Building News
From Coast to Coast

n Natural Gas-Fueled Generators Gain Popularity Among Home Owners

n Buyers 'Unsure' About Appraisal, Title Insurance

n Housing Options Increase as Population Ages

n Perks Spark 'Recycling' of Polluted Properties

n First Time Buying a Home? Good Luck in This Market

n Legislative Leaders Push Measure to Boost Suburban Home Building

n The Ultimate Vacation (...Is Closer Than You Think)

n Fireplaces Warm Homes, Hearts, Add Value

How would you describe demand for new housing in your area?

	Strong, and likely to remain strong for some time.
	Strong, but starting to decrease a bit.
	Okay.
	Not good.
	Don't Know.

District Court for Idaho Rejects Habitat Designation for Salmon in Pacific Northwest

Federal regulators have been sent back to the drawing board to develop a new designation for essential fish habitat in the Pacific Northwest so that, as required under the law, they can include the participation of home builders and other affected groups in the process.

The U.S. Court for the District of Idaho ruled on Sept. 30 that the National Marine Fisheries Service had violated the Administrative Procedures Act when it wrote its management plan for salmon.

The ruling affects essential fish habitat designations for all salmon species in the Pacific Fish Management Plan, …

Housing Snapshot

In a fairly quiet week for the economy, mortgage interest rates remained virtually unchanged last Thursday from the prior week. Freddie Mac reported that 30-year, fixed-rate loans remained at 6.05%. Mortgage rates are expected to vacillate within a narrow range for the next several months and the prime rate should remain at 4%. From a trouble spot for home builders, the news was reassuring last week: the costs of framing lumber, plywood and Oriented Strand Board all continued to head in the downward direction. Falling to $319 per 1,000 board from $323 the prior week, framing lumber is not problematic for the industry. Mill prices for 15/32-inch 3-ply CDX Southern Westside plywood fell $10 to $535 per 1,000 square feet and OSB remained unchanged at $465. The latter was only $162 a year earlier. So while prices may have leveled off, builders are going to have to hear a lot more good news before prices are even close to the levels at which the industry would like to see them.

Mortgage Interest Rates
30-Year Fixed-Rate	6.05%
15-Year Fixed-Rate	5.39%
1-Year ARM	3.76%
Housing Starts - Sep. 2003*
Total	1.89 million
Single-Family Starts	1.52 million
Multifamily Starts	368,000
New Home Sales Aug. 2003*	1.15 million
Existing Home Sales Aug. 2003*	6.47 million
* Seasonally adjusted annual rate