Main Street Homes

While public companies report record orders, many hometown builders have a different experience to report--weakening demand, ruthless price concessions, and a shifting market."The entry-level and the high-end custom remains pretty good, but the middle has just gone away," says Victoria, Texas-based builder Steve Klein, who spans the spectrum from entry-level production homes to million-dollar custom projects.Main Street Homes owners Steve Bartholomew and David LeBoeuf found their niche in building affordable homes for Austin families. More

Unemployment insurance could remove one major obstacle to new-home sales, too. More

Howard: The tax credit 'will get potential home buyers who have been sitting on the fence back in the game.' More