Charter government and impact fees are among the hot-button topics awaiting county commissioners when they meet Tuesday. ...more

November 8, 2009

A proposal to stimulate construction by dropping county-levied impact fees for the rest of the year has found little traction in the halls of Pasco County government. ...more

March 22, 2009

Though the final quarter of 2008 brought the sound of fewer hammers, a low not heard of in at least 23 years, they haven't fallen silent. ...more

February 20, 2009

The Federal Reserve warned Wednesday that the nation's crippled economy is even worse than thought and predicted it would deteriorate throughout 2009, with no sign that the housing market will stabilize. ...more

February 18, 2009

Though the final quarter of 2008 brought the sound of fewer hammers, a low not heard of in at least 23 years, they haven't fallen silent. ...more

February 5, 2009

While many Tampa Bay area home builders have put down their hammers, some continue to start construction on new homes – just not very many of them. Area builders started construction on 932 single-family homes in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to Houston-based Metrostudy, which tracks new home construction, That's a 32.9 percent decrease from last year and the first time in at least 23 years that housing starts fell below 1,000 in a quarter. Why are builders building any homes in this economy? If they want to stay in business, they say they have to keep building at least some homes. ...more

February 4, 2009

The major banks are a mess. New-home construction has nearly stopped. A flood of foreclosed homes has driven prices to rock-bottom levels. ...more

January 25, 2009

The weakening economy hit area builders extra hard at the end of 2008, when new home starts hit a record low. ...more

January 23, 2009

WASHINGTON - The number of new unemployment claims jumped more than expected last week, as companies continue to cut jobs at a furious pace and more Americans turn to an extended benefits program. ...more

January 22, 2009

New-home construction plunged to an all-time low in December, capping the worst year for builders on records dating back to 1959. ...more

January 22, 2009