This report is available on wellsfargo.com/economics and on Bloomberg WFRE.
February 10, 2014
Economics Group
Diminished Expectations for Housing in 2014 Surprisingly weak new home sales figures for December and downward revisions to the prior two months have lowered expectations for housing in 2014. Despite diminished expectations, we do not believe the underlying fundamentals of the housing recovery have suddenly taken a turn for the worse. We have long held that the housing recovery would be a long, difficult slog and now that investors appear to be backing away from the market, it has become abundantly clear how modestly the underlying fundamentals have actually improved. Sluggish job and income growth have weighed on household formation and encouraged a larger proportion of households to rent rather than buy a home. We see this trend gradually shifting as the economy moves to firmer ground, but the shift will be gradual and doubts will periodically resurface when bad weather or unsettling political events send chills throughout the economy. Decembers disappointing new homes sales figures and the continuing slide in pending home sales is all the more disappointing because there has been so much positive anecdotal evidence that home sales and new home construction were set to improve. Home builder confidence has been gradually improving. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Home Builders Index fell 1 point to 56 in January, as both the present and future sales indices fell slightly. The overall index, however, remains above its October and November level and improved over the course of the year. Many builders also reported rising order backlogs at the end of 2013 and are planning to increase land development in 2014. Confidence also seems to be gradually returning to the existing home market, despite the recent slide in pending home sales. With home prices rising nearly 12 percent over the past year, more homeowners now feel comfortable putting their homes on the market. Existing home inventories have risen from their historic lows, and homes are selling relatively quickly across much of the county. Figure 1
Figure 2
Source: NAR, CoreLogic, NAHB, U.S. Dept. of Commerce and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Oct-08 Jul-09 Apr-10 Jan-11 Oct-11 Jul-12 Apr-13 Jan-14 Total Distressed: Dec @ 14.0% NAHB Housing Market Index: Jan @ 56.0 NAHB Housing Market Index & Distressed Sales 62% 64% 66% 68% 70% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 CoreLogic National Home Price Index vs. Homeownership Rate Year-over-Year Percent Change, Rate CoreLogic HPI: Q4 @ 2.7% (Left Axis) Homeownership Rate: Q4 @ 65.2% (Right Axis) Special Commentary
Mark Vitner, Senior Economist mark.vitner@wellsfargo.com (704) 410-3277 Anika R. Khan, Senior Economist anika.khan@wellsfargo.com (704) 410-3271
Housing Chartbook: February 2014 Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
2 Sluggish Household Formations Continue to Weigh on Housing Demand The most recent data on residential vacancies and homeownership are reflective of the diminished expectations for housing in 2014. The total number occupied housing units increased by an incredibly modest 265,000 in 2013. Once again, all of the growth occurred in rental households, which grew by 315,000. The number of owner occupied homes fell by just under 50,000 during the year. The sluggish pace of household formations is likely due to the shaky recovery in employment and income. Nonfarm payrolls grew by an average of 182,000 jobs a month in 2013 and many of those jobs were in relatively low-paying industries, which weighed on wage and salary growth. We expect hiring to improve in 2014 and are currently looking for job gains to average around 195,000 per month this year. We also expect the quality of jobs to improve, with a larger proportion of new jobs created in higher paying industries. The rental vacancy rate fell 0.5 percentage points over the past year and ended 2013 at 8.2 percent. The homeowner vacancy rate rose 0.2 percentage points over the past year to 2.1 percent, however, with the number of vacant homes for sale rising by 92,000 units. The drop in the rental vacancy rate reflects tightening rental markets across much of the country, with the biggest declines coming in the Northeast and Midwest. The West remains the tightest market, however, with a rental vacancy rate at just 6.3 percent. The drop in residential vacancy rates has lifted rents across the country and made homeownership relatively more attractive. There is mounting evidence that the nine-year slide in the homeownership rate is nearing an end. The homeownership rate was unchanged in the fourth quarter at 65.1 percent on a seasonally- adjusted basis, which is where it has been for the past three quarters. The rate had peaked at 69.0 percent back in the fourth quarter of 2004. We have slightly lowered our forecast for 2014 and 2015 to reflect the lower yearend home sales and new home construction figures. Sales of new homes are expected to rise 19.4 percent to 510,000 units in 2014, while sales of existing home rise 4.5 percent to 5.3 million units. With sales improving, new single-family starts should rise 19 percent in 2014 and by nearly 25 percent the following year. Overall housing starts are expected to rise nearly 16 percent to 1.07 million units in 2014 and another 14 percent to 1.22 million units the following year. The gradual ramp up in new home construction will keep new home inventories relatively lean, which means new home prices will likely once again post gains well above their historic norm. We look for the median price of a new home to rise 4.6 percent in 2014 and look for median price of existing homes to rise 4.0 percent. In addition to tight inventories, new home prices are also being bolstered by rising construction costs and higher lot prices. Home price measures from Case-Shiller and CoreLogic will likely post somewhat larger gains but the pace of home price appreciation is expected to moderate in all measures, as more new and existing homes come on the market. Figure 3
Figure 4
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC -1,500 -1,000 -500 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 -1,500 -1,000 -500 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 66 70 74 78 82 86 90 94 98 02 06 10 U.S. Homeowners vs. Renters Annual Change in Occupied Units, In Thousands Renters: 2013 @ 525.5 Thousand Homeowners: 2013 @ -76.5 Thousand Series Break 1981 0.0 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.8 2.1 2.4 0.0 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.8 2.1 2.4 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 T h o u s a n d s Housing Starts Millions of Units Multifamily Starts Multifamily Forecast Single-family Starts Single-family Forecast Forecast There is mounting evidence that the 9 year slide in the homeownership rate is nearing an end. Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
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O u t l o o k F o r e c a s t Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
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Mortgages
Following a spike in mortgage rates, applications for mortgages to purchase a home fell 18.5 percent from their summer peak before rebounding over the past few weeks. The recent improvement provides a hint that the recent soft housing data may be due to unseasonably cold weather. The gain in purchase applications foreshadows a modest rebound in home sales. Rising mortgage rates over the balance of this year should not significantly impede affordability but will shift the mix of home sales toward smaller and less expensive homes. Refinance applications have also been weak in recent months and are down more than 70 percent from their mid-2012 peak.
Source: Mortgage Bankers Association, FHLMC, U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Reserve and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% 6.0% 7.0% 8.0% 9.0% 10.0% 11.0% 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 New Home Sales vs. 30-Year Mortgage Rate Thousands; SAARFHLMC Conventional Fixed Rate Mortgage New Home Sales: Dec @ 414,000 (Left Axis) 30-Year Fixed Mortg. Rate: Feb @ 4.2% (Inverted Right Axis) 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Conventional Mortgage to 10-Year Treasury Spread Basis Points Mortgage Spread: Feb @ 159 bps 0 100 200 300 400 500 0 100 200 300 400 500 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Mortgage Applications for Purchase Seasonally Adjusted Index, 1990=100 Weekly Figure: Jan-31 @ 180.5 Down From 187.6 on Jan-24 8-Week Average Down 9.1% From Same Period Last Year Mort. Appl.: 8-Week Average: Jan 31 @ 179.1 -80% -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% -80% -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Apr 07 Apr 08 Apr 09 Apr 10 Apr 11 Apr 12 Apr 13 Residential Loan Standards and Demand Prime Mortgages, Net Percent of Banks Reporting Change Tightening Standards: Q4 @ -8.7% Reporting Stronger Demand: Q4 @ -7.2% 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Mortgage Applications for Refinancing 4-Week Moving Average, Seasonally Adjusted Weekly Figure: Jan-31 @ 1,693 Up from 1,645 on Jan-24 4-Week Average: Jan-31 @ 1,558 4-Week Average Down 63.3% from Same Period Last Year Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
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Single-Family Construction
Following two straight monthly gains, single- family starts dropped 7 percent in December. Although swings in the monthly data are expected during the seasonally slow winter months, non-seasonally adjusted figures plummeted more than 17 percent in December. We suspect the dip in starts is weather-related, which suggests construction activity may remain soft through January and February. The more forward-looking single-family permits data have also been disappointing. Single-family permits were down 4.8 percent in December and have risen just 4.5 percent over last year.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Association of Realtors, NAHB and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Existing & New Single-Family Home Sales In Millions, Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate New Home Sales: Dec @ 414 Thousand (Left Axis) Existing Home Sales: Dec @ 4.3 Million (Right Axis) 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 T h o u s a n d s Single-Family Housing Starts SAAR, In Millions, 3-Month Moving Average Single-family Housing Starts: Dec @ 661K 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 T h o u s a n d s Single-Family Building Permits SAAR, In Millions, 3-Month Moving Average Single-family Building Permits: Dec @ 624K 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 Expected Single-Family Home Sales Percent, NAHB Housing Market Index In the Next 6 Months: Jan @ 60.0% 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 Single-Family Housing Completions Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate, In Millions Single-family Housing Completions: Dec @ 550K Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
6
Multifamily Construction
Despite summer slowdown, multifamily starts are running nearly 25 percent ahead of last years pace, reaching the highest level in seven years in 2013. Multifamily construction accounts for a third of total housing starts and is expected to continue to grow this year, albeit at a more modest pace. Multifamily starts are expected to rise only modestly in coming years as the supply of newly completed units begins to run ahead of demand and sluggish income gains limit rent growth. Even with the dynamics shifting, the apartment market appears set for several years of gains.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, REIS Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Multifamily Housing Starts SAAR, In Thousands, 3-Month Moving Average Multifamily Housing Starts: Dec @ 340K 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Multifamily Building Permits SAAR, In Thousands, 3-Month Moving Average Multifamily Building Permits: Dec @ 390K -80% -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% -80% -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Private Multifamily Construction Spending Percent 3-Month Annual Rate: Dec @ 23.3% Year-over-Year Percent Change: Dec @ 27.3% -75 -50 -25 0 25 50 75 100 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Apartment Supply & Demand Percent, Thousands of Units Apartment Net Completions: Q4 @ 41,651 Units (Right Axis) Apartment Net Absorption: Q4 @ 50,627 Units (Right Axis) Apartment Vacancy Rate: Q4 @ 4.1% (Left Axis) -1.6% -1.2% -0.8% -0.4% 0.0% 0.4% 0.8% 1.2% 1.6% -1.6% -1.2% -0.8% -0.4% 0.0% 0.4% 0.8% 1.2% 1.6% 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Apartment Effective Rent Growth Quarter-over-Quarter Percent Change Apartment Effective Rent Growth: Q4 @ 0.8% Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
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Buying Conditions
With the Fed winding down its unprecedented asset purchase program, many are concerned that rising long-term rates could derail the housing recovery. With the summer spike in mortgage rates and rise in home prices, housing affordability has edged lower over the past year. First-time home buyers, which now account for an exceptionally small portion of sales, are particularly sensitive to rising mortgage rates. Tight lending conditions and investors paying all-cash for properties have played the largest role in keeping first-time home buyers on the sidelines. According to the latest Senior Loan Officer Survey, few banks reported any change in lending standards or demand.
Source: CoreLogic, S&P, Federal Reserve, NAR, U.S. Dept. of Labor, U.S. Dept. of Commerce and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Housing Affordability, NAR-Home Sales Base = 100 Housing Affordability Index: Nov @ 170.3 6-Month Moving Average: Nov @ 164.9 50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 U.S. Real Home Prices Index, Jan. 2000=100, Not Seasonally Adjusted U.S. Real Home Prices: Nov @ 118.2 Trough Trend * CoreLogic HPI Deflated with CPI Less Shelter -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Apr 07 Apr 08 Apr 09 Apr 10 Apr 11 Apr 12 Apr 13 Apr 14 Net Percent of Banks Tightening Standards Nontraditional Mortgages Nontraditional Mortgages: Q1 @ 8.6% 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index P/E Ratio January 1987=100 S&P Case-Shiller P/E Ratio: Nov @ 1.28 S&P Case-Shiller C-10 Home Price Index Divided by CPI Owners' Equivalent Rent -3% -2% -1% 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% -3% -2% -1% 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 85 88 91 94 97 00 03 06 09 12 Occupied Housing Units Year-over-Year Percent Change Owner Occupied: Q3 @ -0.2% Renter Occupied: Q3 @ 1.4% Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
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New Home Sales
Reflecting unseasonably cold weather, new- home sales dropped more than expected in December to a 414,000-unit pace and sales for the previous three months were revised lower. The weaker new home sales data are at odds with improving builder sentiment. Although inventories remain exceptionally tight, they are 15 percent higher than one year ago. Completions may have been slowed by unseasonably wet weather. Units not started and under construction have seen a meaningful increase over the past year. Sales of new homes below $150,000 rose in December, but activity in this segment has been a weak spot during the past year.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Association of Realtors and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 Inventory of New Homes for Sale New Homes for Sale at End of Month, In Thousands New Homes for Sale: Dec @ 171,000 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Months' Supply of New Homes Seasonally Adjusted Months' Supply: Dec @ 5.0 100 300 500 700 900 1,100 1,300 1,500 100 300 500 700 900 1,100 1,300 1,500 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 New Home Sales Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate, In Thousands New Home Sales: Dec @ 414,000 3-Month Moving Average: Dec @ 440,667 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 New Home Sales New Homes Sold During Month, 2002=100 South: Dec @ 62.7 Midwest: Dec @ 33.5 West: Dec @ 43.2 Northeast: Dec @ 43.3 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 Median New & Existing Home Sale Prices In Thousands, Single-Family Median New Sales Price: Dec @ $270,200 Median Existing Sales Price: Dec @ $197,900 Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
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Existing Home Sales
Existing home sales rebounded in December to a 4.87 million-unit pace. Over the last year, all- cash transactions have played a large role in overall sales activity. Although this activity has helped fuel the housing recovery by clearing up foreclosures and short sales, the spike in prices for lower priced homes has pushed many potential first-time home buyers to the sidelines. Investor purchases have shown signs of pulling back more recently, however. Listed inventories fell to 1.86 million units, but we are in the seasonally slow period of the year. We will get a better idea of the pace of activity this spring, when the bulk of for-sale inventory tends to come on the market.
Source: National Association of Realtors, U.S. Department of Commerce, CoreLogic and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 Existing Home Resales Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate - In Millions Existing Home Sales: Dec @ 4.87 Million 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Existing Single-Family Home Resales Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate - In Millions Existing Home Sales: Dec @ 4.3 Million 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 Existing Single-Family Home Supply In Months, Seasonally Adjusted Home Supply: Dec @ 4.6 6-Month Moving Average: Dec @ 4.9 -15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% -15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% $0-100K $100-250K$250-500K$500-750K $750-1M $1M+ Percent Change in Existing-Home Sales Year-over-Year Percent Change, By Price Range 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 Single-Family Home Inventory Millions of Units New Homes: Dec @ 0.17M Existing Homes: Dec @ 1.64M Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
10
Home Prices
Home price appreciation has begun to moderate due to stronger year-over-year comparison as well as some softening in investor demand. An influx of investors concentrated in the parts of the housing market where prices overshot the most, further exaggerated the turnaround in prices and give the impression that the housing recovery is stronger than it actually is. The underlying fundamentals, such as job growth, income growth and household formations, have improved much more modestly. With investors pulling back and monetary policy set to become progressively less supportive of housing, we expect price appreciation to decelerate to the mid- to low-single digit range.
Source: CoreLogic, NAR, S&P, FHFA, U.S. Department of Commerce and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC -6.0% -5.0% -4.0% -3.0% -2.0% -1.0% 0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% -12.5% -10.0% -7.5% -5.0% -2.5% 0.0% 2.5% 5.0% 7.5% 10.0% 12.5% 15.0% 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 FHFA Purchase-Only Index, NSA Bars = Q/Q % Change Line = Yr/Yr % Change Purchase-Only Index: Q3 @ 2.1% (Right Axis) Purchase-Only Index: Q3 @ 8.5% (Left Axis) -8% -6% -4% -2% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% -24% -18% -12% -6% 0% 6% 12% 18% 24% 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 S&P Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, NSA Bars = Q/Q % Change Line = Yr/Yr % Change National Home Price Index: Q3 @ 3.2% (Right Axis) National Home Price Index: Q3 @ 11.2% (Left Axis) -32% -24% -16% -8% 0% 8% 16% 24% -32% -24% -16% -8% 0% 8% 16% 24% 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 Home Prices Year-over-Year Percentage Change Median Sale Price: Dec @ $197,900 Median Sales Price 3-M Mov. Avg.: Dec @ 10.1% FHFA (OFHEO) Purchase Only Index: Nov @ 7.6% S&P Case-Shiller Composite 10: Nov @ 13.8% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 Median Single-Family Existing Home Price Year-over-Year Percentage Change Median Price Change: Dec @ 9.8% 6-Month Moving Average: Dec @ 11.2% Median Sale Price: Dec @ $197,900 26% 28% 30% 32% 34% 36% 26% 28% 30% 32% 34% 36% Jan-12 May-12 Sep-12 Jan-13 May-13 Sep-13 First-Time Home Buyers Share of Existing-Home Sales Share of Total Existing-Home Sales: Dec @ 27% Housing Chartbook: February 2014 WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC February 10, 2014 ECONOMICS GROUP
11
Renovation and Remodeling
The share of owner-occupied homes built more than four decades ago now represent more than 40 percent of total housing stock. Older housing units could bode well for remodeling activity and new construction in the years ahead. Spending on residential improvements accounted for nearly 40 percent of total residential outlays in 2012. Part of the increase reflects investors upgrading formerly distressed properties. Rising home prices has also helped fuel spending on improvements, as homeowners benefitted from rising home equity. The NAHB Remodeling Market Index recently hit its highest level since early 2004.
Diane Schumaker-Krieg Global Head of Research, Economics & Strategy (704) 410-1801 (212) 214-5070 diane.schumaker@wellsfargo.com John E. Silvia, Ph.D. Chief Economist (704) 410-3275 john.silvia@wellsfargo.com Mark Vitner Senior Economist (704) 410-3277 mark.vitner@wellsfargo.com Jay H. Bryson, Ph.D. Global Economist (704) 410-3274 jay.bryson@wellsfargo.com Sam Bullard Senior Economist (704) 410-3280 sam.bullard@wellsfargo.com Nick Bennenbroek Currency Strategist (212) 214-5636 nicholas.bennenbroek@wellsfargo.com Eugenio J. Alemn, Ph.D. Senior Economist (704) 410-3273 eugenio.j.aleman@wellsfargo.com Anika R. Khan Senior Economist (704) 410-3271 anika.khan@wellsfargo.com Azhar Iqbal Econometrician (704) 410-3270 azhar.iqbal@wellsfargo.com Tim Quinlan Economist (704) 410-3283 tim.quinlan@wellsfargo.com Eric Viloria, CFA Currency Strategist (212) 214-5637 eric.viloria@wellsfargo.com Michael A. Brown Economist (704) 410-3278 michael.a.brown@wellsfargo.com Sarah Watt House Economist (704) 410-3282 sarah.house@wellsfargo.com Michael T. Wolf Economist (704) 410-3286 michael.t.wolf@wellsfargo.com Zachary Griffiths Economic Analyst (704) 410-3284 zachary.griffiths@wellsfargo.com Mackenzie Miller Economic Analyst (704) 410-3358 mackenzie.miller@wellsfargo.com Blaire Zachary Economic Analyst (704) 410-3359 blaire.a.zachary@wellsfargo.com Peg Gavin Executive Assistant (704) 410-3279 peg.gavin@wellsfargo.com Cyndi Burris Senior Admin. Assistant (704) 410-3272 cyndi.burris@wellsfargo.com
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