Housing Market to Stabilize in 2007?

Housing Market to Stabilize in 2007?

After months of sharp declines, housing starts exhibited faint signs of revival last month. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's report on Dec. 19, total starts edged up 6.7% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.59 million units.

Housing starts rose for the last time in September; May and January also saw small increases. The November news — though far from momentous — offsets the grim mood set in October, when starts on new homes plummeted 14.6% to 1.49 million, the lowest level in more than six years.

Why the sudden adjustment? "The economic indicators — interest rates, energy prices, income — are all pretty good, and the consumer fear of a long price decline is subsiding," says Gopal Ahluwalia, head of research economics for the National Association of Home Builders.

Read more about predictions concerning housing market for next year…