FMI Management Consultants released its Construction Outlook—Second Quarter 2001 Report. In the report, FMI estimates that residential construction will increase 2 percent in 2001, compared to 3 percent in 2000. The lower forecasted growth is a result of a slow fourth quarter for 2000, despite a slight improvement in residential investment for January 2001. According to FMI, residential construction was slow during the first of last year and fell during the second half of 2000; however, housing starts are starting to improve because of lower mortgage rates.