WRAPUP 1-U.S. homebuilders optimistic about 2012 recovery

* Pulte, Beazer, MDC report increase in orders

* Pulte, Beazer post profit; MDC's loss narrows

* Industry stabilized, may begin recovery in 2012 - MDC CEO

Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. homebuilders led by PulteGroup Inc posted an increase in new home orders for the October-December quarter and said they were optimistic about a housing recovery in 2012.

While the housing market demonstrated continued stability in 2011, "favorable long-term demographic drivers and improvements in a number of underlying housing data reports provide reasons for optimism heading into 2012," said Richard Dugar, chief executive officer of Pulte -- the second biggest U.S. homebuilder.

M.D.C. Holdings Inc, which posted a narrower quarterly loss, said while new orders rose only 1 percent in the Oct-Dec period, they jumped 30 percent in January.

"We are encouraged by this data point and other increasingly positive signs for the health of the housing market overall and for our individual markets, which lead us to believe that our industry has stabilized and may begin to recover in 2012," MDC Chief Executive Larry Mizel said.

Beazer Homes USA, one of the top 10 U.S. homebuilders, posted a small net profit compared with a loss in the year-ago period, and said orders rose sharply.

Earlier this month, D.R. Horton and Lennar -- the first and third biggest U.S. homebuilders -- indicated that the recovery in the housing market was building up and reported strong orders.

A recovery in the housing market, which triggered the 2007-09 recession, has been hindered by a glut of unsold properties and a high unemployment rate.

The glut of existing homes dates mainly from the years of the housing boom, when risky lending and overbuilding were rampant. Home prices peaked in the summer of 2006.

The S&P homebuilding sub-industry index has jumped about 85 percent in the last four months on hopes of a recovery, but is still almost 80 percent lower than what it used to be in mid 2005.

ORDERS, BACKLOG STRONG

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based Pulte's new orders in fourth quarter were 3,084 homes, up about 1 percent. Backlog at the quarter-end was $1.1 billion.

Beazer said its first-quarter orders rose 36 percent to 724 homes, while backlog at MDC, which also provides mortgage financing, insurance and title services, rose 24 percent to 1,043 homes.

In a regulatory filing, MDC said "it was aggressively pursuing a goal of returning to profitability in 2012, even if overall market conditions do not improve."

The company cut its general and administrative headcount by about 35 percent in 2011, it said in the filing.