Tampa Q4 housing starts surge

TAMPA -- Tampa area builders started 995 new housing units in the fourth quarter of 2011, up 19.4% over the year, according to Metrostudy.

The late-year surge brought full-year housing starts for 2011 close to the previous year's total, but ended up 1.1% lower, with 4,001 total starts.

Going forward, Metrostudy predicts a 5% to 15% increase in housing starts for 2012, based on the 26,900 jobs added by employers over the course of the year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.