Nation's Building News Online

House in New Mexico Tests Water Conservation Technologies

With funding and technical support from the national Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) program, builder Mike Chapman … [ MORE ]

Building News From Coast to Coast

• Digital Homes
• Hot Time in the City for Second Homes
• New Kids on the Block
• You Must Be 55 to Apply
• Douglas County Leads Nation in Percentage Housing Growth
• Adoption of New Building, Fire Codes Caught Up in Politics
• Reliable Source Shoots Down Predictions of Real Estate Crash
• The Home of the Future Is 'Universal'

[ MORE ]

Sponsored by: 2-10 Home Buyer's Warranty

Need to Buy General Liability Insurance?
Confused about Subcontractor Agreements?
Structural Defects, Can They Happen to You?
Insurance Coverage a Challenge?

Former President Bush to Open International Builders’ Show

Former President George Herbert Walker Bush will be the keynote speaker at the opening ceremonies for the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas on Jan. 19, NAHB President Kent Conine announced last week.

“As a fellow Texan, I am particularly honored that former President Bush will open our show next year,” said Conine.

The largest home building and light construction conference in the world, the IBS is expected to draw more than 90,000 attendees from 100 countries when it returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center on Jan. 19-22.

George H.W. Bush …  …[ MORE ]

We Want to Hear From You

Let us know what you think about the new NBN Online. On everything from the news we are covering to how it is being delivered, we are waiting to hear from you. Click here to contact the editors. To manage your subscription, please see the links below.

Housing Snapshot

Housing provided the brightest economic news last week, with starts rising to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of more than 1.8 million. Mortgage interest rates continued to inch up on the expectation that the economy would be growing more vigorously during the second half of this year. The National Bureau of Economic Research reported that the recession that began in March 2001 officially ended eight months later — in November — even though the economy has not been running at normal capacity since then. The Index of Leading Economic Indicators was up for the third consecutive month in June. And U.S. budget deficits have been projected at $455 billion this year and $475 billion in 2004 — raising some troubling implications for the economy once it starts operating at full steam. [ MORE ]

Mortgage Interest Rates

30-Year Fixed-Rate: 5.67%
15-Year Fixed-Rate: 5.00%
1-Year ARM: 3.58%

Housing Starts - Jun. 2003*

Total: 1.80 million
Single-Family Starts: 1.46 million
Multifamily Starts: 341,000

New Home Sales May 2003*

1.16 million

Existing Home Sales May 2003*

5.92 milliion

* Seasonally adjusted annual rate

Sponsored by: Countrywide Home Loans

Find out how our forward commitments program can lock in rates for extended periods.
See how you can get a loan with as little as no down payment through Countrywide’s Zero Down Plus Program.