Meanwhile foreclosure starts in the first quarter decreased 27% from a year ago to the lowest quarterly level since the second quarter of 2006, the latest figures from RealtyTrac show.
The majority of building permits in the first quarter were for single family homes at 64% while 33% were for five plus multi family properties. Overall multi family building permits increased 23% from a year ago.
States with the most single family building permits in the first quarter were Texas, Florida, North Carolina, California and Georgia, all of which posted double digit percentage increases from a year ago. All these top states also posted decreasing foreclosure starts from a year ago, although Florida foreclosure starts were down just 1%.
States where both single family building permits and foreclosure starts increased from a year ago included Nevada, Washington, New Jersey, Maryland and New York.
Cities with the most single family building permits in the first quarter were Houston, Oklahoma City, Austin, El Paso and Fort Worth. Of these top five, all except for Austin posted decreasing foreclosure starts during the same time period. Austin foreclosure starts increased 19%.
Cities with the most foreclosure starts in the first quarter were Miami, Las Vegas, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, with Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando posting increases in foreclosure starts from a year ago. All five cities posted increases in single family building permits from a year ago.
Cities where both single family building permits and foreclosure starts increased at least 10% from a year ago in the first quarter included Las Vegas, Seattle, Raleigh, Reno, Nevada, and Boca Raton.
Cities where both single family building permits and foreclosure starts decreased from a year ago in the first quarter included San Antonio, Albuquerque, Fresno, Bakersfield, both in California, and Greensboro in North Carolina.
‘Nationwide and in most markets it appears builders are planning to ramp up activity that will help offset a drop in foreclosure starts, but there are some markets where a jump in both building permits and foreclosure starts in the first quarter indicate the scales will tip more heavily in favour of supply of homes for sale in the coming months in terms of both new homes and foreclosures,’ said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac.
‘On the other extreme there are some markets where both building permits and foreclosure starts are down dramatically, indicating that there will be no reprieve from the shortage of homes for sale in those markets in the near future,’ he explained.
