BOSTON – Despite concerns about the condition of the economy, there are still many positive factors affecting housing expansion. A presentation by Robert Dietz of the National Association of Home Builders on housing trends, demographics, construction metrics, inventory and forecasts focused on positive and negative factors affecting housing growth. A few takeaways from that presentation at the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America meeting in Boston: --The new townhouse market is expanding, and Dietz sees this as a real growth market.

The housing upturn that took root last year is expected to pick up momentum in 2013 but headwinds along a number of fronts could impede the pace of the recovery, according to economists speaking at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas today.