If flippers were the poster children of the real estate boom, then nesters are becoming the icons of the new housing market. “We saw a nesting reaction after 9/11, but we’re seeing a stronger nesting reaction now,” said Bob Peterson, president of ABD Design/Build in Ft. Collins Colo. People who have the money are fixing up what they have.”

A proportionally bigger share of the home construction dollar — 20% more during the first three quarters of 2009 compared with the same period last year — now goes to home improvements, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In October, remodeling spending increased 8.7% compared with September to an annualized rate of $114 billion.

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