After several record-breaking years for home sales, builders are anticipating a return of the market to a healthy and steady pace.

This home fits right into its neighborhood. It is a mainstream home. Seventy percent of the new homes that Americans buy every year are built by large home building companies that have been seeking ways to incorporate more green-built features into their products. This home offers solutions.

We can't find a period when the investor share of home sales has been higher than in the last year. In the fourth quarter, it looked like investors were starting to step back.

Despite the slippage in home sales there is no evidence of any nationwide softening of home prices, though it may be difficult to avoid some slippage in the price of residential real estate if only because a slower pace of home sales is likely for 2006,

Existing home sales were stronger than expected and that is providing an offset.

But that didn't benefit the motor home sales. Higher fuel prices have been a negative for them.