Housing starts hit seven-year high as builders see pent-up demand

Housing starts jumped 20 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.135 million, the highest number in more than seven years.

Building permits for housing units increased 10 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.143 million, up 10 percent from March, according to the Census Bureau.

Both numbers were higher than economists expected, but they don’t necessarily mean we’re at the beginning of a new housing boom. Home builders’ confidence in the housing market actually… …read more