In a Wednesday, July 11, 2012 photo, workers navigate lot markers as they level a field that was once a nursery in a new Meritage Homes community, in Gilbert, Ariz. Real estate experts say the Phoenix metro housing market is recovering faster than other U.S. cities, bolstered by an upswing in home prices and a decrease in the number of houses on the market. Construction is expected to pick up to compensate for the lack of houses and seven building companies, including Meritage Homes, finalized contracts in late June to undertake the first major home building project the Phoenix metro has seen in several years. (AP Photo/Matt York)