You'll find the most up-to-date, comprehensive economic information affecting the housing market in charts below. Click on category in the table of contents, and you'll jump to the current data, updated in real time, plus statistics from previous months. If you want deeper analysis, each chart entry has a link to the full report chart for that entry, compiled by the group or agency that tracks the data.

BUILDER Online will add newly released statistics to these charts as the numbers are released by the tracking organizations.
Table of Contents
Building Permits Housing Starts: Regional
Building Permits: Regional Lumber Prices
Consumer Poll Median Sales Prices (New/Existing Homes)
Housing Market Index Mortgage Rates
Housing Starts New-Home Sales
 
Building Permits
20,000-Place Universe
Total
%
Change
Single-
Family
%
Change
Multi-
family
%
Change
Link to
report
June 2007
1.413
-7.04
1.019
-4.14
394
-13.79
July 2007
1.389
-1.70
1.008
-1.08
381
-3.30
August 2007
1.322
-4.82
934
-7.34
388
-1.84
September 2007
1.261
-4.61
877
-6.10
384
-1.03
October 2007
1.170
-7.22
809
-7.75
361
-6.0
November 2007(r)
1.162
-0.68
770
-4.82
392
8.59
December 2007(p)
1.068
-8.09
692
-10.13
376
-4.08
*Seasonally-adjusted figures; total single-family figures in millions; multifamily figures in thousands; percent change is month-to-month;(r)=revised,(p)=preliminary
Source:U.S. Census Bureau
Next update: On or about February 2008
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Building Permits: Regional
 
NE
%
Change
MW
%
Change
S
%
Change
W
%
Change
Link to
report
June 2007
156
6.12
228
-4.20
691
-10.38
338
-7.14
July 2007
156
0.0
220
-3.51
682
-1.30
331
-2.07
Aug. 2007
147
-5.77
201
-8.64
627
-8.07
347
4.83
Sept. 2007
141
-4.08
205
1.99
618
-1.44
297
-14.41
Oct. 2007
143
-1.42
187
-8.78
535
-13.43
305
2.69
Nov. 2007(r)
125
-12.59
188
0.54
590
10.28
259
-15.08
Dec. 2007(p)
127
1.60
168
-10.64
544
-7.78
229
-11.58
*Total permits; seasonally-adjusted figures in thousands; percent change is month-to-month;NE=Northeast, S=South, MW=Midwest, W=West;(r)=revised,(p)=preliminary
Source:U.S. Census Bureau
Next update: On or about February 2008
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Consumer Poll
Home-buying conditionsis a measure of whether consumers think it's a good time to buy a home.Consumer sentimentis derived from the answers to survey questions regarding how people view their current and future financial situations, how they feel about the current and future business conditions in the country, and their purchases of major household items.
  Home-Buying Conditions Consumer Sentiment
Jun. 2007
131
85.3
Jul. 2007
129
90.4
Aug. 2007
118
83.4
Sep. 2007
123
83.4
Oct. 2007
131
80.9
Nov. 2007
122
76.1
Dec. 2007
128
75.5
Source:University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers(subscriber site)
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Housing Market Index
NAHBcalculates the Housing Market Index based on responses from a monthly survey of builders. Home builders are asked to rate current single-family home sales, sales expectations for the next six months, and expected traffic of prospective buyers. An index reading of over 50 points indicates that builders perceive conditions to be good.
  Index reading Link to report
Jun. 2007
28
Jul. 2007
24
Aug. 2007
22
Sep. 2007
20
Oct. 2007
19
Nov. 2007
19
Dec. 2007(r)
18
Jan. 2008(p)
19
Source:NAHB;(r)=revised,(p)=preliminary Next update: February 2008
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Housing Starts
  Total
%
Change
Single-Family
%
Change
Multi-Family
%
Change
 Link to report
May 2007
1.440
-3.03
1.155
3.35
285
1.72
Jun. 2007
1.468
1.94
1.147
-0.69
321
12.63
Jul. 2007
1.371
-6.61
1.058
-7.76
313
-2.49
Aug. 2007
1.347
-1.75
974
-7.94
373
19.17
Sep. 2007
1.182
-12.25
938
-3.70
244
-34.58
Oct. 2007
1.274
7.78
879
-6.29
395
61.90
Nov. 2007(r)
1.173
-7.93
818
-6.94
355
-10.13
Dec. 2007(p)
1.006
-14.24
794
-2.93
212
-40.28
*Seasonally-adjusted figures; total single-family figures in millions; multifamily figures in thousands; percent change is month-to-month;(r)=revised,(p)=preliminary
Source:U.S. Census Bureau
Next update: On or about February 2008
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Housing Starts: Regional
 
NE
%
Change
MW
%
Change
S
%
Change
W
%
Change
Link to
report
May 2007
167
2.45
246
19.42
701
-3.44
326
-16.41
Jun. 2007
156
-6.59
232
-5.69
726
3.57
354
8.59
Jul. 2007
150
-3.85
240
3.45
647
-10.88
334
-5.65
Aug. 2007
96
-36.00
244
1.67
697
7.79
310
-7.19
Sep. 2007
141
46.88
171
-29.92
600
-13.92
270
-12.90
Oct. 2007
163
15.60
206
20.47
619
3.17
286
5.93
Nov. 2007(r)
128
-21.47
211
2.43
579
-6.46
255
10.84
Dec. 2007(p)
95
-25.78
146
-30.81
560
-3.28
205
-19.61
*Total starts; seasonally-adjusted figures in thousands; percent change is month-to-month;NE=Northeast, S=South, MW=Midwest, W=West;(r)=revised,(p)=preliminary
Source:U.S. Census Bureau
Next update: February 2008
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Lumber Prices
  Framing Lumber Composite Price* Structural Panel Composite Price**
Jan. 4, 2008
$262
$288
Jan. 11, 2008
$256
$281
Link to report:Random Lengths Lumber & Panel Market Report
*Weighted average of 15 key items
**Weighted average of 11 key items
Source:Random Lengths
Next update: February 2008
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Median Sales Prices
 
New-home sales prices
% Change
Link to report
(New homes only)
Existing-home prices
% Change
Jan. 2007
$254,400
3.96
$210,900
-4.83
Feb. 2007
$250,800
-1.42
$213,600
1.28
Mar. 2007
$262,600
4.71
$217,400
1.78
Apr. 2007
$242,500
-7.65
$219,800
1.11
May 2007
$245,000
1.03
$222,700
-1.32
Jun. 2007
$235,500
-3.88
$229,200
2.92
Jul. 2007
$246,200
4.54
$228,700
-0.29
Aug. 2007
$236,500
-3.94
$224,400
-1.88
Sep. 2007
$237,700
0.51
$210,400
-6.24
Oct. 2007(r)
$229,500
-3.45
$206,900
-1.66
Nov. 2007(p)
$239,300
4.27
$210,200
1.60
Link to moreexisting-home prices
*Prices for single-family units; not seasonally-adjusted figures; percent change is month-to-month;(r)=revised,(p)=preliminary
Sources:
New-home sales prices:U.S. Census Bureau
Existing-home prices:NAR Economic Research
Next update: February 2008
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Mortgage Rates
 
30-year
15-year
1-year ARM
Link to report
Jan. 3, 2008
6.07
5.68
5.47
Jan. 10, 2008
5.87
5.43
5.37
Jan. 17, 2008
5.69
5.21
5.26
Source:Freddie Mac
Next Update: February 2008
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New-Home Sales
 
US
% Chg.
NE
% Chg.
MW
% Chg.
S
% Chg.
W
% Chg.
Link to
report
Jan. '07
890
-12.66
62
-15.07
166
-8.29
492
-5.02
170
0.0
Feb. '07
840
-5.62
46
-25.81
127
-23.49
462
-6.10
205
20.59
Mar. '07
830
-1.19
82
78.26
126
-0.79
421
-8.87
201
-1.95
Apr. '07
907
9.28
82
0.0
121
-3.97
495
17.58
209
3.98
May '07
861
-5.07
84
2.44
141
16.53
435
-12.12
201
-3.82
Jun. '07
797
-7.43
65
-22.62
113
-19.86
442
1.61
177
-11.94
Jul. '07
796
-0.13
47
-27.00
105
-7.08
429
-2.94
215
21.47
Aug. '07
701
-11.94
59
25.53
121
15.24
366
-14.69
155
-27.91
Sep. '07
699
-0.29
62
5.09
104
-14.05
356
-2.73
177
14.19
Oct. '07(r)
711
1.72
57
-8.07
127
22.12
376
5.62
151
-14.69
Nov. '07(p)
647
-9.00
46
-19.3
92
-27.56
352
-6.38
157
3.97
*Single-family; seasonally-adjusted; in thousands; percent change is month-to-month;NE=Northeast, S=South, MW=Midwest, W=West;(r)=revised,(p)=preliminary
Source:U.S. Census Bureau
Next Update: February 2008
 
Last Updated: 1-17-2008

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*Beginning January 2006, building permit data reflect an increase in the universe of permit-issuing places from 19,000 to 20,000 places.
New monthly samples for the residential construction surveys based on the new permit universe are being introduced by the U.S. Census Bureau. These changes have no effect on the total level of housing starts and completions because the increase in the permit universe is offset by a decrease in the universe of areas where permits are not required.