Preliminary numbers for the full year of 1999 show a pattern of the single-family sector doing much better than the multifamily residential construction market.

The Labor Department's construction materials composite price index fell by 0.8% between August and September, the second straight month of decline following three consecutive months of increase.

panelized construction of homes is poised to become a more important part of the prefabricated housing segment over the next few years, a new forecast says.

If recent new-home sales figures indicate a slight economic downturn, that may be good news for the industry in terms of bringing material supply closer to demand, says NAHB chief economist David Seiders.

George S. (Geoie) Writer jr. has been to the mountaintop, and he's also seen the valley.

Residential building permits nationwide were issued at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.612 million units during august 1999.

Four of last year's Top 15 areas--ranked in terns of the number of residential permits issued for all of 1998--have let fewer permits through the first eight months of this year than over the first two-thirds of last year.

Through July of 1999, total housing permits issued in four of last year's top 15 metropolitan areas for new housing were below the toal for the first seven months of 1998.

Building permits nationwide were issued at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.632 million units during July, an increase ofa slight 0.4% from July 1998, but 0.5% lower than in June 1999.