Some home builder news. "Brookfield Homes Corporation today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2006. Housing revenue totaled $122 million, compared to $143 million in 2005."

"The decrease in housing revenue is primarily due to fewer units closed during the quarter compared to 2005, and a decrease in the company's average home selling price to $634,000 from $645,000 in 2005."

"Growth in earnings per share is a result of the company's 2005 share buybacks and tender offer."

"With the slow demand for new homes in the San Diego/Riverside and Washington D.C. markets, it will be mid-summer 2006 before a better assessment of the 2006 home closings will be made. The company's lots owned or controlled total 29,660. Direct ownership of 12,855 lots provides strong visibility on our future cash flows, and 16,805 lots under option."

"Total starts of California's single and multifamily housing dropped 19.5 percent in March from the same period a year ago, the California Building Industry Association announced Tuesday."

"'The housing market has cooled from the levels of the past couple of years and builders are adjusting,' said Layne Marceau, CBIA chairman. 'We expect that once standing inventory levels are reduced we will see a stable and healthy market, and that 2006 will be a good year for home building around the state.'"

From Utah. "Washington County businesses gathered Tuesday afternoon to learn more about issues surrounding economic impacts of home building. Housing policy economist Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., geared the presentation toward answering one question; does growth pay for itself?"

"'Do the taxes generated from the enterprise cover the cost of infrastructure?' asked Eisenberg, speaking in terms of building schools, jails, fire, water and waste departments as well as maintaining the services. His answer; an emphatic 'yes.'"

"'People who say home building wrecks the quality of life...it's a subjective argument,' said Eisenberg, noting bigger cities enable citizens to enjoy more redundant infrastructure."

From Arizona. "They’re the ones who will quadruple Florence’s nonprison population. They’ll stretch the definition of “East Valley” even farther down Hunt Highway, farther into Pinal County. Their presence will demand new retail, medical and school facilities in the county and town."

"The first residents of Anthem at Merrill Ranch will make their homes there this summer, and, for a while at least, they’ll travel on two-lane roads to do it. Florence Town Manager Himanshu Patel said probably more than 100 of the roughly 9,100 homes in the subdivisions have been sold. He said the home construction is generating excitement in the town of 5,400."

"John Montgomery said he was looking for a second home as an investment property. Family homes at Anthem range in starting prices from $179,900 to $449,900 and in size from 1,250 square feet to 4,223 square feet. 'Pinal County’s booming and you’ve got the lower prices here,' Montgomery said."

"A discovered treasure is what Will White, a land broker for Arizona Land investors in Tucson, said Benson has become for incoming developers. One of those developments is Whetstone Ranch. The 20,000-home development covers 15,500 acres along State Route 90."

"As developers have started looking at Benson, property values here have already doubled and tripled, White said. White said only time will tell if all the land purchases, developments and visions of greatness will actually pan out."

"One sign of success in Benson is the number of homes being sold in the 201-home Kartchner Vistas subdivision Meritage Homes is building the development on the west side of State Route 90. Shelley Corsi, a sales assistant for Meritage, said they have already sold 26. With prices ranging from $229,900 and $279,900, the homes sizes range from 1,400 square feet to 2,280 square feet."

"'Meritage has the market right now because they had the foresight,' White said. '"They are selling homes without even having a model up. That is a very good sign.'"