Odds of an economic recession occurring were an estimated 30 to 40 percent, with the first half of this year seen as more susceptible to a downturn than the second. Without a significant growth slump, said the experts, conditions should start improving in late 2001 and early 2002. NAHB chief economist David Seiders predicted a 5-6 percent decline in sales and production of new homes this year, but said favorable interest rates should be a stabilizing factor. Fellow panelist Joan McCloskey, executive building editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, concurred. Today's patio surrounds are much more like private fencing instead of spindly railings.
People love to be outdoors and want more privacy.
Findings of NAHB's survey, What the 21 st Century Home Buyer Wants, were derived from responses by some 1,200 households that had purchased a new home in the last two years or plan to do so within the next two years. Those findings indicated that large kitchens, high ceilings and laundry and dining rooms are all considered essential elements of a new home, while living rooms are not. Nearly half of respondents preferred floor plans that included a large kitchen with an adjacent family room that is visually open or divided with a half wall. Nearly 80 percent of respondents rated a walk-in kitchen pantry as desirable or essential, while 71 percent wanted island work areas and 59 percent favored light wood cabinets. It virtually guarantees that the investment people made to come to Atlanta will keep paying off all year round.