By David MacDougall, TheStreet.com

 

Real estate was ground zero for the economic crisis, and homebuilders' stocks bore the brunt as the credit bubble deflated.

 

To make matters worse, big builders including Toll Brothers, Pulte Homes, KB Home and D.R. Horton carry heavy exposure to Florida and California, states that were hammered harder than most by the recession.

 

Earnings were crushed as a result of the fallout in the housing market, but some investors think the industry is attractive again. Sales of existing homes climbed to 6.1 million units in October, the highest level since February 2007, with the help of tax credits for first-time buyers. It was a 10% jump from September and a 24% gain from a year earlier, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors.

 

Still, it has been a mixed bag for homebuilder stocks. KB Home and D.R. Horton have bettered the S&P 500's 45% increase since early March, with gains of 69% and 171%, respectively. Pulte and Toll Brothers have lagged behind, rising less than 35%. Over the past three years, those stocks have dropped significantly, with KB Home and Pulte falling almost 75%.

• Bing: More on the homebuyer tax credit

Optimism about a stable footing in the real-estate market dimmed last week after the Commerce Department said housing starts fell 11% last month and D.R. Horton missed earnings estimates.

 

Despite the tax credit, potential buyers are gun shy as unemployment continues to rise and existing-home inventory swells, making them worry about their ability to sell if they got into financial trouble.

 

Analysts are predicting homebuilder losses will stretch into next year. They could very well extend beyond that, given the unpredictability of the rebound. As it stands now, expecting runaway profitability before 2012 is a pipe dream.

Homebuilders enjoy the greatest success when they're able to sell into overheating markets at prices that dwarf costs. Since current real-estate markets resemble a frozen tundra more than a frying pan, patience is required if investors are looking for big gains.

 

Investors will benefit by investing in early-stage recovery bets, such as energy and business-infrastructure stocks, rather than homebuilders. Once the rebound is in full swing and some of the major economic problems facing the country, such as inflation and taxation, clear up, homebuilders could be a smart bet.

 

When the turn happens, builders that focus on so-called green building and sensibly sized homes will be the best investments. While people will no doubt gravitate toward extravagance at some point, the taste of the most recent crisis will likely still be in the mouths of many, leading them to scale back in the hopes of being more rational the next time around.

 

Related Articles

 

Good news in housing: home sales up

 

Homebuilder losers: Horton hears a boo

 

Housing starts hit hard stop in October