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RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES
12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2023
RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES  
RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

(16)        RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

During 2023 and 2022, the Company has experienced supply chain constraints, increases in the prices of building materials, shortages of skilled labor and delays in municipal approvals and inspections in both the land development business segment and homebuilding business segment, which caused delays in construction and the realization of revenues and increases in cost of revenues. In addition, in response to inflation, the Federal Reserve increased benchmark interest rates during 2023 and 2022 and has signaled it expects additional future interest rate increases, which has resulted in a significant increase in mortgage interest rates during 2023 and 2022, impacting home affordability and consumer sentiment and tempering demand for new homes and finished residential lots. The rising cost of housing due to increases in average sales prices in recent years and the recent increases in mortgage interest rates, coupled with general inflation in the U.S. economy and other macroeconomic factors, have placed pressure on overall housing affordability and have caused many potential homebuyers to pause and reconsider their housing choices. Given the affordability challenges described above and the resulting impact on demand, the Company has increased sales incentives on certain homes classified as homebuilding model inventory or homebuilding construction in process, opportunistically leased completed homes and slowed the pace of housing starts and land development projects. The Company believes these conditions will continue to impact the land development and homebuilding industries for at least the remainder of calendar year 2023.

Future economic conditions and the demand for land and homes are subject to continued uncertainty due to many factors, including the recent increase in mortgage interest rates, higher inflation, low supplies of new and existing home inventory available for sale, ongoing disruptions from supply chain challenges and labor shortages, the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and government directives, and other factors.