Single-family home construction was off just over 1% last year, according to R.L. Brown, a housing analyst. Cities in the Valley issued 34,833 building permits for single-family homes during the year, down from the record 35,308 set during 1999.

New homes sales were off more than new starts, but by significantly more. Brown tracked 32,089 house escrows in the Valley last year, compared to 34,165 for 1999, which is a decrease of approximately 6%.

Building permit numbers were inflated during 2000, as homebuilders and master-planned developers secured more permits than normal as a hedge against a proposition that would have significantly curtailed development. The proposition was voted down in November.

The median price of a new home climbed 9% during the year, hitting an-all time high of $160,170.

Resale of existing homes also fell off during 2000, off 4% to 66,885 from a level of 69,922 in 1999, according to Brown.

Analysts have predicted that new and existing home sales will slow by a total of 5% in 2001, a figure expected to have been higher if interest rates had not been lowered.