WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - New construction of U.S. houses jumped in June to their highest level in five months, the Commerce Department estimated Tuesday. Starts rose 14.6% in June to a seasonally adjusted 629,000 annualized units, stronger than the 580,000 pace expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch. This is the highest level of starts since January. Starts of new single-family homes rose by 9.4% to 453,000 in June, while starts of large apartment units surged 31.8%% to 170,000. Building permits, a leading indicator of housing construction, rose 2.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 624,000. This is the highest level of permits since December

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Housing starts rise 14.6% to five-month high