USA TODAY: The housing industry is poised to gain strength this year after coming off one of its worst years ever in 2010, economic forecasts and new data released Wednesday show.
One cause for optimism: Building permits for new single-family homes rose 5.5% last month, the third-consecutive monthly increase and the strongest showing since March, the Commerce Department said.
That sets the stage for more home construction later this year as the economy improves, says Celia Chen, economist at Moody’s Analytics… (more)
