U.S. housing starts slip in December; annual gains solid (STILL ON MULTIFAMILY)

The change reflects a dwindling share of home ownership. That figure now rests at 63.7 percent, down from a high of 69.2 percent in 2000... Permits for new construction are still running at roughly half their 2005 peak. But permits for remodeling have fully recovered... Remodeling has surged in some of the priciest markets where housing costs have climbed. The index reported a 29.4 percent jump in San Jose, California and a 5.9 percent increase in San Francisco.