S. Huffman Associates was established in 1982 to assist public and private clients in market research for real estate, and policy analysis on urban development issues. Since that time the firm has built a base of private and public sector clients throughout the Middle Atlantic region, and as far north as New York State.

The firm has assisted communities, nonprofit organizations, developers, architects, engineers, and financial institutions that are concerned with the market for development projects as well as with those projects' potential impacts. The variety of clients that the firm has had over the past twenty years has given it a strong background in community planning and development. Services that are offered include:

• Housing Market Analysis
  
• Retail/Economic Development Planning
  
• Other Studies, including fiscal impact analysis and policy analysis and evaluation
  

The tools used to carry out these studies and give our clients the information that they need to make informed decisions include:

• Demographic and economic research and analysis using data from government and private sources. Profiles of local and regional economies are compiled, and characteristics of target populations are defined. This step provides a framework within which to analyze the problems and opportunities within a community.
  
  
• Comparable projects are researched using literature searches, fieldwork, and interviews. Retail, office, and housing markets are profiled by compiling development histories. Products that are not represented in the market for which there is a demand are identified and defined for the client.
  
  
• Key informant, consumer interviews, and focus groups are held to analyze the needs and preferences of potential user groups, and their ability to pay for those needs. Problems and attitudes that could hinder the success of the proposed project are probed. This key step gives the client the opportunity to understand the reasons behind consumer preferences, and gives him or her the tools to design a product that responds to those preferences.