Building News
From Coast to Coast

n Efforts to Boost Green Building

n Plots & Ploys: Charitable Condos

n Whys and Why Nots of Wi-Fi: Great for Home, Iffy for Office

n Pretty Houses Sell First

n The Tear-Down Trend: A Developing Situation

n Tree Ordinance Proposal Toppled Again

n Victory on Home Front in Military Housing

n Builders Team With Ultimate Electronics to Offer Home Networking Solutions for New Homes in Colorado

What segment of the home buying market is the most active in your area right now?

	First-time buyers
	Move-up buyers
	Custom home, upscale buyers
	Empty nesters
	Don't know

Index Finds Remodeling Lull Ending

The lull in residential remodeling activity that settled over the industry at the end of last year is apparently coming to an end, according to NAHB’s Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the first quarter of 2003.

The more than 600 professional remodelers who were surveyed for the index reported that business was starting to pick up early this year and they expect significant improvements for the balance of 2003. …

Housing Snapshot

The best news for the economy last week came from new and existing housing sales for March, which remained strong. In fact, housing continues to remain the bright spot in a lackluster national economy. Government reports showed that the economy grew at an anemic 1.6% yearly rate in the first quarter and that there were encouraging gains in consumer spending and incomes in March. Mortgage interest rates showed little change from the previous week and remained at very affordable levels.

Mortgage Interest Rates
30-Year Fixed-Rate	5.79%
15-Year Fixed-Rate	5.12%
1-Year ARM	3.79%
Housing Starts - Mar. 2003*
Total	1.78 million
Single-Family Starts	1.41 million
Multifamily Starts	366,000
New Home Sales Mar. 2003*	1.01 million
Existing Home Sales Mar. 2003*	5.53 million
* Seasonally adjusted annual rate