industry jumps on Fed-induced signals of recovery and mal-invests en masse... until reality bites again.

 

Charts: Bloomberg

 

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Tue, 09/01/2015 - 10:57 | 6495098 bnbdnb
bnbdnb's picture

If you build it, they will come!

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:00 | 6495113 Hitlery_4_Dictator
Hitlery_4_Dictator's picture

Humans making the same mistakes over and over and over again, it's getting pretty old. Humans are stupid. The fleecing will be epic. I won't be a part of it. The only way to win is to not play.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:08 | 6495151 MalteseFalcon
MalteseFalcon's picture

Construction should have shut down and stayed shut down after 2008.

Giant malinvestment driven by make believe interest rates.  An overhang to last 50 years.

SHUT.IT.DOWN

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:15 | 6495182 Hitlery_4_Dictator
Hitlery_4_Dictator's picture

oh it will be shutdown all right

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:36 | 6495302 NoDebt
NoDebt's picture

Serial bubbles are all they have left.  There is no real growth.  Just capitalizing on volatility, if you're in a position to do so.  They're just doing it over and over and over again.  They're hardly even changing the tune.  Like a time warp or Groundhog Day.

To wit:

1.  Real estate bubble happening EXACTLY like in the middle of last decade except now it's commercial and multi-family.

2.  Dot-com bubble happening EXACTLY like 2000.  And in this case I do mean EXACTLY.  It's still "eyeballs" and "hits" and "cash burn rate" and the lies about all the advertising dollars rolling in that never do.

3.  We build cars that look almost exactly like their 1960s counterparts.  Camaro, Mustang, Challenger.  (This probably pisses me off more than the first two points, to be honest.)

We're not just out of money and out of growth, THE WHOLE FUCKING COUNTRY IS OUT OF IDEAS.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:00 | 6495443 markitect
markitect's picture

"THE WHOLE FUCKING COUNTRY IS OUT OF IDEAS"  Ive been saying this for 15 years.  There was never the proper turning over of the reigns from the Boomers to the X'rs at the corporate or governing levels, theres been extended childhood for the millennials, delayed families, delayed careers, in short a retardation of the natural cycle of civil society turning over and continuing into the future.  That process brings new and fresh ideas and direction and didnt happen.  Instead we have a society focused on every god damned distraction possible from chicks with dicks to ghetto riots and home flipping, anything to keep the great silent majority pacified and the parasites satiated.  Its a cultural bubble as well as a monetary bubble.  A return to basic living and production is long over due.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:08 | 6495152 TahoeBilly2012
TahoeBilly2012's picture

If Trump sends them all back that will be quite a few vacancies and job opps. Right...

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:38 | 6495306 kchrisc
kchrisc's picture

Humanity was hijacked.

The hijackers' money changing tables were once over turned in the temple.

Now we, the people, need to overturn their money changing tables, and free ourselves from the hijackers.

Zion is a scheme, not an ethnicity..

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:29 | 6495270 Life of Illusion
Life of Illusion's picture

 

If you get construction loan wood butchers will build.

First they buy new truck w/const loan then build.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 10:58 | 6495104 RawPawg
RawPawg's picture

smoke screen

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:04 | 6495132 KnuckleDragger-X
KnuckleDragger-X's picture

Yep, construction spending is a very general thing and they don't break it down, so we don't how much is materials and how much is bribes etc.....

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:51 | 6495139 bonderøven-farm ass
bonderøven-farm ass's picture

The Fed's Ptomkin village.

 

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:12 | 6495173 Carpenter1
Carpenter1's picture

In Canada there's so much construction going on, despite very high vacancy rates and a recession. Malls are 10-20% empty everywhere, I see entire buildings empty, whole floors of towers are for rent, it goes on and on.

 

Yet they're building like we actually need more.

 

The world has gone right fucking nuts.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:16 | 6495191 Osmium
Osmium's picture

It's the Chinese model.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:05 | 6495475 azusgm
azusgm's picture

with Chinese buyers who have bought legal residency rights.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 10:59 | 6495105 arbwhore
arbwhore's picture

Homes are now built on crushed dreams or bricks made from FRN's for the lucky few.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:00 | 6495112 Dr. Engali
Dr. Engali's picture

WTF is there to build? Seriously, we have an overabundance of houses, retail space, car lots, and office space. The only real booming area around here is medical related.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:06 | 6495137 KnuckleDragger-X
KnuckleDragger-X's picture

We need more new million dollar tar paper shacks for our Chinese 'guests'......

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:06 | 6495142 Vampyroteuthis ...
Vampyroteuthis infernalis's picture

Agreed. We have abandoned houses and old junk being sold at ridiculous prices. Someone will end up holding the bag.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:42 | 6495702 azusgm
azusgm's picture

Rather than repair and renovate our school buildings, the school district convinced the taxpayers that demolishing most of our school buildings (all structgurally sound) and constructing new ones will solve the sorry state of public education in this district. The way the architectural firms gear up and plug the districts into the sales engine is a sight to behold.

Now tell me, is a new building going to be the answer to academic underachievement in a district where a new art teacher is told that he has no materials and supplies allotment because it has been determined that his course will be a blowoff class? It happened. The teacher quit.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 13:36 | 6495991 atomp
atomp's picture

It's three R's, not four.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 13:50 | 6496055 FredFlintstone
FredFlintstone's picture

Its 1 R, 1 W, and 1 A

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:11 | 6495163 tarsubil
tarsubil's picture

I've noticed a building frenzy around these parts. I thought they'd all be bought but there are for sale signs popping up for these new homes. KA-BOOM!

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:19 | 6495206 RawPawg
RawPawg's picture

why would ppl want their old obama phone when they can get the newer,shiny ones with cheaper terms?

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:12 | 6495172 MarkGoldman
MarkGoldman's picture

FUTURE LIABILITIES.

At least that is what they are building up here.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:18 | 6495200 r101958
r101958's picture

With mark to fantasy they can double the price and call it an asset-even if it sits empty.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:09 | 6495509 zaphod42
zaphod42's picture

You just defined a Chinese building boom.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:44 | 6495712 azusgm
azusgm's picture

The taxing authorities must be loving it.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:00 | 6495114 ebworthen
ebworthen's picture

I hope that doesn't mean we have two more years of this dog and pony show...

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:45 | 6495343 roadhazard
roadhazard's picture

I'll bet for sure it means six more weeks of Winter.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:01 | 6495119 MarkGoldman
MarkGoldman's picture

Plenty of trades people who haven't worked in their respective vocations since 07/08/09, and likely will never again. 

Lotsa Mexicans still hanging around home depots? That will change too.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:02 | 6495124 FreedomGuy
FreedomGuy's picture

Lag is a bummer. It also takes time to read the tea leaves on an economy and the market forces. Dwellings have a minimum 90 day and often 9 month planning and execution phase. 

If I was in construction I would ban ZH, lol!

 

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:06 | 6495138 RmcAZ
RmcAZ's picture

NorCal here, they literally cannot build houses fast enough here, a la 2006. I can't figure out who's buying... Probably mostly a result of stupid expensive rents in the same area, forcing people into homes (and prices sky high)

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:02 | 6495459 FreeMoney
FreeMoney's picture

Same story in Seattle/Portland.  We saw this same stupidity 8 years ago...

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:07 | 6495145 CHC
CHC's picture

What the FUCK is a lag?!?!

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:16 | 6495187 earleflorida
earleflorida's picture

a premature ejaculation...

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:19 | 6495208 r101958
r101958's picture

What is Lag?....well, when you are making a really long putt.......

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:55 | 6495408 zaphod42
zaphod42's picture

Imagine Wiley Coyote has just run off the cliff... now he's up there, holding his sign, just before gravity takes its ugly toll. 

That period of time, after his feet leave terra firma, and before he starts his rapid descent to making a puff on the canyon floor, is what you call, "lag."

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:10 | 6495157 tarsubil
tarsubil's picture

We've finally made it to the KA! Now get some popcorn because the BOOM! is just about to happen.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:12 | 6495167 earleflorida
earleflorida's picture

Tyler

u r the 'GREA`T'EST' 

bravo zh

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:15 | 6495183 q99x2
q99x2's picture

The fed makes more homes so that the fed can own more.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:18 | 6495199 earleflorida
earleflorida's picture

last i checked,... they ain't making any moar land

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:52 | 6495392 zaphod42
zaphod42's picture

Maybe fewer people, though, eh?  I think that would have the same effect, woudln't it?

 

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 13:00 | 6495793 azusgm
azusgm's picture

Great market on the horizon for subsidized housing. Four wives means four houses.

Who is providing the money for these arrangements and how do you have four wives in the USA?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5_8HyKlvEg

 

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:17 | 6495193 madcows
madcows's picture

BUY NOW OR BE PRICED OUT FOREVER!  NOW IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET IN!  JUST ASK LARRY YUN!  RATES ARE AT ALL TIME LOWS!  HOUSES ARE MORE AFFORDABLE THAN EVER!

 

PT Barnum was right.  There's a sucker born every minute.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:18 | 6495204 Xatos
Xatos's picture

Multi-family new construction is a huge bubble, especially in Texas, and especially considering they're often renting out the product for about $2 per sqft. They're going up left and right to account for all of the illegal immigrants in addition to transplants from California and the like, but with oil slumping my buddy already got laid off from his job, and more are coming. For sale signs everywhere. 

 

Believe me, this is a bubble that doesn't get enough attention. I'm a superintendent and I know first hand that new construction is out of control. When the credit stops, you'll have half-built construction sites everywhere, with tons of folks out of work.

The impact will be huge.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:25 | 6495240 cherry picker
cherry picker's picture

You are absolutely correct

There are about 70 unfinished projects including high rise ocean front condos just south of San Diego in  Baja, rusting away.  This was from the 2007-8 era.

When they were being build, I noticed something unusual.  When I built my home there in 95, I was down regularly to check on progress.  There were no owners coming around, telling me it was all spec.

One of the tower projects that remain unfinished had the name Trump on it.  Apparently there were buyers for the upscale development and they got burned.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 16:43 | 6496993 Deathrips
Deathrips's picture

Our group at the time sold that development to trumps group. they are fraud fuckers. Was set to go, deposits 20%+ and all...they came in and spent the reserves cause it was going to rain money on them....till it didnt.

 

RIPS

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:26 | 6495251 Hitlery_4_Dictator
Hitlery_4_Dictator's picture

Recent cali transplants are going to suffer badly...anyone who bought a home here in TX over the past 3 years is screwed and with the job implosion here, coupled with the influx of cali losers - it should be spectacular. 

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:52 | 6495379 earleflorida
earleflorida's picture

are these kinda like the empty cities/towns being/ having been build'ead in china?

shovel ready-- but[t] fuck', built` it, and they will cum',

bubbles being blown before the compressor's ever turned-on...

[...] compression at its best?est

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 17:30 | 6497227 BingoBoggins
BingoBoggins's picture

Minneapolis:

Multi-Family builds to the max for going on two years.  I've finished drywall in the same 2 sq. mi vicinity for the majority. One exception for an office tenant space and NPR gets new digs in downtown St. Paul.

Cranes up all over, too, most for moar apts. Nothing like it since the '90's when everyone bid senior housing.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:20 | 6495211 ajkreider
ajkreider's picture

It could be a lag, or it could be commodity deflation from a collapsing Candian economy.  This is one of the benefits of importing price deflation.  Let's enjoy it while it lasts.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:45 | 6495342 Thirtyseven
Thirtyseven's picture

Just spent 8 days up in Canada and now circling back through the pacific northwest.  Almost my last day and it's hotel time for us now. Camping done.  Canada's dollar flucuated at least a whole 5 cents just during the time I was there.  Even got down to 0.74 per 1 FRN.

 

 

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:20 | 6495214 Bunga Bunga
Bunga Bunga's picture

Who needs lumber when you can build with hot air?

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:56 | 6495765 rwe2late
Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:23 | 6495232 Rabbit rancher
Rabbit rancher's picture

This economy never wanted to die and still does not
The things that made it the best in the worlds history are the people.
It reminds me of Jim Carey trying to kill the cow that refuses to die.
It would heal fast if they just stop trying to kill it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX7Yo0tWDgk

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:31 | 6495285 Thirtyseven
Thirtyseven's picture

We used to have some amazing people back when the USA was really just West Germabritirascotistan with a splattering of Poles and Italians thrown in.

Now we're becoming Nigerexico with a smidge of dirka-dirkastan.

(All controlled by international Jewry of course)

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:28 | 6495263 Thirtyseven
Thirtyseven's picture

This electrician has definitely seen "rough-ins" drop off noticibly.  Not enough yet to put anyone out of work, but enough that we may not be in a position to work unlimited overtime without asking.  Wrapping up a lot of "trim-outs" for projects that have been going on for awhile.  One of the GC's who subs us has cut his workforce from 9 down to 4 carpenters and another has so many seemingly idle half the day I have no idea how they afford to keep so many around still.

So we'll see how things go when I get back from this vacation. I'm going to need the long weekend to recover from this vacation.  Two weeks gone I'll bet there'll be some news floating around to catch up on.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:31 | 6495282 GCT
GCT's picture

Building of single family homes with the exception of small starter homes has ceased here.  Most builders are now remodeling or building pre-solds only.  250k and above in Arkansas sit for a year or two before they sell, some have sat for over three years.

Multifamily is slowing down, and commercial is still going strong here. Being in a three college town helps apartments stay full.  If it was not for the colleges many apartments would be in trouble, unless your a tax credit site. 

Many of my builder friends have simply retired.  Several more went bankrupt building large spec mcmansions.  

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:35 | 6495297 Thirtyseven
Thirtyseven's picture

You guys are getting small starter homes?  That would be a blessing for us young people.  Can't find one in my area for under a quarter mil unless it's 80 years old.

No sir.  We're building plenty of 6,000-15,000 square footers though.  If you've got banker/lawyer money or you're a retired general (Or Senator from Tennessee) we've got the coastline (Central Maryland) for ya with plenty of rivers and inlets coming off that bay.  Cost of the lot is the least of your worries and the county gladly accepts the extra property taxes (instant approval!)

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:32 | 6495290 poor fella
poor fella's picture

I often travel through the poorest of Kalifornia, so when I drove over the Bay Bridge into San Fran - the cranes and apartments going up absolutely SCREAMED bubble.

New buyers will have a great time paying thousands of dollars a month in property taxes.

And renters who may be enjoying the new 'app' & 'gig' eCONomy are likely house-poor.

Part of being young and not caring though. Living $5k paycheck to $5k paycheck will make for great stories.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:47 | 6495360 Thirtyseven
Thirtyseven's picture

You mean like all the oilfield guys down in Alice Texas who're having their trucks reposessed? 

Great move dumbass roughnecks, couldn't even save a car payment out of those checks?  Repo guys are happy though, but I'll bet they're smart enough to save.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:56 | 6495416 earleflorida
earleflorida's picture

it's all chinese money...

sf is a magnet for asians 

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:33 | 6495292 Whodathunkit
Whodathunkit's picture

Builders are still slapping up 2100-2500 sq ft inner city (well gentrifying neighborhoods) and people are buying for 450K.  Insane.  That is 75K more than the exact same house sold for exactly 2 years ago.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:08 | 6495500 markitect
markitect's picture

This is actualy one of the few areas of true growth; rebuilding old inner city housing stock as people rediscover the simplicity of city living and walkable urbanism.  As long as HUD doesnt move a section 8 family onto your block that is.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:12 | 6495522 markitect
markitect's picture

This is actualy one of the few areas of true growth; rebuilding old inner city housing stock as people rediscover the simplicity of city living and walkable urbanism.  As long as HUD doesnt move a section 8 family onto your block that is.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:39 | 6495313 Smiddywesson
Smiddywesson's picture

Lag, where $38 oil translates into just a ten cents drop in gasoline prices. 

 

The bigger the industry, the bigger the lag because there's no competition to force them to pass along those savings.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 14:01 | 6496106 azusgm
azusgm's picture

$1.95/gal for regular at the Shell station on Line Avenue in Shreveport last Saturday.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 11:46 | 6495350 JamesB
JamesB's picture

Just about every Road in my city is currently under construction.  Also a $1 Billion football stadium is under construction.  Plus, in Seattle there is a building boom in downtown towers to house and feed and provide cubicles for all of those Amazon workers.

Not a lot of wood is used to build those things.

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:20 | 6495569 MartyFlesh
MartyFlesh's picture

Why use wood when there's Pressed Paper Covered Chalkboard wrapped in Plastic?  Nothing could possibly go wrong, could it?  :) MF

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 12:31 | 6495613 Insurrexion
Insurrexion's picture

Bullshit Droogs,

We know that lumber use in construction applies mostly (if not exclusively) to single family housing.

To compare lumber prices (which are interesting) with construction spending is a weak argument.

Why?

  • Very little lumber is used in multi-family (southwest), in commercial (nationwide), and in some high end custom homes.
  • Lumber use is also divided by region. Builders use wood where wood is easy to get and inexpensive to use. Not so in the Southwest.
  • Lumber sales include exports to places like China and Japan...

 

Construction spending is a lagging indicator of what really?

  • What is really included in this construction spending number? All construction? I doubt that.
  • Who sets the values? Permits (with values) are close but not accurate in the end.
  • At best construction spending has to be broken down by city, not nationally for the number to be meaningful.
  • And fuck the AIA numbers as a leading indicator too.

 

What about commercial lease rates by city (or zip code) as a lagging indicator for commercial real estate? What about the raw land prices? Palo Alto, CA dirt ain't the same as Wichita, KS dirt, or Manhattan, NY dirt...

Who has time for this shit?

Your local reports tell us more about the real estate bubble reality than these bullshit, weak, and questionable, 19th and 20th century comparables of lumber vs. construction spending.

 

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 13:52 | 6496061 FredFlintstone
FredFlintstone's picture

form work, sheathing, temporary barriers

Tue, 09/01/2015 - 15:11 | 6496442 Kolchak
Kolchak's picture

Baltic Dry has been the only thread of truth to measure by these bizzare days.

http://www.dryships.com/pages/report.php

 

Take a look at the Panamax and Supramax ships dwindling and the today and year ago numbers, yeah we're fucking living the dream or nighmare whichever your perspective.

You can bulshit a lot of info but the BDI tells truth and materials/goods ain't fuckin movin to well folks.

 

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