ADVISORY/Experts Available to Discuss January's Drop in Residential Construction Activity.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

TOPIC: A report from the Commerce Department stated there was a 7.9% drop in residential construction from December 2003 to January of this year, according to an article by The Associated Press. However, experts say the housing market is expected to remain healthy. A survey, conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, cited harsh weather as partially to blame for the decline in construction activity.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

Scott Gibson, of Coldwell Banker, has more than 25 years of real estate experience. He oversees operations of 50 offices and more than 3,800 sales associates in Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Gibson can address local and national real estate trends, such as where the overall residential real estate market is starting to soften and an insider's perspective of real estate economics, such as how the industry is bolstering the economy for banks, owners and buyers. PR Contact: Chad Darwin, 323-966-5730, [e-mail]

Frank Norton, of The Norton Agency, annually publishes and presents an exclusive "Native Intelligence" report, an economic forecast regarding residential and commercial growth in northeast Georgia that identifies regional trends area businesses and governments consider when making decisions. 2003 marked the 17th year of the report. The Norton Agency is the leading real estate and insurance company in North Georgia. Norton is a proponent of "right" growth, which is determined by the individual needs of each community (i.e. what is right for one may not be right for another). He is also one of the few developers in favor of impact fees to help pay for growth needs. PR Contact: Geri Naylor, 770-536-8921, [e-mail]

Jim Waldrop, president and CEO of HomeSphere, is an expert in the homebuilding process and the software (builders project management software), e-commerce, and rebates that drive it. Jim is the former CTO of Pulte Homes--one of America's largest homebuilders and he is an astute observer and commentator on the homebuilding process and the business of homebuilding. PR Contact: John Wagner, 919-796-9984, [e-mail]

ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.

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