• Housing starts in the U.S. last month were up 23.6% from the annual rate posted the year before, backing up reported increases in builders' feelings about the future.
• In June, builders began erecting homes at a pace that would mean 760,000 new houses this year. The revised data for may showed 711,000 then.
• Builders do not appear to be totally optimistic, however. The number of building permits pulled in June was down 3.7% from the May level, but still 19.3% above June 2011.

From the article:

Housing starts in June rose 6.9% from May, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 760,000 units last month, the U.S. government said Wednesday.