Reply #4: Bloomberg has a better article >>>>>

[Roland99]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=at0NjANnz4nE&pos=2

New-home construction rose 20 percent in March from the same month last year. Permits were up 34 percent in the 12 months ended in March.

Construction of single-family houses decreased 0.9 percent to a 531,000 rate in March, while permits increased 5.6 percent. Work on multifamily homes, such as townhouses and apartment builders, climbed 19 percent to an annual rate of 95,000.

The increase in starts was concentrated in the South. New construction fell in the rest of the country.

A report yesterday showed builder confidence rose this month more than anticipated as a measure of single-family sales reached the highest level in two years. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo index rose to 19 from 15 in March. Even though the gauge reached the highest level since March 2008, a reading below 50 means a majority of respondents said conditions remained poor.