Design Basic Announces Release of Leading St. Louis-Area Housing Expert's Annual Forecast

Columbia, IL, January 11, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Design Basics of Omaha, NE, is pleased to announce that one of their Woman-Centric Matters(sm) licensees, CA Jones, Inc., of Columbia, IL, has released his eagerly-anticipated annual housing forecast for 2008. Chris Jones, owner of CA Jones, Inc., is one of the most respected homebuilders in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Citing several factors in his forecast, Jones’ outlook on the housing market differs from the concerns reported by others since he believes that 2008 will be a more positive time of opportunity for both builders and buyers.

Jones states, “Of course, 2007 was a difficult time in our industry. But it laid the groundwork for what can be a very beneficial time for both buyers and builders in the coming year. We feel 2008 will provide some unique real estate opportunities in the St. Louis market. With builder incentives at an all-time high and interest rates at record lows (currently around 6% for a 30-year fixed rate), there’s no doubt about it, the time to invest in your future is now.”

Additionally, Jones believes that builders need to recognize this unique time in the industry as an opportunity to improve. Using his own business as an example, Jones notes that 2007 was a transition year. “We have always been focused on a quality experience for our buyers and building the best homes we can. And we’ve been quite successful. But in 2007, we wanted to take the whole process to the next level of excellence.”

Jones explains that CA Jones, Inc. is now the exclusive Woman-Centric Matters (sm) licensed homebuilder in the Eastern St. Louis metropolitan area, with the homebuying experience and home plan design all from the female perspective.

“It makes sense for both men and women because the whole approach is about really considering the details of how a home actually lives, how every day life will be impacted by every element of the design,” Jones says. He explains that the woman-centric business paradigm has been researched extensively by Design Basics of Omaha, NE, the largest home plan design firm in America, and is a very careful, interactive way of doing business. “It is the difference homebuyers are looking for. For our company, we feel 2008 will afford new opportunities when we consider our unique new Woman-Centric floor plans, tighter more efficient operations, and new focus on what our customers truly want.”

For the St. Louis housing market, Jones summarizes, “I don’t believe 2008 will be a booming year, of course, but I predict it will hold steady and certainly not be full of the doom and gloom some are anticipating. Opportunities are there now for buyers to make some excellent investments and for builders to make sound business changes that will positively impact their growth in years to come.”

About CA Jones, Inc.: Listed as one of the Top 25 Largest Homebuilders by St. Louis Business Journal. A leading innovative builder in the Southern Illinois and Eastern St. Louis metropolitan area, CA Jones, Inc. is the exclusive Woman-Centric Matters (sm) licensed homebuilder in St. Clair and Monroe counties in Illinois. Committed to maintaining the highest standards, CA Jones, Inc. is a member in good standing with several Chambers of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, the Regional Commerce and Growth Association, the National Home Builders Association, the Southwest Home Builders Association, and the Monroe County Home Builders Association. C.A. Jones, Inc. also adheres to the Illinois Quality Assurance Builder Standards established by the Illinois Home Builders Association. Although these standards are not yet mandatory in the business, C.A. Jones, Inc integrated them into the company's standard operating procedures several years ago.

About Design Basics: Design Basics, the nation’s largest home plan design service to the building industry, designs and markets plans for single-family homes through catalogs, newsstand magazines and home building industry publications. Additionally, Design Basics is a leading expert in gender and generational marketing with innovative programs such as Woman-Centric Matters(sm) and Boomer-Centric(sm).

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