Housing starts in November surged nearly 23 percent from the previous month, signaling an end-of-the-year pickup in the housing market, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The number of homes builders started last month reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.09 million, well above an October revised estimate of 889,000.

“Astonishing November numbers, but the underlying core trends are much less exciting,” Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, wrote in a note to clients. “Whether we can believe the numbers is another question, though; starts are very erratic from month to month, and we think a clear correction in December is a good bet.”

Wednesday’s report also showed that building permits issued for homes declined slightly in November from the previous month, down 3.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.01 million. That figure, though, is nearly 8 percent above November 2012’s estimate of 933,000.

The Commerce Department’s data come just a day after the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index reported home-builder confidence reached a four-month high in December. The reading was 58; readings above 50 indicate confidence.