No Place Like Home Conference: The Past, Present and Future of The American Dream; Southern California Event Focuses on the Future of Housing in California

ANAHEIM, CA, May 04, 2013 (Press-News.org) Organizers of the No Place Like Home Conference, presented by the Building Industry Association of Southern California, Orange County Chapter and the Urban Land Institute, Orange County/Inland Empire, in conjunction with Union Bank, the C. Larry Hoag Center for Real Estate and Finance, The George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics at Chapman University and the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy, today announced the conference to be held Monday, June 3, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. Featuring an unparalleled list of industry thought leaders, including California historian Dr. Kevin Starr, architectural historian and urban planning critic Robert Bruegmann and presidential fellow in urban futures at Chapman University, Joel Kotkin, this day-long conference will provide an information packed and dynamic environment for dialogue on today's urban landscape for Orange County's shapers: architects and planners, home builders, real estate professionals and urban planning policy leaders.

Southern California Home Prices Soar in March

As reported by the Associated Press on April 17, Southern California home prices soared in March amidst low inventory levels. The report quotes John Walsh, president of real estate industry research firm, DataQuick, "It's remarkable how much the housing scene has changed in a year. At this point in 2012 there were still plenty of folks sitting on the market's sidelines, waiting to be sure the recovery was real."

The question for Orange County's architects and planners, home builders, real estate professionals and urban planning policy leaders is, "How will our industries lead the rebirth of the local residential market in light of new demographic shifts, anticipated changes in mortgage financing laws, and California's political and historical landscape?" This multi-faceted question is what the No Place Like Home Conference will seek to address.

The No Place Like Home Conference features nationally recognized and respected speakers and panelists representing several submarkets tied to Southern California's real estate market including but not limited to:

• Kevin Starr - Pre-eminent California historian, author of California: A History and Golden Dreams: California in an Age of Abundance, 1950-1963.
• Robert Bruegmann - Historian and critic of architecture, landscape, preservation, urban development and the built environment and author of Sprawl: A Compact History.
• Joel Kotkin - Distinguished presidential fellow in Urban Futures, Chapman University; author of The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050.
• Walter Russell Mead - Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations. Author, Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World.
• Eric John Abrahamson - Author of Building Home: Howard F. Ahmanson and the Politics of the American Dream.
• D.J. Waldie - Named by Los Angeles Magazine as one of the "100 influentials" of Los Angeles and author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir.
• Sara Sutachan, Economist and Manager of Broker and Real Estate Finance Outreach, California Association of Realtors
• Shaheen Sadeghi, founder of renowned retail destination for urban youth, The Lab

Timing, Pricing and Availability
The No Place Like Home Conference begins at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 3. Individual tickets start at $99 per person and include the full-day conference, three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and free self-parking. Ticket packages are available. Tickets for the event are available via direct purchase at the website or by contacting Philly Pemberton at (949) 224-0321 or ppemberton@biaoc.com.

About the No Place Like Home Conference
The No Place Like Home Conference, a day-long event to explore the cultural and economic history of Southern California through the lens of the meteoric rise in homeownership over the last century, is made possible by the Building Industry Association of Southern California Orange County Chapter, the Urban Land Institute, Orange County/Inland Empire, Union Bank, the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy, and other generous supporters. For more information and a complete list of session topics and speakers, go to: http://www.noplacelikehomeconference.com.

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