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Turning the Corner

Photo by Linda Cullen Photography

No summer is complete without at least few holes of golf, and I have had the privilege of participating in several golf tournaments this summer with members of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities and the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Playing a few rounds with our industry partners proved to be a great opportunity to network in a relaxed atmosphere; I had some positive conversations with homebuilders and suppliers about the housing market. They expressed seeing “a light at the end of the tunnel,” if you will, for the local market.

More recently, I had lunch with Jim McNulty, president of fourth-generation builder McNulty Construction. He, too, expressed optimism when I asked him what he saw in the months ahead. “I think that next spring we will start seeing positive changes for housing,” he said. “The election will be over, things will start to settle down, and this will help consumer confidence return.”

President Bush signed a landmark housing bill at the end of July, which included a first-time homebuyer tax credit. National Association of Home Builders President Sandy Dunn said, “The tax credit is the best stimulative measure. It will increase housing demand, get homebuyers back into the marketplace, and fight falling home prices, which threaten the economy as a whole.”

These are good signs. If you have been on the fence about buying a home, I encourage you to visit the models on the Parade of HomesSM Fall Showcase. To get you started, we have featured several in our annual Parade of HomesSM section in this issue.

In addition, this month’s Midwest Home includes the program guide for the Homes by Architects Tour, coming up September 20-21. This is the first time the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects has organized such a tour, and it features an impressive variety of homes designed by many of the area’s best-known architects. For ideas and inspiration, this looks like a sure bet.