Production of new single-family homes slowed in August as the expiration date for an important buyer incentive drew nearer, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department today. While overall housing starts rose 1.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 598,000 units for the month, single-family starts declined 3 percent to a rate of 479,000 units, ending what had been a five-month run of improvements.  A 3% decline in single-family housing starts for August essentially erased the previous month's gain, bringing production back to a 479,000-unit annual rate.  Single-family permits also edged downward in August, by two-tenths of a percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 462,000 units, ending what had been a four-month run of gains. Meanwhile, multifamily housing starts, which tend to display greater volatility on a month-to-month basis, rose 25.3% from an extremely low level in the previous month, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 119,000. Multi-family permit issuance rose 16% from an all-time low in July, to a 117,000-unit rate.