Last month's record-breaking surge in housing starts has rapidly reversed and fell 9.8% MoM - the biggest drop since April 2013. Despite a plethora of revisions, single unit housing starts tumbled to 610k - the lowest since July. However, permits were dismal (which is what we should be caring about if we are looking ahead at how the 'recovery' will play out). Building Permits dropped 3% MoM, far more than expected, missing by the largest gap since June. This was the 3rd biggest monthly drop in total starts since Lehman. However, year-over-year, the data is abysmal - Starts rose at the slowest pace since Aug 2011, and Permits at the slowest pace since April 2011.
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Permits missed notably...
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With Total Housing Starts dropping by 108K, or the 3rd most since Lehman.
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Non-Seasonally adjusted Starts tumbled notably more than in previous years...
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And single-family starts - with the benefit of a health seasonal adjustment - are back near pre-Lehman levels... but worryingly... NSA single family of 42.4K is the lowest since January's 39.4K
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Finally, permits Seasonally adjusted vs Non-seasonally adjusted:
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