Opinion

Sales of new single-family homes in February fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 250,000, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The February stat is the lowest since the government began keeping track in 1963.

New-home sales for the month are 16.9% below the revised January rate of 301,000 and 28.0% below the estimate from February 2010.

Also, the report estimated the median sales price of new homes sold in February was $202,100, the lowest since December 2003.

With the elections over and the Republicans having gained the majority in the House and having made significant gains in the Senate, many in Washington have witnessed a change in the tone of legislative activity. 


The following letters were a response to the article "Dealer turned commando stops alleged thief."

Throughout the downturn of the last four years or so we have seen the lumber and building materials industry shrink dramatically. Some estimates of sales shrinkage at the dealer level put it beyond 50%. In some markets, that estimate is absurdly low. There is no denying that everyone in all segments and steps in the chain is battered. Unfortunately, even the homeowner/consumer is somewhat damaged as well. 


Wayne, N.J.-based roofing and ventilation manufacturer GAF was recently awarded four American Graphic Design Awards. 

The company also won an American Package Design Award for its TruSlate Sample Box. There were over 1,500 submissions in this contest, organized by Graphic Design USA magazine, which rewards packaging, p-o-p and related projects that are visually attractive and which feature designs that advance the brand and forge an emotional connection with the purchaser.

Orlando, Fla. -- Chicago-based hardware co-op True Value Co. reported wholesale revenues increased 2.3% in the fourth quarter of 2010, and retail revenues increased 4.6% for the quarter.

CEO Lyle Heidemann delivered the preliminary results to True Value members during the General Session of the co-op's 2011 Spring & Rental Market held here in Orlando. 

"Our fourth quarter results should give us some momentum going into 2011," Heidemann said. 

The Hillman Group has announced the acquisition of TagWorks, a pet ID tag program, for $40 million in cash plus an additional consideration of $12.5 million on Oct. 31, 2011. TagWorks is responsible for paying $18.5 million in outstanding debt and transaction fees from the proceeds. The deal closed on March 16. 

Having worked heavily with marketing research for more than 30 years, I know just how useful it can be to make better business decisions, but like all tools there are limitations. One very important issue with marketing research is that we often measure peoples’ attitudes, but what we really care about is their behavior. In some cases, there is a very close link between the two and sometime not so much. Let’s consider two examples.