The latest study by the National Association of Realtors reports that a record 22 percent of home buyers were single women. That's second only to married couples at 61 percent. That number has steadily risen from 15 percent in 2001 to 18 percent in 2004 and shows no signs of slowing. Single women have outnumbered single men as home buyers since the mid-1980s. In contrast, men make 9 percent of home purchases.

The trend is even greater in Las Vegas, according to Steve Bottfeld, executive vice president of Marketing Solutions, a Las Vegas housing analyst. He said his analysis shows 29 percent of home buyers in the first quarter were women and the numbers have been running between 27 percent and 33 percent.

"Las Vegas has a very strong contingent of female executive and empowered women, perhaps more than any other place in the country," Bottfeld said. "We are probably the single-most diverse community in the country."

One reason for the growing number of women home buyers is that 51 percent of adult women live without a spouse. Women outlive men and women tend to worry more about the money they have later in life.

"Women see the value of housing as a long-term investment by starting to look to the future and building a nest egg," said Stephanie Singer, a NAR spokeswoman.

Bottfeld said he expects the percentage of single women home buyers will continue to increase. Members of Generations X and Y no longer think in terms of having to get married like Baby Boomers and other generations, he said.

Women will spend about 20 years of their adult life single and opportunities are expanding for them in the workplace, he said.

"There is still a large salary gender gap, but it's closing," Bottfeld said. "Half of the people in law school are women and half the people in medical school are women. If you went back 20 years, it would be half that."

The emergence of alternative financing during the past decade has created more home ownership opportunities for women, Singer said. Instead of relying on traditional loans with 20 percent down payments and a thirty year fixed mortgage, the availability of adjustable rate mortgages and low down payments has helped, she said.

It's yet to be determined what impact the problems with the subprime lending market will have on women.

When women are in the market for homes, condos have been their strongest preference. They are responsible for 40 percent of the condos purchased nationally.

"For many women, condos can be a better sense of security," said Peggy Ann McConnochie, an NAR vice president. "No 2. They have low maintenance so they don't have to worry about mowing the lawn and taking care of the exterior. They can travel as they please and work as they please and focus on the indoor features."

Condominium living not only offers more security and eliminates outdoor maintenance, but it also gives women other perks they desire - proximity to shopping and restaurants and entertainment districts where they can meet friends and socialize, Bottfeld said.

If women purchase a home, they want access to it via a garage that they can easily enter by a remote, Bottfeld said. They also prefer neighborhoods with security patrols or gated communities.

The kitchen and master bedroom are the most important rooms women consider when purchasing a home or condo, Bottfeld said. They also prefer home offices in an alcove to save bedrooms for guests, he said.

No matter if the kitchen is small or large, accessibility is important for women home buyers.

Despite the growing number of women as home buyers, there are some obstacles.

The Consumer Federation of America reports there's evidence that women, despite having slightly higher credit scores on average then men, are more likely to receive more expensive mortgages, no matter their income levels.

The study showed that the disparity between women and men increased with women of higher incomes compared to men with similar earnings, said Allen Fishbein, the group's director of housing and credit policy. That practice makes it harder for women to build wealth through homeownership, he said.

"It is probably the result of some legacy of discrimination against women," Fishbein said.

Fishbein said women face other disadvantages as well. They tend not to negotiate mortgage loans as men do, perhaps not realizing they're negotiable. His group wants federal regulators to begin screening for disparities based on gender. It's already done for race and ethnicity.

"They can identify those lenders with above-normal disparity, and they can help make women aware they are paying more," he said.

In other news:

Construction Lowers Economic Indicators: The Southern Nevada Index of Leading Economic Indicators compiled by the Center for Business and Economic Research at UNLV moved down in April. The indicators, which are based on February data, fell 0.47 percent from February 2006 and fell slightly from January.

Problems with construction is the reason behind the decline, said Keith Schwer, the center's executive director.

"All in all, we can clearly say the economic outlook is guarded," Schwer said in his report.

Residential building permits were down 56 percent and the value of construction was down 36 percent. The commercial building valuation was up 67 percent, but the number of permits was down 19 percent.

Apartment forecast: Hendricks & Partners released their forecast for 2007 and 2008 for the apartment market.

The firm said condo conversions will continue to fall in 2007 - they fell 60 percent from 2005 to 2006 - as home sales continue to decline. Those trends will allow for stronger leasing activity over the next two years.

New apartment construction will surge to about 2,900 units in 2007, but slow to less than half that level in 2008.

Henderson and Spring Valley will remain popular with apartment developers, although a large percentage of multifamily development will be focused on high-end high-rise condo projects along the Strip.

The demand for construction and resort workers will spur wage increases in the next few years, allowing apartment investors to see stronger rent growth, especially this year when rents sought will increase nearly 8 percent. Apartment vacancy rates will increase in 2007 because of the new construction, but demand will force rates down in 2008.

The downtown apartment market recorded the lowest vacancy rate of any area at 3.1 percent in 2006. Even though its average rents were the lowest of any area, its rental rate was the second highest in the region.

Land donation: The LandWell Co., a subsidiary of Basic Management Inc., will donate 2.37 acres at Lake Mead Parkway and Burkholder Boulevard valued at $835,000 to Opportunity Village for an expansion of its Henderson campus that serves people with intellectual disabilities. The donation will allow Opportunity Village to expand its document destruction program and begin new programs that will train and employ people. The campus serves more than 90 clients and more than 200 on waiting for training and employment. In 1992, LandWell donated the original 1.63 acres where the campus is located today. It processes and recycles 18,000 pounds of paper a year.