Home starts continue to rise and defy expert forecasts

Home starts continue to rise and defy expert forecasts: "WASHINGTON -- March 16, 2005 -- Wall Street expected a decline in new home starts but the housing market again surprised observers by logging another increase of 0.5 percent in February. The seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 2.195 million units was the highest in 21 years, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The number was 15.8 percent higher than the number reported in February 2003."