Housing starts surge to a 1-1/2 year high

Matt York / AP

Builders frame a new home in Queen Creek, Ariz.

By msnbc.com news services

Housing starts surged to a 1-1/2 year high in November and permits for future construction were the highest since March 2010 as demand for rental apartments rose, offering hope for the weak housing market.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday housing starts jumped 9.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 685,000 units, the highest since April last year.

October's starts were revised down to a 627,000-unit pace from a previously reported 628,000 unit rate.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast housing starts rising to a 635,000-unit rate. Compared to November last year, residential construction was up 24.3 percent.

Though new homes represent just 20 percent of the overall home market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Over the past year, apartment permits have surged roughly 63 percent. Single-family permits have increased just 6.6 percent in that time.

Earlier, Oliver Chang, Morgan Stanley?s head of U.S. housing strategy, appeared on CNBC to discuss the outlook for the housing market:

Home construction and sales are in the midst of one of its worst years ever. Demand for new homes is weak. Record-low mortgage rates and plunging home prices have done little to help.

Builders are struggling to compete with deeply discounted foreclosures and short sales. Short sales occur when lenders allow homes to be sold for less than what's owed on the mortgage. Few homes are selling.

After previous recessions, housing accounted for at least 15 percent of U.S. economic growth. Since the recession officially ended in June 2009, it has contributed just 4 percent.

In October, sales of new homes rose slightly, largely because builders cut their prices in the face of weak demand.

Renting has become a preferred option for many Americans who lost their jobs during the recession and were forced to leave their houses.

Another reason sales have fallen is that previously occupied homes have become a better deal than new homes. The median price of a new home is about 30 percent higher than the median price for a resale. That's nearly twice the markup typical in a healthy housing market.

The homebuilders' trade group said this week that its survey of industry sentiment rose in December to 21, the highest level since May 2010. Still, any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The index hasn't reached 50 since April 2006, the peak of the housing boom.

Related:

Listing of the Week: Wavy-roofed Montana retreat

Calif. college students rent mansions for cheap

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/20/9579962-housing-starts-surge-to-a-1-12-year-high

wilson ramos kidnapped mcqueary mike mcqueary joe paterno fired joe paterno fired glen campbell matt nathanson

Aussie dad says dingo will be blamed for lost baby (AP)

CANBERRA, Australia ? The father of a baby who infamously vanished in the Australian Outback more than 30 years said Monday that he was confident a new inquiry into the tragedy will officially rule that a dingo took his daughter.

The disappearance of 9-week-old Azaria Chamberlain on Aug. 17, 1980, from a campsite near Ayers Rock, the red monolith in the Australian desert now known by its Aboriginal name Uluru, divided Australians between those who believed a native dog known as a dingo killed her and those who believed she was murdered by her mother, Lindy Chamberlain.

The tragedy and the legal drama that ensued became the subject of the 1988 movie "A Cry in the Dark" for which Meryl Streep earned an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Lindy Chamberlain, who has since remarried and taken the name Chamberlain-Creighton.

Chamberlain-Creighton received a life sentence for her daughter's murder and spent four years in prison in the 1980s before the conviction was overturned.

Northern Territory Coroner Elizabeth Morris announced Sunday that a fourth inquest into the tragedy will begin in February to review the open finding of the third inquest that in 1995 failed to determine a cause of death.

Morris said in statement that she would examine new evidence provided by Azaria's parents that dingoes attack children.

Michael Chamberlain, who was given a suspended sentence in 1982 for being his wife's accessory in his daughter's murder but has since been cleared of any crime, said he is confident that the legal process would turn full circle by reaching the same conclusion as the original coroner Denis Barritt did in 1981 ? that a dingo took the baby.

"I don't think people open inquests without thinking there's good reason for it and that means there'd have to be a change from the status quo of the open finding that was in 1995," Chamberlain told The Associated Press.

"It's now looking at dingoes, not people, as to the cause of death," he added.

But Chamberlain said he was prepared to ask the Northern Territory Supreme Court to overturn the 1995 coroner's finding if Morris had not agreed to reopen the case.

"I am pleasantly surprised and very grateful that at long last there's a meaningful attempt ... to determine the proper cause and truth about how my daughter died," he added.

John Lawrence, a senior lawyer involved in a separate federal government inquiry that in 1987 exonerated both parents over the tragedy, agreed that the new inquest would be a final legal chapter that concluded a dingo was responsible.

Previous inquiries were provided with no record of dingoes ever attacking children. But in 2001, a 9-year-old boy was mauled to death on Fraser Island, the last wild habitat of purebred dingoes off eastern Australia, and two girls aged 4 and 3 have since survived dingo attacks on the same island.

"I think that the void will be filled by the new evidence on the dingo," Lawrence told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

"The inquest will come to a conclusion very much similar to Mr. Barritt's ... and that should really put it to bed," he added.

Chamberlain-Creighton could not be immediately contacted for comment on Monday.

But last year on the 30th anniversary of Azaria's disappearance, she pleaded in an open letter posted on her website for her daughter's death certificate to state that a dingo was to blame.

"She deserves justice," Chamberlain-Creighton wrote.

John Bryson, a lawyer who wrote the definitive book about the tragedy "Evil Angels" upon which the 1988 movie was based, said the new inquest showed that the Northern Territory legal establishment was moving beyond lingering biases against the parents.

"They're entitled to their verdict," Bryson said of the parents. "They've been through a nightmare."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oceania/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111219/ap_on_re_as/as_australia_dingo_death

miami marlins hanley ramirez blago mumia abu jamal mumia abu jamal pearl harbor alec baldwin

Jack scores 24 points, Hornets beat Grizzlies (AP)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. ? Jarrett Jack scored 24 points, Quincy Pondexter and Emeka Okafor added 12 apiece and the New Orleans Hornets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 97-90 in a preseason game Friday night.

The Hornets, playing their first game since the trade of star guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers this week, scored six straight points to take a 95-89 lead.

Trevor Ariza scored 11 points for New Orleans, and Carldell Johnson finished with 10, while playing only in the fourth quarter.

Tony Allen led Memphis with 17 points, while Rudy Gay and Jeremy Pargo scored 15 each. O.J. Mayo had 12, but was 5 of 15 from the field.

Both teams used multiple lineups, giving starters time early, but allowing bench players to get most of the second-half minutes.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111217/ap_on_sp_bk_ga_su/bkn_hornets_grizzlies

wayne gretzky wayne gretzky occupy los angeles occupy los angeles comedian patrice o neal occupy philadelphia occupy philadelphia

Cops: Florida woman jabbed ex with antlers

By msnbc.com staff

A Florida woman was charged with domestic battery?she used the antlers of a mounted deer head to beat up her ex-boyfriend, authorities say.

Chelsea Harrison armed herself with the deer head after her ex-boyfriend Terry Nowakowski broke down the door Tuesday to get into their Zephyrhills house, authorities told the Tampa Bay Times.

---

?

She "began striking him in the face and body with the ends of the antlers until she lost her grip dropping it to the floor," according to a story on tampabay.com, citing a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report. Nowakowski, 20, managed to flee and call for help, the website reported.

Read the original story on tampabay.com

The victim told authorities that he and Harrison, 23, were no longer a couple but have a 3-year-old daughter together and both own the home in Zephyrhills, according to tampabay.com.

The fight reportedly began when Nowakowski walked outside the home and called his new girlfriend "which he believes angered Chelsea," tampabay.com reported. ?

When he tried to get back into the house, he found the door locked. He claims she then punched him when he poked his head inside a window after removing a screen. At that point, he decided to break down the door and got hit with the antlers, the website said.

He?reportedly suffered cuts and swelling in the attack.??

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/15/9472593-deputies-florida-woman-jabbed-ex-with-antlers

free shipping free shipping esophageal cancer extreme makeover home edition marfan syndrome marfan syndrome sopa

Jenelle Evans on Son Jace: Take Him or Leave Him!

Troubled Teen Mom  star Jenelle Evans doesn’t have custody of her own son due to her ongoing legal problems, but the thing is, that's not that big a deal to her.

Jenelle’s mom Barbara has custody of her little boy Jace, and a friend close says that even though she claims to want custody, she may not be telling the truth:

“I don’t think Jenelle will ever get full custody, and I don’t even think it hurts her.”

Free from caring for her son, Jenelle Evans is going boy crazy. “She is obsessed with male attention,” the source confides.  “She wants whatever she can get.”

Sadly, as we saw on this week's Teen Mom 2, that means Kieffer Delp is involved.

While Jenelle is “great with Jace,” the troubled teen is obviously missing out on bonding with her little boy, which worries both her family and friends.

“Years down the road, when Jenelle might have her life together, it’ll be weird for them to just start living on their own. It’s sad because he’s so happy when he’s with her,” Evans' friend said. “It’s not Jace’s fault he was born to Jenelle.”

No, but the toddler may be safer living in the stable home of his grandmother.

“Barbara didn’t do this for Jenelle; she did it for Jace,” adds the friend.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/jenelle-evans-on-son-take-him-or-leave-him/

boxer rebellion stanford football lsu football schedule lsu football schedule terrapin terrapin manny pacquiao vs marquez

'Drive' Is MTV's #2 Movie Of 2011

Hard to describe and hard to forget, the film (and Ryan Gosling's Driver) oozed cool.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Ryan Gosling in "Drive"
Photo: FilmDistrict

In October, a Michigan woman filed a lawsuit against FilmDistrict for misleading her about the film "Drive." She claimed the movie's trailer promised a more action-packed film and "promoted the film 'Drive' as very similar to the 'Fast and Furious,' or similar, series of movies."

But the suit succeeded in only one respect: It perfectly described why we love "Drive" and why it's #2 on MTV's Best Movies of 2011 list.

Everything about "Drive" subverts expectations. The main character, played by Ryan Gosling, doesn't have a name besides "Driver" and rarely speaks. We root for him despite knowing nothing about him or what's going on behind his stares. All the audience has to go off is his affection for his down-the-hall neighbor Irene, played by Carey Mulligan, and his sudden, violent outbursts, which surprise with horror levels of gore.

This is all the more shocking when you consider that for the first 30 minutes of the movie, the story plays out in a slow and quiet way, more like a romantic comedy than a crime thriller. Driver's relationship with Irene puts the audience so off its guard that when the violence finally erupts, it's instantly unforgettable.

Director Nicolas Winding Refn sets up the film's opening chase sequence in a way that looks and feels like a "Fast and Furious" movie, but as soon as it starts, it stops — literally. Driver parks the getaway car to remain out of sight. It's a subtle move that sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

And speaking of tone, what other film captured as much attention for its use of music and atmosphere? The synth-laced soundtrack by Cliff Martinez and a collection of electro-pop songs had everyone talking. Out of context, the choice for the music doesn't make sense, but the second "Nightcall" drops in over the neon-pink title, all the pieces come together.

When describing the movie to others, most people struggle until they stumble upon the word "cool." "Drive" is cool in a way that most action movies with their overly muscular heroes and explosions could only dream of being. Gosling and Refn captured an exact balance of warmth and coldness, emotion and indifference that makes the film's look, sound, story and characters feel like instant classics.

All of these elements would make for a great film, but that would mean ignoring a stellar supporting cast. Albert Brooks oozed menace and dark humor as the villainous pizza parlor owner/low-level mob boss Bernie Rose, and Bryan Cranston continued his streak as the most likable actor working today as Driver's mentor Shannon.

For all its surprises and unexpected turns, "Drive" is our second favorite movie of the year. It took tired movie clichés and flipped them on their heads to make one of the most original and hard-to-forget moviegoing experiences in recent memory.

Stick with MTV as we count down the Best of 2011, including the top Artists, Songs, Live Performances and EDM Artists of the year.

Check out everything we've got on "Drive."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos

• Best Movies Of 2011 Debate

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676154/drive-best-movies-2011.jhtml

trace cyrus hilary duff pregnant hilary duff pregnant psat psat brenda song mountain west

Toshiba's Gamma Camera Reveals Harmful Radiation [Radiation]

Using radiation meters to map out radioactive hotspots is a time consuming process. So to assist the cleanup efforts around Fukushima City, Toshiba has developed a portable video camera that provides real-time visualizations of where those dangerous hotspots might be. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/fwpm89MGEO0/toshibas-gamma-camera-reveals-radioactive-hotspots

jorge posada walmart black friday ad walmart black friday ad rick perry gaffe rick perry gaffe graham spanier graham spanier