How important is the Latino community to the home-building industry?
Cisneros: There are communities in which, if a builder doesn’t comprehend how to sell to the Latino community, they are not going to sell. That’s going to be the bulk of the household-forming population in many cities. In Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, Colorado and increasingly in places like Georgia, Washington state, Nevada. I would say that there are probably 16 states where Latinos will be the fastest- growing segment of the home-buying public. What has the recent housing boom meant to Latino buyers and neighborhoods? Cisneros: I would say that they have been separated from the larger housing cycle. The demographics are such that there’s a real demand for housing. More Latinos are coming of age. More are getting good jobs. More are moving into the middle class. More have children so that they must have more space. More are frustrated with the rental life and want to have equity. What are the preferences of Latino home buyers when it comes to home design? Cisneros: What we fou
