672,805,000
Amount, in board feet, of hardwood flooring shipped in 2004, the highest level since 1966
Source: NOFMA
5 million+
The number of people who searched online for professional tradesman to work on their homes
Source: Home Improvement Research Institute
$998.4 billion
Total construction spending in the United States in 2004, the most since 1996
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
9%
Increase in construction spending since 2003
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
2,159,000
Seasonally adjusted annual rate for housing starts in January 2005, a 21-year high
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$36,500
The full loser’s share for Super Bowl XXXIX, paid to Jeff Thomason, an assistant project manager for Horsham, Pa.–based builder Toll Brothers; Thomason — who played tight end in the NFL for 10 years —had been out of football since 2002 before the Philadelphia Eagles signed him two weeks before the NFL championship game