Builders appeared to have remained cautious about the housing market in March, pulling permits and starting construction on new houses in numbers little changed from February.

The monthly data on new residential construction jointly released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development on Tuesday reported that permits for privately-owned housing units were issued in March at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,544,000, a scant 0.8 percent above the revised February figure of 1,532,000. This is 25.9 percent below the permitting rate in March 2006. Read more

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Analysts note that some parts of the real estate industry still hold substantial investment potential. Commercial real estate, especially, remains strong.

According to CB Richard Ellis Group Inc., commercial-building occupancy continues to grow nationwide, with rents up nearly 4.25 percent in the last 12 months. Looking at individual markets, in March, midtown Manhattan posted the highest office rents ever — $69.99 per square foot, on average.

Most investment advisers concur that individual portfolios should have no more than 20 percent invested in real estate that is not a primary residence. Read more

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Several Florida local governments want to limit the number of open house signs in the public right of way, such as along roadways and on utility poles.

As the market has softened in the state, these signs have become particularly important to attracting sellers, say real estate professionals and home builders. But local authorities say the signs violate city rules by being in the public right of way. For example, some municipalities like Orlando County require permits and imposes distance limits on signs in rights of way.

A coordinated statewide sweep six months ago collected more than 7,000 signs in just Orange and Seminole counties alone. Read more

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WASHINGTON – New home construction rebounded in February following a steep January slide. But analysts pointed to a further decline in building permits as a worrisome signal of future problems for the troubled housing industry.

Construction of new homes and apartments rose 9 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.525 million units, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Construction had fallen by 14.3 percent in January to the slowest pace in more than nine years.

Even with the better-than-expected rebound, activity remained 28.5 percent below the level of a year ago, underscoring housing’s steep downturn.

Builders’ applications for new permits, considered a more reliable gauge of future activity, continued falling in February, dropping by 2.5 percent to an annual rate of 1.532 million units. That marked the 12th decline in the past 13 months in building permits.

The continued drop in permits was seen as a troubling sign that the fallout from the housing correction, which has already slowed economic growth considerably, is not over. Read more

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