Housing Giants - July 10, 2008 - (Page 31)

sources for external reports and data macroeconomic data and reports n u .s. census Bureau. look here for data by county, city and zip code, including population, income, education, retail sales, etc. u .s. department of labor. this agency can offer you wage statistics; the consumer price index; and wages by area and occupation. Bureau of economic analysis. turn here for macroeconomic accounts data, including gdp; personal income and outlays; corporate profits; fixed assets; and more. u .s. department of commerce’s economics and statistics administration. tap into monthly comprehensive updates of national economic indicators. n n n n n n n local data and reports office of economic development chamber of commerce apartment associations Home Builder associations With itemization of the ROIC, trending and analysis on a regular basis, home builders can identify small, incremental improvements that can have big cumulative effects on the balance sheet. “You have to look at the data on a month-by-month basis because you have to see trends and patterns to see what is happening. You always need to know where you are with a cash and sales standpoint,” says Gleason. Don Wick, executive vice president of Rockford Homes in central Ohio, says that it is essential for upper management to take a general overview of the entire picture by observing sales, production and how each house or community affects the company’s balance sheet. Wick tracks overhead ratios, model costs per sales volume, sales prices and how that relates to marketing efforts. He also tracks everything throughout a home’s cycle on a 60-line item cost report. Although tracking of the data is important, Wick notes it is critical to look for trends and projections. “The projection of the data is so important as to what you are going to do with your inventory; how you are going to develop it; change your zonings or uses, where the new markets are going to be; and even the future of your own staffing,” says Wick. HG www.Housinggiants.com 7.10.08.Housing giants 31 http://www.census.gov http://www.rockfordhomes.net/ http://www.bls.gov http://www.bea.gov http://www.economicindicators.gov http://www.economicindicators.gov http://www.housinggiants.com

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Housing Giants - July 10, 2008 Contents Viewpoint News & Moves Tech M&A Critical Management Series Part 1

Housing Giants - July 10, 2008

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