April 2000 total housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annualized level of 1.663 million units, after averaging almost 1.8 million units (annualized during the December 1999 -February 2000 period.

The Conference Board’s composite Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) fell for the third consecutive month during April, and is now at a level 5.4% lower than its record-high set during the first month of the new year.

March 2000 total housing starts were at a seasonally-adjusted annualized level of 1.604 million units, after exceeding 1.8 million units (annualized) during February. This was the lowest monthly level recorded since June of last year.

The total number of residential permits issued nationwide during the first quarter of this year was a slight 1.4% lower than in January-March of 1999.

The Labor Department’s construction materials composite price index rose by 0.4% between February and March of this year. This brought the March 2000 composite index to a level 2.4% above its reading for the third month of 1999.

The nation’s unprecedented nine-year period of economic expansion has been good to a lot of industries, the housing industry included.

Nineteen-ninety-nine’s top two areas in terms of sheer volume of new residential construction - Atlanta and Phoenix - have moved in opposite directions during the early months of the new year.

The Labor Department’s construction materials composite price index rose by 0.5% between December 1999 and January of this year.

The top two areas in terms of sheer volume of new residential construction - Atlanta and Phoenix - in 1999 got off to dramatically different starts during the first month of the new year.