“This was the third consecutive month in which builder expectations for sales over the upcoming six-month period have improved, and it’s a good sign of things to come in the new year,” said NAHB President David Pressly.

“The HMI has come off September’s low point, and other recent indicators confirm that buying conditions have improved and that demand is stabilizing — including improvements in measures of housing affordability, strengthening consumer assessments of home buying conditions and an upswing in applications for mortgages to buy homes,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders. “Builders sense that the tide is turning in terms of buyer demand for their product and are feeling somewhat better about the prospects for home sales.”

Seiders noted that the recent stabilization of home buyer demand largely reflects reductions in mortgage interest rates since mid-year, the retreat of energy prices from record highs and maintenance of solid growth in employment and household income. Reductions in home prices and widespread sales incentives offered by builders also have helped to buoy buyer demand.

Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for 20 years, the HMI gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales, sales expectations for the next six months and the traffic of prospective buyers. Any number on the seasonally adjusted index over 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor.

Of the index’s three components, only the traffic of prospective buyers registered a decline this month, returning to its October level of 23 following a three-point jump in November. The component gauging current single-family home sales remained even at 33, up slightly from its recent low, while the component gauging sales expectations for the next six months rose three points to 48 — its third consecutive monthly gain.

Regionally, the HMI posted the biggest gain this month in the Midwest , which posted a seven-point gain on the confidence scale after displaying the greatest weakness on the index for many months. The Northeast was unchanged at 37, the South dropped a point to 39 and the West declined four points to 31. [return to top]

The major tax portion of the bill includes extensions of the research and development tax credit through 2007, and a two-year renewal of the deduction for state and local taxes and higher education tuition expenses.

The bill also contains several real estate-related provisions. Items of importance to home builders include:

• Extension of the placed-in-service date requirement for the GO Zone bonus depreciation on nonresidential real and residential rental property.
• Extension of the New Markets Tax Credit program and expansion to better serve the needs of rural communities.
• One-year extensions of the credit for new energy-efficient homes, the credit for residential energy-efficient property and the deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings.
• Extension of expensing of brownfield remediation costs and expansion of the definition of a brownfield to include sites contaminated by petroleum products.
• Permanence for a change to the veterans' mortgage revenue bond program that eliminates the sunset of the program in selected states.
• Waiver of the first-time-home buyer requirement for veterans in the mortgage revenue bond program.
• Establishment of a one-year deduction for private mortgage insurance.

Also of note, the legislation includes a measure sponsored by Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) that would promote land conservation in White Pine County , Nev.  As originally written, the legislation called for mandatory federal inclusionary zoning policies to address unique local development issues.

NAHB lobbied against this provision, noting that inclusionary zoning policies are not an effective way to address a community’s housing affordability problem and that any solution to address this issue must come locally, not from a federal mandate. In a significant victory for NAHB, the mandatory exclusionary zoning requirements were stripped from the final bill.

For more information, e-mail Greg Brown at NAHB or call him at 800-368-5242 x8421. [return to top]

In the most recent issue of NAHB HouseKeys, NAHB's consumer-oriented e-newsletter, Kenneth R. Harney, an award-winning, nationally syndicated real estate columnist, explains how consumers can buy and sell in a soft market, and still come out ahead.

By uncovering the truth about selling in today’s market, Harney explains how what you may end up losing on the selling side is often more than compensated on the buying side and offers practical thoughts as well as solid equations that show how, in today’s market, home owners come out ahead.

Also in the issue, what easy updates can make your house stand out from the crowd, and help you go from selling to sold? More great articles include: 

• Top Five New Year's Resolutions for the Home
•  Enjoying a Hassle-free Holiday
•  The Ranch House: American Pop Culture Icon
•  What's Aging in Place Anyway?

In addition, check out the unique and the unusual in this month’s Photo Gallery, find out when to do what in the Maintenance Chart for Homeowners and discover the intriguing vernacular architecture of the Gulf Coast .

Read the full issue by clicking here. To subscribe, visit www.nahb.org/housekeys. For more information on leveraging this free resource with your consumers, contact Niki Clark at nclark@nahb.com. [return to top]

But women differ from their male counterparts in three important ways, according to the October 2006 study by the Center for Women’s Business Research, underwritten by MassMutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual):

1. While women and men business owners are equally motivated by the profitability of a sale, women are much more likely to also take into consideration the impact of the sale on their employees.
   
   
2. While women who previously owned businesses are well-prepared to sell their businesses, first-time women business owners typically are less so. There is no such difference among men.
   
   
3. And women business owners are nearly twice as likely as men business owners to intend to pass the business on to a daughter or daughters (37% vs. 19%).

The national survey, Exit Strategies of Women and Men Business Owners, targeted women and men owners whose businesses were at least five years old and had grossed $1 million or more in revenues in the previous year.

“Contrary to common perception, the vast majority of women business owners (83%) have a long-term exit strategy,” said Marjorie Alfus, chair, Center for Women’s Business Research.  “Further, women are like men in ranking price as the most important factor when deciding to sell their business (85%).”

However, women business owners were more concerned than men business owners about the buyer’s identity, personality, and background (72% vs. 39%); as well as the buyer’s plans for the business (79% vs. 52%), and plans for current employees (86% vs. 61%).

“Given that women are more likely to create a business than to take over an existing one, they likely have a greater sense of responsibility about their people’s future and the company’s continued success,” said Susan W. Sweetser, second vice president, Specialized Markets, MassMutual.

Another big difference: for women, the decision to sell a business is correlated to prior business ownership.  Women business owners who have owned a previous business are more likely to plan to sell than women who have not (47% vs. 36%).

“It’s clear that as first-time women owners grow their businesses, we need to support them more actively with mentoring and with guidance from experienced financial services professionals,” said Sweetser. “In fact, all owners would benefit from such help. Even among those who intend to sell their business in the next five years, two-thirds of women and men (67%) have no formal sale plan and a large proportion (43% overall) have not conducted a valuation of their business.”

Women business owners were as likely as men owners to plan on selling their businesses (39%), pass on the businesses to family members (21%), or close the businesses (4%). 

“Although more than three quarters (79%) of women business owners who intend to sell their businesses plan to retire, nearly a quarter (22%) plan to own a new business in the future,” said Marjorie Alfus.  “This is consistent with the emerging trend we are seeing of women in their fifties launching new businesses after a successful entrepreneurial or corporate career.  These women represent a flourishing and unrecognized new market for financial services professionals.” 

The full report, "Exit Strategies of Women and Men Business Owners," is available from the Center for Women’s Business Research for $90. (Discounts are available for Center Corporate Partners and NAWBO members.) 

For more information, contact: Center for Women’s Business Research, 1411 K Street, NW, Suite 1350, Washington, DC 20005-3407.  Phone: 202-638-3060 ext. 710. E-mail: info@womensbusinessresearch.org. Web site: womensbusinessresearch.org. [return to top]

Why are consumers so hesitant to buy a home these days? Don’t they realize that mortgage rates are low, prices are competitive and many buyers and sellers are offering attractive incentives and financing option?

The home building industry needs to educate consumers on the exciting opportunities offered by today’s dynamic housing market.  NAHB Public Affairs is pleased to introduce a package of ready-to-use resources that can help you deliver this message in your own local market. It’s a Great Time to Buy is a package of resources available free online at www.nahb.org/buynowcampaign. Accessible to members only, this online package is intended as a starting point for local public relations campaigns that encourage home shoppers to buy now.

Resources include:

• Talking points, Q&A and a sample press release
•  Sample op-eds, letter to the editor and newspaper columns
•  An economic backgrounder
•  Print and radio advertisements
•  PR advice on getting the message out through the media, events and Web sites
•  An HBA guide to making the most of the package
•  Sample member communications, including a newsletter article and tips for engaging members in the campaign

As situations vary from market to market, It’s a Great Time to Buy is meant to serve as a guide. Call on the Public Affairs staff to help you craft custom PR and media strategies for your market. We welcome your comments and suggestions as well. This is your guide, and if you find there are additional materials you need, do not hesitate to let us know.

Visit www.nahb.org/buynowcampaign today. And direct consumers to our consumer site, www.nahb.org/timetobuy. For more information, contact Niki Clark at nclark@nahb.com or 202-266-8061.

That means Dell’s normal discounts of 3%-5% to NAHB members will double to 6%-10% on essential small business technology, including business-class desktops and cutting-edge notebooks.

Dell not only has the technology to make your home building business run more efficiently — it also offers NAHB members a more efficient way of doing business.

To Get Your Discount 

Visit the Member Advantage main page on the NAHB Web site and click through Dell for complete details.

To maximize your Dell Member Advantage Discount:

After you have made your selections and are ready to purchase, call your dedicated Dell sales representative at 888-577-3355, Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. (CST) and Saturday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (CST). 

Your sales representative will apply your NAHB member discount to your order.

NAHB members who have previously ordered from Dell also receive a monthly catalog, which includes this double discount offer.

The Dell Double Member Discount* offer is valid through 12/31/06.

* Double discounts do not apply to the preconfigured systems which are already priced at up to 20% off. 

Other Member Advantage Discounts 

For the most up-to-date details on the Member Advantage discount program and all of the participating companies, go to the Member Advantage main page on the NAHB Web site. [return to top]