<b></b>Early indications suggest that housebuilders are set fair for a successful year with house buyers coming out of the blocks quickly in 2002. Private polling among housebuilders has revealed that, although the first couple of weeks of January were understandably quiet, visitors and reservations surged in the second half of the month to levels well above last year.<br>These positive early indicators come on the back of the HBF survey results for December which saw a rebound in visitors and net reservations on a year ago and increased optimism for 2002. The survey also finds that prices are still rising and although incentives are still being used, developers are cutting down on them.<p></p><p>&amp;“We were hopeful that the year would start well, because despite the global concerns, other factors seemed to be favourable,&amp;” one developer told Housebuilder. &amp;“But you don&amp;’t really know until the year starts. At the moment the news looks good.&amp;”</p><p>Ward Homes, in reporting a 66% jump in pre-tax profit, said that it had one of its best Christmases ever and that sales were continuing to do well in January. </p><p><b><br> <b>HBF Monthly Survey Summary Results</b><br> <b>Activity in the month compared with the same month a year ago (balance*)</b><br> &amp; …