The builder, based in Westlake Village, California, has built over 300,000 homes across the United States since its inception, focusing primarily on first-time homebuyers and first- and second-time moveup buyers.

Lincoln Properties, a national builder based in Texas, has built lightweight steel-stud or woodframe housing on decks above garages throughout the Southwest, for example.

Hovnanian Enterprises, the big family-controlled builder based in Red Bank, N.J., pledged in December to spend at least $25 million to buy more land from members of the Hovnanian family.

Jon Rufty, 52, a builder based in Cary, N.C., uses one of the steel-reinforced, cast-in-place concrete homes he built on Topsail Island as a beach house.

Forest City, a national builder based in Cleveland, has already developed this residential form in San Francisco.

Pulte Homes, the builder based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., reported a 36 percent cancellation rate in its third quarter, up from 17 percent in the 2005 third quarter.

The builder, Regency Homes, based in Coral Springs, offers 10 models with 1,200 to 1,550 square feet of air-conditioned space (excluding patio and garage) in a price range of $101,000 to $130,000.

When it comes to building custom luxury homes, finding the right property is the hardest thing for a developer to do, said Mitchell Hochberg, head of Spectrum Group, residential builders based in Valhalla.

Since 1941, the builder, based in Maple Grove, Minnesota, has worked with over 15,000 families, focusing primarily on first-time homebuyers and first-, second, and third-time moveup buyers.

"I'm sure we'll ultimately wind up with buyers, but right now the market is soft," said Mr. Sorbera, a builder based in Manhattan.