Housing industry poised to set records.

Byline: Carol Hazard

Jun. 16--The housing market was supposed to be good this year.

But not this good, according to housing and mortgage finance experts.

Housing starts, sales and prices have exceeded expectations, said David Seider, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders.

"Long-term interest rates refused to go up," he said. "That is certainly still a mystery. They are still very low."

Rates are bound to go up, and that could slow demand, economists say.

Even so, the housing industry is on track to set records for the fifth consecutive year.

Seider was among five economists who …