[Photo: Lea Furniture]
The furniture industry seeks to find out what kids do in their rooms. Why? The better to market to them, my dear. Story

Home Front
Briefs and news of note

Community living
How involved in sales should association be?
Question: A lot of our residents say that no one told them before they purchased in our community that there was a homeowners association. I don't think that's an association issue. Who is responsible for the oversight?

Approval expected for merger of builders' groups
The merger of builders' associations in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties is expected to be approved next month by the National Association of Home Builders.

House Values
Palm Harbor

Homebuyer U
TOPIC: "Road Map to Ownership" free home-buyer seminar. SPONSOR: Century 21 East Lake and Abraham Mortgage. WHERE: Century 21 East Lake Realty, Shoppes at Boot Ranch, 782 East Lake Road, Palm Harbor. WHEN: 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays. COST: Free. CALL: (727) 409-4583.

Designers move toward family friendly environments
Say goodbye to over-the-top looks as home designs move toward refinement and subtlety.

Construction trades build up image for recruiting
Facing a shortage of 46,000 workers in the construction trades by 2008, the Florida Home Builders Association has launched a recruitment drive aimed at high school students.

St. Petersburg Times real estate classified ads:

Regional real estate links:
Tampa Bay Homes - Search local MLS listings, a service of Tampabay.com.
Florida Home Builders - features Florida developers with Web sites.

Other real estate links:
Cost of Living calculator: compares the cost of living in any two cities. Also includes links to Salary Calculator and Moving Calculator among other tools.
Home Buyer and Renter Consumer Information: From the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Home Buying Tips: from the U.S. Government General Services Administration.
Realtor.com: includes info on buying and selling real estate, allows you to browse property ads in the U.S. and locate realtors.