Monthly Archives: December 2011

November Pending Home Sales/Weekly Unemployment Claims

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: November Pending Home Sales/Weekly Unemployment Claims
KEY DATA: Pending Sales: +7.3%/Weekly Claims: 381,000 (up 15,000)
IN A NUTSHELL: “Most housing reports are looking up but prices are still in the dumps.”

WHAT IT MEANS: It is hard to get really strong growth if home construction remains weak, so any good news about that sector should be trumpeted. So here is today’s blast: Housing sales are beginning to climb. The National Association of Realtors reported that pending home sales, which are contract signings, jumped in November to the highest level since April 2010. Since that was when the government’s “first time, long time” buyers’ incentives were in place, it looks like we are now in the midst of a real, not policy-hyped recovery. Improvement was seen in all regions with the West and Northeast leading the way.
In a separate report, unemployment claims jumped last week. That was expected though the rise was somewhat more that predicted. Still, the trend is down as the four week moving average fell fairly sharply. It is now at a level that tends to signal declining unemployment rates.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Most housing data have been coming in better than expected and that is an indication that the log jam is beginning to break. The jump in pending home sales should lead to a further rise in sales over the next few months. With affordability at a record high, if we can only make it a little easier to get a mortgage we just might see the sector show some real strength. Unfortunately, the huge number of distressed houses overhanging the market will continue to put downward pressure on prices and limit the uptick in home construction. Still, this report adds to the belief that the weakest link in the economy, housing, is starting to come out of it.

Next week is a big one as we get the December jobs report on Friday. While the rise in the claims number is a warning that the labor market is still not strong, there are real hopes the payroll numbers will be quite solid. The bigger question is the unemployment rate, which gapped down in November. A modest rise, which is expected, would be a positive sign that conditions are firming and that seems to be the message coming from the claims numbers. So we are ending the year on an up note and I want to wish everyone a

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

November New Home Sales

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: November New Home Sales
KEY DATA: Sales: 315,000 (up 1.6%); Nov ’10-Nov ‘11: +9.8%

IN A NUTSHELL: “The choices may be limited but the sale of new homes is moving up anyway.”

WHAT IT MEANS: After falling apart in the summer of our discontented Congress, new home sales have been on a steady upward climb. The November pace was just about at its highest level this year. The October number was revised upward and if that happens with November, we could see the rate break that high. Still, the level is ridiculously low and is about one-quarter the pace hit at the peak of the boom. The current sales pace needs to more than double before we can say that demand is decent. With so many distressed homes on the market, developers are “building down”, constructing smaller homes so the price continues to fall. At the same time, though, the supply is being kept under control. Indeed, the number of homes for sale hit the lowest level in the forty nine year history of the data.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: The recovery in the housing market is under way but it is also glacial. There is not much hope for the new construction segment of the market as long as the overhang of distressed homes remains so high. Still, up is better than down and the remaining builders are probably seeing better sales, at least compared to last year. In any event, it’s time to do some food shopping for the weekend so let me say to all:
Happy Holidays
Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

November Existing Home Sales

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: November Existing Home Sales
KEY DATA: Sales: +4.0%; Year-over-Year: 12.2%; Prices (Nov ’10-Nov ‘11): -3.5%;

IN A NUTSHELL: “It turns out the housing collapse was greater than thought but at least the process of digging out from the deep hole is beginning.”

WHAT IT MEANS: The housing market is healing, albeit slowly. Starts are improving and now we see that existing home sales are on the rise. Demand rose solidly in November led by a jump in single-family activity. Condo purchases were flat. The gains were across the nation though there was nearly a double-digit rise in the Northeast. So far in 2011, total sales are running almost two percent above the 2010 level. The increases were pretty evenly distributed between the single-family and condo markets. That said, the level of demand is unbelievably low. The National Association of Realtors revised the data for the period 2007 through 2010 and reduced total sales by over 14% or by about three million fewer sales. In other words, the meteor that cratered the housing market was a lot larger than initially estimated. And you thought the dinosaurs had problems. The reduction is in synch with the larger decline in GDP during the recession that was reported by the Bureau of Economic Affairs. As for prices, they are continuing to slide and for the first eleven months of the year, the median price has dropped nearly 5%, again with condos down a little more than single-family units.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: While some may concentrate on the huge downward revision to sales, the real story is the current trend in housing demand and that seems to be up a little. When you look at growth, it is the change in activity not the level of activity. Sales bottomed in July and have been moving up fairly steadily since. Unfortunately, the large number of distressed homes being purchased is reducing not only sales but supply as well. People with well-maintained homes know they cannot get their desired price, even if buyers are willing to pay it, as long as distressed homes are used as comps. It looks like these “normal” homeowners are simply keeping their houses off the market and that is reducing the number of homes for sale. That makes the supply of homes number somewhat useless as it implies that once conditions turn around, the ‘for sale’ signs will pop up like crazy. The latent supply is there, the actual supply is not. Regardless, this is another positive report that should make it clear that the economy is heading into 2012 with growing momentum. Unless Europe crashes and burns, and never underestimate the ability of politicians in any part of the world to do the wrong thing, growth in the U.S. next year could be decent. That is my forecast and I am sticking to it, at least for now.
Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

November Housing Starts and Permits

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: November Housing Starts and Permits
KEY DATA: Starts: +9.3%; 1-Family: +2.3%; Multi-Family: +25.3; Permits: +5.7%; 1-Family: +1.6%; Multi-Family: +13.9%

IN A NUTSHELL: “The slow process of getting back to normal seems to be underway as home construction is picking up some steam.”

WHAT IT MEANS: A major constraint to better economic strength has been the weak housing market. With so many distress homes on the market it is difficult for builders to compete. That reality still exists and is likely to continue that way for quite some time which means the pathway from disaster to health will be slow. But finally, it appears that the process of healing is underway. Housing starts jumped in November led by a huge increase in multi-family activity. With so many people out of the market and mortgages hard to get, a growing number of households are looking to rent so this segment of the market should remain strong. But there is also a steady upward trend in single-family construction as well. Looking across the nation, there was a huge increase in the Northeast that looks to be a bit overestimated. That could mean some reduction in December. Starts in the West were robust as well, they were up moderately in the South but down sharply in the Midwest. Looking outward, permit requests continue to rise and that means better construction in the months ahead. Builders are not requesting permits unless they intend to use them and the number of units authorized but not started keeps going down. We have begun to see that as the number of units under construction has increased.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: This was a surprisingly strong report continuing the trend of better than expected numbers. Home construction needs to improve if job growth is to pick up and that seems to be the case. While it may take two more years to return to decent levels of construction, the improvement over the next few years will add moderately to growth. But more importantly, it is estimated that an additional 100,000 starts will add roughly 250,000 new jobs and we are likely to see that increase in 2012. That bodes well for employment growth. Since these tend to be well paid positions, income growth should be bolstered as well. Thus, investors should take heart that if Europe doesn’t melt down and Congress figures out how to extend the payroll tax, the economy can continue to gain momentum. Indeed, if Europe was not such an unknown, the markets would be looking toward next year with some optimism instead the uncertainty now being felt.

Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

November Employment Situation

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: November Employment Situation
KEY DATA: Payrolls: 120,000; Private Sector: 140,000; Unemployment Rate: 8.6% (down 0.4 percentage point)

IN A NUTSHELL: “It was nice to see the unemployment rate come down but if we are to see it continue to fall, firms will have to hire a lot more people than they did in November.”

WHAT IT MEANS: The November employment report was another of those good news/bad news releases. On the positive side, the unemployment rate fell sharply to its lowest level since March 2009. That was the teeth of the recession and the rate was racing upwards. Unfortunately, some of the decline came from a large drop in the labor force and that is not a sign of growing confidence that jobs are available. That said, the labor force numbers are fairly volatile so I will withhold judgment. Regardless, this large a decline in the unemployment rate is usually not sustainable unless job gains are being added robustly and that just is not the case. Hiring remains less than hoped for and as usual it was restrained by continued cut backs in the public sector. The construction sector is still shrinking though there have been other indications that activity has improved. Weakness in nondurable goods manufacturing almost completely offset increases in durable goods hiring. We did see the retail, finance, insurance, temporary help, education, health care and restaurant sectors add workers. So far this year, the private sector has added about 1.7 million new positions while the public sector has cut about 260,000 jobs. Earnings were down a touch and that does not bode well for income growth.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Private sector additions to payrolls were better than initial expectations but not nearly enough to keep the unemployment rate from continuously declining. Indeed, I would not be surprised if the rate ticks up next month. But I don’t want to be the Grinch that stole the employment report as there is little doubt that the sharp drop in the unemployment rate will be the biggest news in the media. That should lead to some firming in confidence. Also, the solid Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales numbers, combined with improving vehicle sales point to consumers slowly opening their wallets. That is the signal businesses need to start ramping up hiring. Actually, that could be happening already and the data are simply not keeping up. Both the August and September job gain numbers were revised upward by about 100,000 from the original estimates. Over the past three months, the private sector has added an average of about 160,000 workers and that is likely to be revised upward as well. While that pace is not great, it is much better than is commonly perceived. It is also in hailing distance of the rate needed to keep the unemployment rate coming down fairly consistently. But we are not there yet and it will require continued consumer spending and clearing the European financial and coming economic disaster hurdle before that does occur. All said, this is a good report that holds out hope for better things to come but not so great that anyone should think the labor market is healthy and all is well with the world.

Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com