There have been some further signs from the Fed that the credit crunch is rapidly coming to an end.

Stocks of residential builders have benefited amid signs of improvement in the troubled housing sector, although there are those that largely chalk up any gains to controversial tax credits for home buyers.

Yesterday biz TV went ga-ga over Toll Brothers (TOL) order numbers and the “unbelievable” 6.9% cancellation rate. Similarly on Tuesday Beazer Homes (BZH) reported a shockingly bullish profit for the quarter. Time for me to throw a couple of wet blankets on these parades.Let me first get to the Toll Brothers cancellation issue. With Average Selling Prices (ASP) above $500 000 and presumably not many of the underlying loans qualifying for the 3% down “no-skin-in-the-game” GSE loans (but wait didn’t Senator Chris Dodd underpin much of his financial reform bill on the concept of investors having “skin in the ...

The home-building industry is hunkering down for a tough winter that could see an even bigger drop-off in activity than normal due to rising unemployment in the economic recession.

Beazer Homes USA Inc., the home builder that's endured liquidity problems and investigations into its mortgage operations, says it swung to a fiscal fourth-quarter profit as orders for new homes rose modestly.

NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by RothmanResearch.com.