News: April 1, 2009

NAHB Large, Small Builders Split OverTax Break — The Wall Street Journal

Tensions over the tax credits rise among large and smaller builders within the NAHB, and it could cost CEO Jerry Howard his job.

... And a Los Angeles Times Blogger Notices the Rift — The Los Angeles Times

Sister Cos. File for Bankruptcy Protection— WakeMyNC.com

Anderson Homes and sister company Vanguard Homes, both based in North Carolina, filed petitions for bankruptcy protection.

Syracuse buyer traffic picks up after news of tax credit — WSYR-TV

A Realtor in the Syracuse, N.Y., area noticed an immediate uptick after the $8,000 tax credit in the stimulus package was announced.

... And Spokane, Wash., Realtors say the same thing. — KREM-TV

Fewer Folks Looking for A New Home In Terra Haute, Ind. — WTHI-TV

February had a 22 percent increase in home building nationwide, but builders in the Terra Haute, Ind., area aren't feeling the boost yet.

Maryland Builders See Flickers of Life — Baltimore Sun

Spring is around the corner, and home builders in Maryland are seeing more serious buyers walk through their model homes.

New Construction Projects on Rise In Providence, R.I., Area — WPRI-TV

The biggest new construction increase has been in multi-family construction.

Las Vegas Builders Adapt to Changes — LasVegasNow.com

Las Vegas is struggling even though other parts of the nation is seeing some uptick in some housing markets.

Huntsville, Ala., Housing Market Shrinking — The Huntsville Times

Building permits for single-family homes in the Huntsville, Ala., market decreased again. The home builders are being more conservative in their business plans and may see an increase soon.

Have We Hit Bottom? — Bloomberg TV

Bloomberg TV commentators speculate on whether or not the turnaround has begun. Affordability is a big factor.

Uptick Could Be False Hope — Chicago Tribune

New housing data shows improvement in the housing market overall, but few are willing to say the market bottomed out.

The World's Greenest Building? — KGW-TV

"This will be the greenest living possible — except for a teepee," the builder says of Independence Station, a mixed-use development in the Northwest.

Fed Buys Securities to Bring Down Cost of New Mortgages — WKRC-TV

The Federal Reserve Bank purchased U.S. treasuries to lower the interest rates associated with the securities.

Multifamily Houses and Rentals to Lead Recovery — Forbes

The real-estate market is down because housing construction is down, but economists predict that multifamily housing and apartments will lead the recovery possibly before the year is out.

Weak Demand Forces Weyerhaeuser to Close Lumber Mills — Bloomberg

Lumber mills in Oregon and Oklahoma are shutting down immediately and reducing lumber output elsewhere to keep with the slow pace of the housing market.