Building Market Intelligence

Nothing exemplifies the boom and bust of this cycle like the City of Maricopa, Arizona. A distant Phoenix suburb, the city’s growth has been phenomenal: 1,040 people in March 2000 4,998 people in March 2004 24,625 people in July 2006 …

While it is now clear that we are in regional recessions, the poor performance of many of our market indicators over the last several months supports speculation of a national recession. Our overall grade for the health of the U.S. …

In a down housing cycle, it is generally wise to adjust your product offerings to appeal to a larger segment of buyer demand. Builders can lower costs per square foot – and the overall home price – by changing out …

While 2008 promises to be one of the most difficult years in home building, it will also present many opportunities, particularly for those individuals who do not have recourse loans. Here are 3 suggestions: Start a New Company: Buy land …

As if a horrible housing market isn’t enough of a drag on the economy, businesses are now curtailing their spending as well. In December, a survey of manufacturers indicated that their budgets are being cut, and this week we learned …

Given today’s competitive market conditions, planning and designing for the right buyer profile is more critical than ever. It is important to show model merchandising with hints of the target buyer profile throughout the home through lifestyle photography, room designs …

One of the indices that we find to be the most accurate is PMI’s Risk Index, which measures the likelihood that home prices will be lower two years from now. The index measures the percent likelihood of a price decline …

We are most likely in a very mild recession right now. Unemployment spiked this month, and consumer confidence has fallen to 88.6, which is well below the long-term average of 98.6. The Fed now knows that it should have dropped …

We put a lot of thought into our final e-mail of the year, so we apologize for the length of it. We truly hope our thoughts help you succeed in 2008 and become the foundation around which you plan your …