 New U.S. home construction picked up in June, though a decline in single-family housing starts to an eight-month low underscored a real estate market challenged by high interest rates. Total housing starts increased 3% to a 1.35 million annualized rate last month, driven by a roughly 20% surge in multifamily construction, and that's according to government data. Starts of one-family homes fell for a fourth straight month. Futures are mixed.