SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) -
The recession hit the housing market, and summer floods hit homes along the Missouri. Organizers of the Siouxland Home Show say it's the perfect combination to create one of their biggest turnouts in recent years.
Elaborate displays, like a rain curtain, draw customers to Mark Livezey's Lawn Pros booth at the Siouxland Home Show each year.
"We get a lot of leads and close a lot of them," said Livezey, a manager with the company.
He estimates 50% of his annual sales come from the Home Show. It's a number that could go up this year, considering Siouxland's housing climate might be a bit hotter.
"A lot of contractors are hungry," said Livezey.
Hungry for business, because summer floods tore some homes apart and the recession knocked down interest rates, making building new more affordable.
"We're looking forward to a great year," said Nancy Narciso with the Home Builders Association of Greater Siouxland.
Narciso, is an organizer of the Home Show. She's hoping things like the flood and low rates will bring a bump to the housing industry. In turn, she hopes it will also bolster their number of attendees.
On average the Home Show sees about 10,000. For 2012 , Narciso is hoping for 15,000.
"It should be bringing people down to the show to get all of there remodeling projects, and new homes, landscaping," she said.
If that's the case, Livezey has got to get back to work on the rain curtain.
"Last year somebody wanted one in their basement," he said.
And with more interest and more people on the way, who knows what they'll want this year.
Here are the Siouxland Home Show 2012 hours:
Thursday- Feb. 23rd 1-9 p.m.
Friday - Feb. 24th 1-9 p.m.
Saturday- Feb. 25th 11-9 p.m.
Sunday - Feb. 26th 12-5 p.m.
The Sioux City Convention Center is located at 801 4th Street in Sioux City, IA.
