UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  September 3, 2003

HOVNANIAN ENTERPRISES, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Delaware                   1-8551                 22-1851059
(State or Other     (Commission File Number)   I.R.S Employer
Jurisdiction of                              Identification No.)
Incorporation)


10 Highway 35, P.O. Box 500
Red Bank, New Jersey 07701
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(732) 747-7800
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)


Item 7.	Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and
Exhibits
(c) Exhibits.  Exhibit 99.1
Earnings Press Release - Third Quarter Ended July 31, 2003.

Item 12.	Results of Operations and Financial Condition
On September 3, 2003, Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. issued a
press release announcing its preliminary financial results for the third
quarter ended July 31, 2003.  A copy of the Earnings Press Release is
attached as Exhibit 99.1.

The information in this Current Report on Form 8-K and the
Exhibit attached hereto is being furnished and shall not be deemed "filed"
for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liability of
that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any
filing under the Securities Act of 1933,as amended, or the Exchange Act,
except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such
filing.

The Earnings Press Release contains information about EBITDA,
a non-GAAP financial measure.  The most directly comparable GAAP financial
measure to EBITDA is net income.  A reconciliation of EBITDA to net income
is contained in the Earnings Press Release.

Management believes EBITDA to be relevant and useful
information as EBITDA is a standard measure commonly reported and widely
used by analysts, investors and others to measure our financial
performance and our ability to service our debt obligation.  EBITDA is
also one of several metrics used by our management to measure the cash
generated from our operations.  EBITDA does not take into account
substantial costs of doing business, such as income taxes and interest
expense.  While many in the financial community consider EBITDA to be an
important measure of comparative operating performance, it should be
considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, income before
income taxes, net income, cash flow provided by operating activities and
other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States that are
presented on the financial statements included in the Company's reports
filed with the SEC.  Additionally, our calculation of EBITDA may be
different than the calculation used by other companies and, therefore,
comparability may be affected.

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

HOVNANIAN ENTERPRISES, INC.
(Registrant)

By:	/S/J. LARRY SORSBY
Name:	J. Larry Sorsby
Title:	Executive Vice President
          and Chief Financial
          Officer
Date:  September 3, 2003



INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit Number		Exhibit

Exhibit 99.1		Earnings Press Release - Third Quarter
			Ended July 31, 2003