[Free Vulcan]

Throwing out the fact of this rise comes against a long decline in housing, the real detail is that the increase is due to building for renters, not owners, which blunts the gains, as does May's downward revision.

[Tulane]

I am an attorney and I represent multifamily residential developers (apartment communities). This is no indication of a strengthening national economy. The starts are mainly in Texas, and it is in cities like Houston and Dallas that are growing in jobs - and for the first time in decades - are short on product due to almost 3 years of no development. These deals have been in the pipeline for at least 2 years.

The rest of the country is stagnant.

[the invisib1e hand]

so what. it’s illegal to be middle class anymore. The only people who benefit from “good news” are shareholders and Mexicans.

[all the best]

Now this really is unexpected.

[OCCASparky]

High for recently, totally anemic compared to five years ago.

[Proud2BeRight]

Does this count rebuilding tornado areas and trailer parks?

[SouthTexas]

More inventory injected into an over supplied market.

If you build it, they will come (to Texas anyway).

[Buckeye McFrog]

I actually take this as very bad news.

If such an increase really did occur in current conditions, it only means that the Government is goosing the system again, which can only come back to bite us harder further on down the road.

[Rational Thought]

Loved this little nugget....

New home completions fell 1.7 percent to 535,000 units in June

[familyop]

"U.S. home builders sharply increased construction in June, according to estimates released Tuesday by the Commerce Department."

News before the "unexpected."