COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Home construction jumped 17.2 percent across the nation last month.
According to Jim Hilz, with the Building Industry Association, housing starts have increased 35 percent here in Columbus since the beginning of the year.
Hilz says the increase is attributed mostly to first-time home buyers and to low interest rates and an $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers.
He explains first-time buyers are vital to the housing market because they feed the entire market. Hilz says now is the time to buy and believes there will never be a cheaper market than the current one.
Custom home builder Schumacher Homes saw a massive drop off of customers during the housing slump.
But general manager George Bakewell says business has picked up nearly 75 percent in the past six months. He says companies are offering incentives such as free upgrades and discounts to reel in customers.
Despite the positive numbers, the housing market is still far from being back to normal. Builders recognize the market may never be as good as it was in 2000 or 2004 but say they are relying on the economy to improve in the third quarter for a boost.
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