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Tuolumne County, California is a good place for a home building company right now as the area recorded higher house construction activities in the past 10 months. Although house building in the area is still way below the level experienced during the housing industry boom, the number of activities is still better than year-ago levels.

Home data showed the county issuing building permits for 1,131 projects for the period January 1-November 16, 2010. The projects are estimated to have a collective value of $34 million, with 45 of the permits issued for single family dwellings that have a construction value of $8.4 million. Housing market analysts have stated that permits for the construction of single family dwellings give a reliable estimate of the building industry's condition.

Data for the permits included big projects like commercial construction projects and renovation of commercial structures and small initiatives like installations of water heaters and home improvement-related efforts. The current year's home building company permits are considered an improvement from 2009 when the full year total was at 1,025. Out of this number, 49 were issued for the construction of single family dwellings.

The Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority has reported that it is not only residential construction that has improved in the area but also commercial property building. Renovations are also rising among a number of commercial properties, including projects involving Taco Bell, Subway and Grocery Outlet. In addition, a store is reportedly being planned for the Mervyn's building located at the Sonora Crossroads complex. The project is expected to bring building permit totals even higher.

According to local officials, the increase signals an improvement in the building sector of the county, although they did admit that the area still has some ways to go in terms of recovering from the market slump caused by the huge supplies of foreclosures. They added that construction activities have risen primarily because developers are taking advantage of low costs.

Since fewer construction projects are available, a local home building company is usually forced to lower its bid, thereby providing a lot of incentives for developers to take the plunge. Local officials have also reported that the construction activity figure might even be higher if small projects that have not notified the county are to be counted.

New housing sales rose in the U.S. for September by 6.6% when compared with August 2010. The report from the U.S. Commerce Department has been welcomed by national home builders who have suffered through five consecutive months of the poorest sales on record since 1963 when the National Association of Home Builders started keeping track of sales figures.

However, some housing market analysts have stated that the nationwide housing sales figures for September only seemed an improvement because previous months' totals have been really low. They further added that overall sales totals will remain low so long as consumers remain wary of the threat of unemployment.

Locally, sales of homes in Frederick County, Maryland for September declined to 195 from 208 in August based on data released by the Maryland Association of Realtors. Local realtors have reported that most home buyers are afraid to make any purchase because of stories they have heard from others about finding it difficult to sale their properties due to declining values and unsteady job markets.

National home builders and realtors all over the country are reportedly frustrated by the pervading fear among potential home buyers. They reported that, despite the low mortgage loan rates on offer and the huge supplies of affordable dwellings, buyers are still staying away from the home selling market.

However, small portions of regions near Maryland are reporting stronger home selling markets, including Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia. This news has been welcomed by Frederick County realtors, with most of them expecting the good fortune of these areas to trickle down to the county and precipitate a recovery within the coming six months.

With overall housing sales climbing, confidence among builders is also improving, according to market observers. The Housing Market Index of the National Association of Home Builders has shown improvement along with sales numbers. The index is pegged at 16 for September which equals the June 2010 index.

Most national home builders are optimistic that the rise in home sales will continue slowly through the rest of 2010. They did however, cited difficulties in acquiring credit as one of the factors that can hinder the market from mounting a serious recovery.

Ed Nikles Custom Builder Inc., one of Pennsylvania's top custom home builders, took home top honors at the 2010 Pike County Builders Association (PCBA) special event held on September 14, 2010. The firm won the builder construction and architectural awards for the category covering 3,500-4,500 square-foot-structures.

According to the company, the homeowners that earned the firm their awards, came to Nikles and presented a magazine picture showing a house they want. The company took the photograph and made a list of the client's requirements and created a custom-made dwelling for them.

The winning home has a space of 3,877 square feet and is located in a five-acre land. It features a master bedroom that has vaulted ceilings, a bath, a whirlpool tub, a stone fireplace, built-in closets and access to the sundeck. The foyer led to the bedroom suite with all the walls made of glass. The right side of the room features an informal dining space adjoining the huge kitchen that features granite and tile materials.

Nikles is one of the country's top custom home builders and is also known to be a full service design and home construction firm. The company has won several state as well as national honors from bodies like the NAHB or the National Association of Home Builders because of their commitment to provide 100 percent customer satisfaction.

The recent home built by Nikles, which earned for the company its latest honor, has been praised for its one of a kind plan and design. Aside from the master suite, it also features a formal dining space, a garage for three automobiles and an open staircase that leads to the second floor. There are also several guest bedrooms, an entry deck, a balcony, a sundeck and a basement, which were brought together cohesively by one of the state's top custom home builders.

Most home building companies in Memphis, Tennessee have learned to adapt to the impact of the foreclosure crisis on the housing market. A big number of home builders are varying their designs and are opting for more functional home features instead of focusing on aesthetics.

The National Association of Home Builders has reported that builders' monthly confidence index has declined in August 2010. This marks the third month in a row that the home building construction industry shows a lack of belief in the housing market. The index dropped to 13, making it the lowest score since March of last year.

A recent conviction is of great interest to home building contractors all around the country. At the Middlesex Superior Court, new home and renovation contractor Peter DeGennaro was convicted of fraud in five counts and another five counts for embezzlement.

May turned out to be a period when a home construction company found itself with a lot of free time. According to the latest homebuilding statistics, residential construction activities declined by 10% during the month, leading homebuilders to say that their sector is unlikely to play any significant role in the economic recovery.

The process of house building in Sidney, Montana involves several steps and one of these is acquiring a building permit. Based on local statistics, more than $80 million worth of building permits were issued by the area for commercial and residential construction between 1999 and 2009.

Building costs can be prohibitive whether it be a new home or a renovation. For consmers looking to commence home improvements a little help from the is more than welcome. There is a tax credit for home improvements that is set to expire at the end of 2010 and forms part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009.

Home construction firm Pulte Homes, the biggest home builder in the country, has been trying to perform its obligations to homeowners affected by the collapse in January of the retaining wall of its housing development called Rivermist in San Antonio, Texas.