I am doing research on the Home Building industry and am trying to
figure a few things. Would welcome responses from anyone familiar with

the area.

1) Are the large production builders (like Pulte, Centex and
Hovananian) actively moving to larger organized framing operations like
stock building supply, building material holding corporation
(SelectBuild) for their framing needs?


2) Now that housing is slowing, and builders are facing pressure on
their margins, they are trying to push this margin pressure down the
supply chain. Is this pressure sticking, i.e., are their suppliers
(including framers) offering the builders significant discounts, which
would reduce their own, i.e. supplier's, margins. As an alternative,
in order to maintain their own margins, the suppliers could offer
cheaper solutions to help the builders cut their cost of building.
However, this solution may not be acceptable to the builders. Would
love to know the perspective of some of the suppliers dealing with the
big builders?


3) Is construction labor still in short supply?


4) How much of a residential construction slowdown is happening?