Two big news stories broke this week:
1) Home builder confidence is up. Read more.
2) Mortgage foreclosures are down. Read more.

Are these two stories enough to convince you that things are looking better?

A few weeks ago I posted a long list of news headlines from across the country, all with positive stories to tell about the housing market. I argued then, and again today, that good news breeds good news, and bad news breeds bad news. Americans tend to act with a mob mentality, which is bad when everyone tightened their wallets and stops spending. But it’s good when Americans begin taking homes off the market, and giving home builders reasons for feeling so confident about the market.

So I ask you, do you believe we can see the light at the end of the tunnel? Yes, more job losses are in our future, and more businesses will close down, but those market indicators lag behind reality. The important indicators are foreclosures, confidence and home starts — Oh, did I mention single-family home starts didn’t change in March? Read more. This is big news in an economy where flat is considered up.

So, do you believe?

For roughly two months now, I have been meeting Chicago-area readers of Residential Design & Build magazine to shoot video clips that we’re posting on our web site. We ask these architects and builders a few questions about their markets, government actions, green building, and plenty of other topics and record their responses on video (watch them here). They’re under the “Readers speak up” tab.

The visits with these readers have been education for me, and now they can be educational for you. I’ve learned that architects and builders are an adaptable bunch that will do what’s necessary to survive. None of them is sitting still hoping for the best. They’re all making things happen.

One builder finished the basement of a model home with a nice home theater to boost buyer interest, another is working on developing a multi-use community and has figured out a clever way to finance the project that doesn’t involve traditional channels, and still another reader is expanding beyond custom homes including schools, offices and remodeling jobs.

It’s not only the strong who will survive this downturn, it’s the adaptable that will not only survive but thrive when that elusive day arrives when the market finally begins to recover for good.

The results of our annual Market Trends Survey will appear in our April issue, and are online now for your perusal. Here are some teasers to consider:

Financing troubles. There is evidence that the depth of the nation’s financial troubles reaches even wealthy clients who can afford the homes you design and build.

Profit margins. Clearly, profits come second to revenue these days.

Green building. The lure of green buildings is saving money, not the Earth. Survey results also indicate that despite the undeniable gains green design and construction have made in recent years, consumers are willing to forget about green when money becomes an issue.

Similar threats. For the first time in the three years we’ve published our market trends report, the three segments of readership we survey — architecture firms, construction firms and design/build firms — are threatened by the same issues.

The good news is we interviewed top economists from the American Institute of Architects, the National Association of Home Builders and FMI Corp., and all three experts agree the housing market is at the bottom in terms of production levels.

Learn more.