Attention homeowners and buyers! Become an advocate for homeownership. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) launched, www.ProtectHomeownership.com, a new website that helps educate owners and buyers of the potential threats to homeownership.

New legislation and regulatory proposals are under consideration that can threaten homeowners, homebuyers and even the economy. These policies could possibly eliminate the mortgage interest deduction, and make mortgages and small business loans unaffordable and even more difficult to obtain.

“American families aspire to homeownership because they know that it promotes stability and is critical in creating wealth and providing upward mobility and financial security for families. Equally important, homeownership supports the economy by creating jobs,” said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “Government policies that negatively impact families’ ability to own a home would be devastating for home owners, the housing market and the nation’s economy.”

This website includes a petition urging policymakers to keep housing a national priority, participation information in homeownership rallies across the country and links to Facebook and Twitter.

“New home construction spurs productivity, creates jobs for millions of Americans and generates revenues for all levels of government,” said Rutenberg. “This website will help educate the public about the imminent threats to the American Dream of homeownership and empower them to make sure their voices are heard.”

The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 140,000 members involved in remodeling, home building, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. NAHB is affiliated with 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB’s builder members will construct about 80 percent of the new housing units projected for this year.

According to a new Coldwell Banker Real Estate survey, 79 percent of Americans say this recession has caused the country to rethink the reasons for owning a home. Now, homeowners believe the value in a home should be emotional, not financial. Proof of this comes from the 90 percent of people who believe the home they own is too expensive for their income level, and 80 percent of people are no longer willing to stretch for a bigger house.

“Americans now recognize that they don’t need the biggest, most ornate home on the block,” says Robi Ludwig, a New York-based psychotherapist who partnered in the survey. “Rather, they can and should live within their means.”

This redefinition of homeownership as it fits into the American Dream will play a key role in the housing recovery. More people will now be looking for a home that they can afford, and one that reflects their personality and inner values.

This shift of a backwards nature, as Americans go back to what prior generations were looking for when they bought a home, a decent place to live and raise a family. “It’s only been in the last few years that the conversation has shifted almost entirely to the financial aspect of homeownership,” said Jim Gillespie, CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate.

For more on national real estate trends, be sure to visit our site.

The metro areas with the most construction permits for 2011 include: Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; Washington D.C.; New York, NY; Austin, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Seattle, WA; Atlanta, GA and San Antonio, TX. Noticeably, four Texas cities made this top ten list.

The metro areas with the most construction activity in 2011 include: El Paso, TX; Austin, TX; Raleigh, NC; Houston, TX; Charleston, SC; Dallas, TX; Little Rock, AR; Baton Rouge, LA; Washington D.C. and Columbia, SC. Again, four Texas cities top this list.

On the flip side, the metro areas with the least construction activity for 2011 include: Detroit, MI; Long Island, NY; Providence, RI; Springfield, MA; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; New Haven, CT; Dayton, OH: Toledo, OH and Ventura County, CA.

These trends show that construction is higher across the mid-south, mountain states and west coast, but New England, the Great Lakes area and coastal California are not seeing construction increasing as rapidly.

If you’re interested in living one of the top growing cities, Atlanta, be sure to visit Atlanta Real Estate Forum for information on the Atlanta real estate market.

Implementing fun programs for children can help them learn the value of saving—a skill not everyone has mastered. Using coupons or allowances to redeem their TV or play time is a quick way for them to learn to handle money properly. Children can also learn other basic money management concepts, such as long-term saving, short-term saving, charitable giving, and prioritizing.

By starting off when your children young, you will make it easier to teach them more complex concepts later on. However, these lessons aren’t just for younger kids, but also for teenagers who are able to understand more complex money management. From babysitting and yard work to after-school employment, teenagers can quickly learn the value of a dollar by having a part-time jobs. They learn how to save, spend cautiously and what happens when the wallet is empty.

Additionally, more complex concepts like interest and borrowing can give children lessons in investing. One tip is to open up a bank account with them and let them make small mistakes with their money.

By starting early, your children will get a leg up on money management, saving money, and setting financial goals later in life. For more information on these and related topics, visit the Equifax Finance Blog.

The new exhibit occupies seven galleries on the second floor of the museum and is an exploration into the techniques, influences, emotions, designs, history, activities and objects that are put into creating personal spaces.

One of the biggest pieces of the exhibit is a combined open space divided into home on one side and house on the other. The house exhibit includes 14 scale models of iconic American residences and life-size wall sections with hands-on exploration of residential construction techniques. On the other hand, the home side includes 200 household items and silent films of people enjoying their home.

The rest of the smaller galleries focus on specific aspects of construction, residential design, government involvement, ownership, economics, discrimination and the recent housing crash. A final gallery shows a merge of a house becoming a home and a home becoming a community.

In addition to this innovative exhibit, the museum will host related events such as student apprenticeships, adult courses, large family festivals and a professional symposia.

The House & Home exhibit will be an exhibit at the museum through May 1, 2017, so those interested in checking it out will have plenty of time to plan their visit to Washington D.C.

Interested museum visitors, can visit the National Building Museum website. For more information on buying a new house to turn into a home, visit our site.

The Acadia Builder Neighborhood Referral Program is open to absolutely anyone. If you refer a buyer to any of their 11 metro Atlanta communities you will receive a $1,500 check from the builder once the home closes.

“Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods has launched this new referral program to give our current homeowners, as well as others, just one more reason to tell their friends about our communities,” says Sam Bass, Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods sales manager. “At Acadia we understand that personal referrals have a strong influence on buyers.”

With homes starting in the $170,000’s, Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods offers options all over metro Atlanta. Homes feature flexible floorplans, name brand products and custom upgrades.

Acadia’s 11 metro Atlanta communities include: City Park, and The Reserve at City Park in Atlanta, Reece Farms in Powder Springs, Wellstone at Middle Creek in Cumming, Bakers Farm in the Chateau Élan area of Braselton, Sherwood Park in Smyrna, Crabapple Crossing and Crabapple Station in Alpharetta, Arbor Green in Kennesaw, Burnt Hickory Township in Kennesaw and The Preserve at Wiley Bridge in Woodstock.

For more information on Acadia’s other communities or the new referral program, please visit the Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods website. For continual updates, “Like” us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AcadiaHomes.