NAHB home builder gauge climbs to 4.5-year high

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
A measure of builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes climbed in January to the highest level since June 2007, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo housing market index released Wednesday
The gauge rose 4 points to 25, the fourth consecutive rise.
Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected only a 1-point improvement to 22
 NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe attributed the gains to improvements in employment and consumer confidence
The seasonally adjusted index, which correlates closely with single-family housing starts, is designed so that readings over 50 are considered "good," which hasn't been the case since April 2006