Homebuilder Confidence in U.S. Increases to Five-Year High

By Shobhana Chandra - Aug 15, 2012 10:10 AM ET

http://www.bloomberg.com

I have provided a short excerpt from the article to give you an optimistic look at the housing industry.

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders climbed in August to the highest level in more than five years, affirming the improvement in residential construction.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder confidence index rose to 37, higher than projected and the best showing since February 2007, according to figures from the Washington-based group released today. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for no change from July’s 35. Readings below 50 mean more respondents said conditions were poor.

Estimates for the builder sentiment index of 46 economists in the Bloomberg survey ranged from 31 to 38. The gauge, which was first published in January 1985, averaged 54 in the five years leading to the recession that started in December 2007. It reached a record low of 8 in January 2009.