It's hard to believe that home buyers would camp out in front of model homes for a chance to purchase production homes priced at $1 million or more.

Goodwill efforts aren't money makers, but they reinforce the image of the home builder, and often general valuable press coverage as well.

DeLuca Enterprises Inc., Newtown, Pa., shows its appreciation to realtors who bring them potential customers by giving away trips to overseas destinations in drawings held four times a year.

Ever since the very first baby boomer turned 50 in 1996, the building industry has been struggling with the dilemma of how to prepare for this huge wave of potential new home buyers when their nexts begin to empty.

In Simsbury, Conn., just northwest of Hartford, a 31-unit cluster development called Summerfield in attracting empty nesters and retirees in search of low-maintenance living.

Inverness at Gregg's Landing offers all the conveniences of a condominium in the city,except that it's a suburban subdivision of single-family homes.

Wendy and Alan Smith bought their new home almost by accident.

After Lloyd and Cherlyn Lowe's children moved out of their house on Chicago's south side,the couple contemplated their first home purchase in 25 years.

Two years ago,when the baby boomers started turning 50, Randy Sebastian formulated a strategy to capture that market.