The feeds that I get are interesting…I must say that the one from Wells Fargo (it used to be from Wachovia Securities till Wells acquired them) is good. You can get on their list to receive the data…but nonetheless, the data is assimilated well so one can read it.

3.18.11 “Housing market indicators reported this week, however, continued to show weakness. Housing starts plunged 22.5 percent in February to a 479,000 unit pace, the second lowest level on record Single-family starts fell 11.8 percent (406,000) confirming that the demand for new single-family homes remains exceptionally weak. While builder sentiment is finally improving after remaining unchanged for the past four months, prosepective buyer traffic has shown little to no improvement. The oversupply of existing homes on the market and downward pressure on home prices due to foreclosures continue to give builders little incentive to significantly ramp up building activity.

Existing home sales rose 2.7 percent in January to 5.36 million, the highest level in eight months. Sales gains were driven by distressed transactions which accounted for 37 percent of total sales.”

3.25.11 “The home sales data for February were worse than expected. Existing home sales declined 9.6 percent from January to an annualized 4.88 million unit pace. The new home sales data were even worse, falling 16.9 percent to a 250,000 pace in February, an all-time record low. Home prices are falling for both existing and new homes as builders struggle to compete with a glut of distressed and foreclsoed properties coming to market.

Like a drowning swimmer, the U.S. housing market came up for air last year, only to disappear again as soon as government tax credit incentives went away. The home sales data for February were worse than expected, but given weather-related problems and the volatility in the figures due to the fourth-quarter expiration of the California housing tax credit, there is probably more stability in housing demand than the headlines declines would indicate.
Existing home sales declined 9.6 percent from january to 4.88 million. On the bright side, there was a slight upward revision in the January sales figures to 5.40 million from the previously reported 5.36 million. Existing home sales fell in all 12 regions in February with the biggest declines coming from the Midwest and the South. A large percentage of the sales activity remains in distressed properties, at 39 percent of existing home sales in February, with the share of cash transactions increasing to 33 percent. The new home sales data were even worse, falling 16.9 percent to a 250,000 pace in February, an all-time low. Home prices are falling for both existing and new homes as builders struggle to compete with a glut of distressed and foreclosed properties. Builders are reacting to this by cutting back further on building. Earlier this month, February building permits hit a new record low. Home sales and building are expected to slowly recover this year as the U.S. economy continues to expand and better sector job growth becomes visible.”

Source: National Association of Realtors, Wells Fargo, National Association of Home Builders