Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of approximately 2.1 million units, according to estimates reported today by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Census Bureau, up 3.5 percent above the revised April rate of 2 million units and 12.5 percent above the May 2003 estimate of 1.85 million units.

Single-family authorizations in May were at a rate of 1.6 million, a 3 percent increase from the April figure of 1.5 million.

Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 390,000 in April.

Privately owned housing starts in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.97 million units. This is 0.7 percent below the revised April estimate of 1.98 million, but is 12.5 percent above the May 2003 rate of 1.75 million.

Single-family housing starts in May 2004 were at a rate of 1.64 million, up 1.4 percent from the April figure of 1.62 million.

The May estimate for units in buildings with five units or more was 272,000.

Privately owned housing completions in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.92 million, according to Census Bureau estimates. This is 1.1 percent below the revised April estimate of 1.94 million, but is 11 percent above the May 2003 rate of 1.73 million.

Single-family housing completions in May 2004 were at a rate of 1.52 million; this is 8.3 percent below the April figure of 1.7 million. The May rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 376,000.

***

What’s your opinion? Send your Letter to the Editor to newsroom@inman.com.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×