|
Brochure Tells Hesitant Home Buyers ‘Opportunity Knocks’
At a time when consumers are doing their research before making decisions, NAHB has published a brochure for prospective home buyers explaining in depth why the current housing marketplace offers unprecedented opportunities.
Despite the current cyclical downturn in the housing market, most households who have not purchased a home expect to do so sometime in the future, and “Opportunity Knocks for Home Buyers” provides detailed information on why today’s inventory, pricing, interest rates and home features are especially favorable.
The brochure also offers advice for prospective buyers who have been discouraged by this fall’s financial turmoil. As participants at NAHB’s recent Construction Forecast Conference observed, it is especially difficult at this time to make predictions about when exactly the housing market will begin turning around. However, most forecasts foresaw market activity beginning to improve not too far in the distant future.
“Given the ongoing turmoil in the housing and financial markets, many people who want to buy homes are sitting on the fence, either waiting for the market to bottom out or fearing that it never will,” the brochure says.
“So what is the chance that the market will continue to decline, prices will continue to drop and a home purchased today will be worth less a year from now? Of course, no one can know for sure what will happen a month, six months or a year from now. Housing is predictably cyclical, but the current housing slump has already lasted longer than previous downturns. Moreover, timing the market is a strategy that rarely works; by the time it’s clear that a market has turned around, it’s too late to take best advantage of the conditions at the bottom.
“It’s also important to remember that home prices have not declined equally in all areas. Where housing is concerned, all markets are local and all perform differently. Yes, some markets have seen significant declines, but for the most part they are the markets that had the largest increases during the recent housing boom. Many markets saw modest increases and have experienced relatively modest declines."
To access and download the brochure, click here.
Home builders associations and NAHB members are encouraged to post the brochure on their Web sites or print out copies and distribute them in sales offices or at parades of homes, home shows and more.
Space has been left on the back of the brochures so that they can be personalized with contact information using stamps or stickers.
For more information, contact NAHB Public Affairs by e-mail, or telephone 800-368-5242 x8447.
|
