Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Homebuilder Blues: NAHB/Wells Fargo Home Builder Ratings January 2011

Today, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released their latest Housing Market Index (HMI) showing a flattening for most measures with the "buyer traffic" index improving slightly to 12 as home builders continue to plod through the weakest activity seen in generations.

It's important to recognize that currently the HMI index is showing a slight year-over-year increase but still remains very near the lowest levels seen in over 20 years, a testament to the significance of the latest pullback.

The new home market will likely not resume any significant form of healthy function until the considerable overhang of inventory is cleared.