Homebuilder's survival strategy - stimulus

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Certified Public Accountant Tom Critelli has never regretted the day 18 years ago when he gave up a secure accounting job to become a homebuilder. But he's thought about it recently as the housing market has continued to sink.

"I've always said to my wife we can go back to doing that," reflected Critelli, President of New Jersey-based Danitom Development Inc.

Before retreating to number crunching, which he concedes was "boring," Critelli is making every effort to remain in business, even as competitors are folding.

He's slashed his staff, now employing only two full-time workers, down from a dozen; he's sold off the majority of plots on which he had planned to build, enabling him to pay off millions in bank debt; and, he's broken ground on only three homes this year compared to more than 50 just a few short years ago. It still hasn't been enough.

"We're struggling. There's only so long you can stay on," said Critelli.

So, the accountant-turned-homebuilder is now looking to Uncle Sam, not for a bailout, but for a piece of the economic stimulus pie. In partnership with contractors who have experience working for the government, Critelli is bidding to repair military recruiting centers and facilities at New Jersey's Fort Dix.

"We're trying to not put all our eggs in one basket anymore," said Critelli. "I'm hoping a government contract can save the business, to keep going for the next year or two, till we get out of the housing crisis."

Though not as severe as the Sun Belt's decline, New Jersey's housing market has suffered. State building permits for the first five months of the year were down 65% from the comparable time frame in 2005, a record year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Jersey Homebuilders Association.

"It's been a crash and most people will tell you it's been a depression," Critelli said.

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