Saturday, December 18, 2010

Climbing Mortgage Rates not Offset by Falling Home Prices + Mortgage rates rise for fifth straight week + 30-year mortgage jumps to 7-month high

[mEDITate-OR:
not have that sinking feeling...
eligibility, costs of loan, price paid...
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Mortgage rates for Dec. 15, 2010
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alt text
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30-year fixed mortgage rates chart
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Climbing Mortgage Rates not Offset by Falling Home Prices
=======

All of the Piigs are equal, but some are more equal than others. = Ireland, Iceland and Greece Outperform Germany? Really?

[mEDITate-OR:
think that we are still in a sand "state"...
no puns intended.
----------
These charts show that the three basket-case countries of Europe - Greece, Ireland and Iceland - substantially outperform Germany during the boom years, which is to be expected (blue bars). For example, Greece had productivity growth averaging 2.4% per year from 1997 to 2007, compared to only 1% per year for Germany.
What is more surprising is that Greece, Ireland and Iceland continue to outperform Germany, even when we factor in the five years of the bust, including forecasts through 2012 (the red bar). For example, average real GDP growth in Iceland is projected to be 2.7% annually over the 1997-2012 time period, almost double the 1.4% growth rate of Germany.
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Dec 18 07:44 PM
while your charts are very interesting, first, please, notice that we could create the same picture for the Sand State RE loans during the dead zone.

That was then, this is now.

What we need YOU to do for U.S. is look at those same countries for the three years AFTER your charts ending. Not what was forecast to, but what DID happen. Now, what do we - you and U.S. - see?

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Dec 18 07:38 PM
Said you: "bank capital (or lack therein) as [Ireland's] current impediment to growth?" & "If bankers don't lend, what do they do?"

Said we: Well, first, what the Irish banks did was allow, as in trick?, the Govt to "guarantee" that they would suffer NO losses on bad RE loans they made using borrowed EURO bank's money. Then, they allowed, as in tricked?, the German, French & UK Govts to guarantee the German, French & UK banks NEW loans to the Irish Govt to cover the guarantees to the the Irish banks to cover the loans from the German, French & UK banks. You Do follow that, do you not.

So, like W before them, the EURO Govts "nationalized" the RE debts of THEIR own bank's loans in Ireland.

Everybody says that Ireland LOST on that deal. Oh, really?

If the Irish people default on their home loans, the Irish Govt has to pay them off. If, however, the Irish Govt defaults on their new Euro bank loans, the EURO Govts will have to pay off the EURO banks.

My question: Who, if anyone, understood THAT shell game?

So, to answer your question, the EURO banksters are taking their chips back off the Irish roulette wheel of fortune, and cashing them in - to be Franc with you! And, no, they will not loan it back out again.
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=========
Ireland, Iceland and Greece Outperform Germany? Really?
http://seekingalpha.com/article/242455-ireland-iceland-and-greece-outperform-germany-really?source=email_the_macro_view
==========

Friday, December 17, 2010

State Personal Income: Third Quarter 2010

[mEDITate-OR:
not notice that the sand states have..., in addition to:
the most foreclosures, underwater RE mortgages, unemployment...
the lowest personal income growth.

What ELSE can go wrong, they might ask.
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Map of US
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State Personal Income: Third Quarter 2010
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/sqpi_newsrelease.htm
=========

Consumer + Import and export + Producer = prices in November 2010

[mEDITate-OR:
not see that
"It's the price of oil, stupid!"

While the cost of used vehicles exceeds both new and everything else...
tis the cost of energy that is causing most if not all of the inflationary pressure on U.S.

In all  three measured sectors - consumer, imports and produced goods
what is costing U.S. more is
3     food
2     medical care
and
1st   energy
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Percent change for 12 months ended November 2010, Consumer Price Index for All Urban consumers, not seasonally adjusted
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1-month percent change in Import Price Indexes, November 2009–November 2010
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Over-the-month percent change in the Producer Price Index for Finished Goods, November 2010, seasonally adjusted
=============
BLS = TED: The Editor's Desk
http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/
============

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Foreclosuregate Drives 21% Plummet in November Foreclosure Activity

[mEDITate-OR:
----------
Daniel, very nice charts.
While you are correct about the drop off and that they will go back up again, shortly; what you may not have seen is the bump up just before the robo-crisis. What they did do was expedite as many as they could prior to being held accountable for buying forged, fraudulent docs.

What you, and they, are NOT showing U.S. are the size of the shadow REO inventory - all of those that have been foreclosed and/or repossessed, that have not been listed for sale, even yet. And, while those numbers will be very interesting, what you also do not show U.S. is the number of post-foreclosure RE sales currently being sold VS the non-foreclosure sales. THAT will tell U.S. whether they are still selling "bad titles" to U.S.; and whether or not WE are still buying them.

Even if they did not complete one (1) more foreclosure over the next 12 months, they would still have more REOs to sell U.S. than we are currently buying from them. So, unless you can show U.S. that their sales of REOs and/or the prices they received have gone down, "They" have not, in fact, lost a penny, yet.
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chart_reo.top.gif
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foreclosure bars 2010-11.png
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=========
Foreclosuregate Drives 21% Plummet in November Foreclosure Activity
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/12/foreclosuregate-drives-21-plummet-in-november-foreclosure-activity/68134/
========

Tax deal: A weak stimulus + Working poor take home less under tax deal + 51 million will take home less

[mEDITate-OR:
not see the true cost(s)...
and what the benefits ARE
vs
what they c/w/should have been.
Even IF we give the most rosy view of the so-called "compromise" as CNN does, it is still not a very good deal. IF, however, we use the least rosy view, this is a very, VERY BAD deal, for U.S.
And, in the 2nd chart we see how puny the tax on the very rich was. "Much adieu about nothing", much.
However, when we look at the last chart, we see what works best.
Then compare what we DID, vs what we c/w/should have done.
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chart_tax_vs_social.top.jpg
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comp0.gif
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shorttermstim.png
========
Forgetting about Demand, Once Again
http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/2010/12/forgetting_abou.html
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Shades of Grey
http://nutwoodjunction.blogspot.com/2010/12/shades-of-grey.html
=========

Phoenix homes more affordable than in 2000 = Foreclosure Trends + Google Trends & demand for “Arizona homes”

[mEDITate-OR:
miss John Wake's very informative web site and charts.
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In these three charts, we see that foreclosures did appear to have peaked & started to drop, and then started back up. However, this chart does not show U.S. the "Robosigning" effect, so the next quarter should show a decline, and the quarter after that a sharp increase. Long term numbers are simply unknowable.
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The 3rd chart is unique to John, and shows a steady decline in Google home searches, from the peak in 05 to the collapse beginning in 06. Note that Phoenix, like the other sand states began to collapse long before the rest of U.S.
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The 2nd chart from FMae shows U.S. the before N after.
Note: that while the sand states of Cal, Nev, Fla & AZ clearly show that things are almost back to pre-WBush levels, WAnOR do not.
NOTE: that WA & OR were very late getting to the party, and currently are dropping faster than the sand states. Meaning that they are NOT back to normal - yet.
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Arizona Real Estate Notebook
“Wake Up and Call John!”
- John Wake, Associate Broker, HomeSmart Real Estate
http://www.arizonarealestatenotebook.com/
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Maricopa County Foreclosure Trends
http://www.arizonarealestatenotebook.com/2010/12/09/maricopa-county-foreclosure-trends/
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Google Trends & demand for “Arizona homes”
http://www.arizonarealestatenotebook.com/2010/12/15/google-trends-demand-for-arizona-homes/
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Phoenix homes more affordable than in 2000
http://www.arizonarealestatenotebook.com/2010/12/16/phoenix-homes-more-affordable-than-in-2000/
=========

Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims decline 3.000 to 420,000

[mEDITate-OR:
think that we are making really great progress...
when we are not.

Mark Perry shows U.S. our Christmas present.
His 1st chart has a minor little statistical problem, however.
Note that HIS charts starts at 400,000 new claims.
Note that Jim&CR shows U.S. that THAT number is where we appear to be stuck.

What Mark did NOT tell U.S. was that new claims MUST drop below 325,000 new claims BEFORE we will even begin to bring back to work the real unemployed - and that will take U.S. almost five (5) years to do it.
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Weekly Unemployment Claims
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chart of the day, weeks unemployed, dec 2010
==========
Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims decline to 420,000
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2010/12/weekly-initial-unemployment-claims_16.html
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Initial unemployment claims drop 3,000 from last week
A new jobless claims report 3,000 fewer initial claims than last week, but an increase in continued unemployment claims
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Paper-Economy/2010/1216/Initial-unemployment-claims-drop-3-000-from-last-week
===========

Housing Starts Up, Permits Down

[mEDITate-OR:
miss out on the very good analysis from Zacks in the 1st article
which uses the great charts from Jim@CR.
The article is a "highly recommended read".
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First, note that in the 1st CR chart single homes ARE separated from multi-units.
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If one looks at only single-family houses, the improvement was somewhat better, rising to 465,000 from 435,000 in October (revised down slightly from 436,000), an increase of 6.9%. The volatile multi-family (condo and co-op) sector plunged 18.2% to an annual rate of just 72,000 (although October was revised much higher to 88,000 from 74,000 units).
----------
Multi-units are VERY volatile, so we need a moving average for them.
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CR's 2nd chart is unique - showing U.S. "empty" homes.
What CR cannot show U.S. is:
a)   How many homes are still occupied, but the resident is NOT paying their mortgage.
b)   How many "foreclosed" homes there are, sitting empty in the shadow inventory.
So, as bad as it looks, tis actually much worse.
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Total Housing Starts and Single Family Housing Starts
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========
Housing Starts Up, Permits Down
http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/44776/Housing+Starts+Up,+Permits+Down
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Housing Starts increase slightly in November
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2010/12/housing-starts-increase-slightly-in.html
=======

US Housing data: Housing Starts rise 3.9% - for first time since Aug - while Building Permits fell 4% & Completions fell 14%

[mEDITate-OR:
think that this was, from the headlines, an improvement.
Not hardly.
The gritty details:
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The housing starts and building permits data failed to meet market forecasts
which were expecting housing starts to increase by 6.0 percent
and building permits to rise by 1.5 percent for the month.
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Even with the gain, housing starts are just 16 percent above the 477,000 unit pace from April 2009 — the lowest point on records dating back to 1959.
they are down 76 percent from their peak in January 2006,
and 45 percent below the 1 million annual rate that analysts say is consistent with a healthy housing market.
All the activity last month came from building single-family homes.
They increased to a pace of 465,000 units, a 6.9 percent rise from October.
Apartment construction fell 9.1 percent to a unit pace of 90,000.
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housingstarts-121610.jpg
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starts 2010-11.png
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permits 2010-11.png
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Housing Starts and New Permits Remain Weak in November
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/12/housing-starts-and-new-permits-remain-weak-in-november/68115/
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U.S. November Housing Starts Rise 3.9% But Building Permits Fall
http://www.rttnews.com/Content/TopStories.aspx?Node=B1&Id=1508683
=========

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The 99ers Are Coming = How Many Weeks of Unemployment Compensation Are Available?

[mEDITate-OR:
are they not "incoming" to The Party...
that laced the US$ 1 Trillion budget for U.S. with "earmarks"..
"The $1.2 trillion measure includes more than 6,700 earmarks totaling $8.1 billion"
many, provided U.S. by Senators who voted against anymore earmarks
Proving too Far Right, once again, that:
"a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"...!!!
As Pooh warned U.S. = Politicians, Being as they are...
(or something like that)
-------------
DESCRIPTION
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The 99ers Are Coming
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/the-99ers-are-coming/
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How Many Weeks of Unemployment Compensation Are Available?
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3164
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For later charts & numbers:
============

CEPR: CPI Edges Up 0.1 Percent = Rents slowly accelerate amidst slowing medical care and falling vehicle prices + Twelve days of Christmas cost 9 percent more this year

[mEDITate-OR:
not see that not much is more expensive...
except for Christmas...!!!

US budget only up US$ 1 Trillion....
huge increase in retail sales, for Christmas...
high unemployment & bankruptcies...
But, they stopped foreclosing on U.S...
so we could stay at home..., until after Christmas.
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consumerprice-121510.jpg
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cpi 2010-11 cht1.png
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cpi 2010-11 cht2 v3.png
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prices-2010-12.jpg
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=========
CEPR: CPI Edges Up 0.1 Percent
Rents slowly accelerate amidst slowing medical care and falling vehicle prices
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/data-bytes/prices-bytes/2010-12
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Twelve days of Christmas cost 9 percent more this year
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=532514
=======

Inflation: Core CPI, Median CPI, 16% trimmed-mean CPI remain below 1% YoY + Inflation Subdued, Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization Edge Upward

[mEDITate-OR:
not see that these are very different from the charts in the blog entry above....
-----------
Over the last 12 months
the median CPI rose 0.5%
the trimmed-mean CPI rose 0.8%
the CPI rose 1.1%
and the CPI less food and energy rose 0.8%
-----------
So, not only is is very low
it is below "the expectation"...!!!
shown in the 3rd chart below
=========
This graph shows these three measure of inflation on a year-over-year basis.
They all show that inflation has been falling, and that measured inflation is up less than 1% year-over-year.
Inflation Measures
Note: The Cleveland Fed has a discussion of a number of measures of inflation: Measuring Inflation
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The indexes for rent and owners' equivalent rent both increased in November.
It appears that rents have bottomed and are starting to increase again (this fits with earlier reports of falling vacancy rates and rising rents). I don't expect rents to push up inflation very much (I think core inflation will stay low for some time with all the slack in the system), but rising rents suggests that the excess rental housing units are being absorbed - a necessary step for an eventual recovery in residential investment.
Rent Inflation
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both inflation and expected inflation remain below the Fed’s long-run target values, something that will increase the Fed’s confidence that it can keep inflation under control as it pursues QEII.

===========
Inflation: Core CPI, Median CPI
16% trimmed-mean CPI remain below 1% YoY
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2010/12/inflation-core-cpi-median-cpi-16.html
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Inflation Subdued, Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization Edge Upward
http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/blog/maximum-utility/inflation-subdued-industrial-production-and-capacity-utilization-edge-upward/1048/
============

Industrial Production, Capacity Utilization increase in November

[mEDITate-OR:
not see that these "production" charts are very different than the blog entry below this.

While "utilization" is obviously up
please note that it is barely up from the bottom of the prior 01-2 recession.
-----------
This graph shows Capacity Utilization.
This series is up 10.3% from the record low set in June 2009 (the series starts in 1967).
Capacity utilization at 75.2% is still far below normal
and well below the pre-recession levels of 81.2% in November 2007.
Capacity Utilization
----------
Industrial production increased in November, but production is still 6.8% below the pre-recession levels at the end of 2007.
Industrial Production
=========
Industrial Production, Capacity Utilization increase in November
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2010/12/industrial-production-capacity.html
==========