Builders Think Worst Is Over...

The aisles are a little wider at the Moscone Center in San Francisco at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference, the nation's largest regional trade show, and the crowds are somewhat thinner. But the builders and exhibitors who are here are generally optimistic that the worst is over. According to a survey of registered attendees by Immersa Marketing on behalf of PCBC, nearly a third said their businesses have stopped constricting and 40% said their businesses have actually begun to recover. "We hope the turnaround two out of five builders are experiencing will soon be experienced by many more," said Linda Baysari, senior vice president of PCBC. The West has been particularly hard hit by the housing and banking crises, with only 4% of the respondents saying they have been unaffected by the recession. And as a result, the professionals here say they are adapting. Nearly two-thirds of the attendees said they are becoming more competitive, and 60% said they are exploring new housing products, including smaller houses, better use of design and greater densities. Some 55% said they were becoming more innovative. Furthermore, most said they are committed to a business they enjoy. "Homebuilders tend to be resourceful by nature," Baysari said.