and they are catching on big!

Map shows wide range of trade-in activity

All over the US, builders are taking used houses in trade for new ones. Each of the 36 cities marked by a circle (above) reported "yes, we're taking trades." Six other cities (square) said "not yet,"� but reported awakening interest in trades. House & Home queried nahb officials, builders, banks, realtors.

Trade-ins are booming in every section of the country.

The new changes in fha regulations on trade-ins, detailed on page 128, are sure to add to trading volume. But the rewards of trading were already well on their way to creating a new industry before the fha regulations went into effect.

Back in November 1955 a H&H Round Table on trade-ins reported:

"Again and again we hear builders say: "�As long as we can sell houses without trade-ins, we'd be crazy to take on such a headache.' "�

Now the burst of trading is evidence that the time has come when many builders can't be sure of selling without trading; so they are trading in a big way.

The trade-in map shown above merely hints at the richness and scope of today's trading market. There is a richness of variety, too, for the ways of trading are endless.

Builders often work with realtors

Because trading takes know-how, most builders tie up with a realtor or use a separate real estate staff, familiar

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