Number Crunch: January 2008

This article first appeared in the PB January 2008 issue of Pro Builder.

Sidebars:
30
47%
$165 million
2020
65

303,129,820
The U.S. population in millions as of Oct. 15, 2007, according to the Census Bureau. It projects the U.S. population to be more than 400 million by 2050.

65
Years the NAHB has provided resources to builders. Founded in 1942, NAHB currently has more than 235,000 members.

10.2 million
The number of results on Google in October when searching for the key words "home builders."

3648
The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act H.R. 3648 passed in the Senate on Dec. 14, 2007. The act provides relief to homeowners by excluding the debt forgiven following mortgage foreclosure from tax liability. At our deadline, it awaits the President's signature.

$47 million
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao awarded $47 million to 96 YouthBuild groups in October. YouthBuild puts at-risk youths to work on construction projects, helping them acquire education, training and leadership skills for future careers.

2/8/2007
Show Village 2008 planning began on this date last year.

30 How many times your employees are likely checking e-mail during the day, according to a study by the University of Glasgow and Paisley University in Scotland.
47% The unemployment rate in the United States in September 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In September 1982, the unemployment rate was 9.7 percent.
$165 million The asking price for the most expensive home in the United States in 2007, as of October, as reported by Forbes.com.
2020 Living on the moon may be a possibility sooner than you think. NASA hopes to have a habitable lunar base by 2020.
65 The spot on Professional Builder's 2007 Giant 400 that belongs to Arthur Rutenberg Homes of Clearwater, Fla.