Homearama 2009 was a great success in the Culpepper Landing area of Chesapeake, according to The Virginian Pilot.

This year's homes were priced at half the price as last year's, and by the end of the weekend six of the homes were spoken for.

This excitement about new homes is great news for homeowners in the area, because it is another sign that the local housing market is rebounding.

"April Nobles climbed the wooden staircase Saturday afternoon and wandered into one of the home's five bedrooms.

'It's almost like you could live in the master suite,' said Nobles, peering into a cavernous bathroom. 'That closet is big enough to be a small bedroom.'

At 3,600 square feet, the home in the Culpepper Landing development in Deep Creek is the largest among the 12 built for this year's Homearama. The Tidewater Builders Association's annual showcase started at noon Saturday.

This year's show is a departure from recent years in both the size of the homes and their prices. Amid one of the steepest housing declines in decades, show organizers late last year decided to downshift and focus on the middle range of prices.

Last year's show featured homes starting at $1.2 million. This year, prices are from $349,900 to $540,600.

The strategy seems to have paid off so far, with six of the show's homes already spoken for."

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