While most housing markets throughout the country experienced a year of decline in 2006 following the boom levels of the previous two years, 2007 is expected to be a year of transition, with growth emerging in many areas, according the National Association of Home Builders'(NAHB) Regional Housing Starts Forecast.&nbsp ;

The forecast, available through NAHB’s HousingEconomics.com, reports on regional and state-by-state housing forecasts and analyzes the health of local housing markets.&nbsp ;

The earlier boom in housing can be attributed largely to excess demand generated by historically low interest rates coupled with aggressive mortgage lending practices, a combination that made homeownership more affordable but also attracted investors and speculators into many …