Abstract This work presents data examining the effect that the economic cycles have on the building industry. The article has three sections: The first looks into the relationship between the real estate market fluctuations and the stock market. The second examines the building industry in Argentina as influenced by the plan de convertibilidad, with its 1994-1995 economic recession. The third analyzes she housing conditions in the southern provinces of Neuquen and Rio Negro and their effects on the quality of life