For Ann Hankins' clients, budget is not a concern.

That's why the Ocean Port, N.J.-based luxury pool company that she designs for found that a high-end Howard County home show was a great place to advertise its products.

"The people who come here are interested in things that you can't find at Home Depot," said Hankins, of Paradise Project LLC. "It's not the norm, and that's why we like it here."

Despite the nation's economic woes, vendors and shoppers alike say those in the market for luxury products haven't suffered. And though many Americans might be spending less on clothes, shoes and nonessentials, home improvement still seems to be a priority - even if it means investing big bucks in high-end products.

So yesterday, about 150 exhibitors set up booths for the third annual Howard Live! Luxury Home Show, a two-day event at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City.

Attendees sipped on complimentary chocolate martinis and Grey Goose vodka shots while sampling goat cheese and truffle oils. A classical pianist greeted visitors as they walked through the door.

Exhibit fares ranged from custom bedding to portable Jacuzzis to in-home elevators.

"This hits a demographic," said Stacy Pesacov, president of Full Potential Marketing, a firm that helps run the show. The economy "has not impacted us at all. Attendance is as high as it's ever been. Our shows are bigger than ever."

Pesacov said about 10,000 people typically show up for the event, and she expects a similar number this year.

In the luxury pool market, interest in less-expensive pools has tapered, Hankins said, but business for pools that cost $250,000 and more has remained brisk.

"We made a conscious decision years ago to become a premiere boutique pool builder and to address that particular clientele," she said.

But economic experts say they expect some drop in sales for even those items targeted to the upper class.

"Things that you want and don't need - I do think that those type of items are probably seeing some slowdown in their sales," said Daraius Irani, director of applied economics for the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University. "I think a lot of consumers just feel less wealthy in these times. And also credit is not as available as it once was."

Richard Clinch, director of economic research at the University of Baltimore, says location is a determining factor in how people spend.

"In Maryland, you're certainly having less of a decline than the rest of the nation because our economy is stronger than the rest of the nation," he said. "But people clearly feel less well-off."

Clinch attributed Maryland's strong economy in part to a booming job market that doesn't exist in other parts of the country.

And Pesacov said location is one reason that the show is held in Howard County - which the U.S. Census has identified as having the nation's third-highest median household income.

Paul Germain, an artist from Richmond, Va., said he sets up a booth at the show every year because areas such as Howard County are "largely insulated from ups and downs in the economy."

Germain said he hasn't seen a change in business for his custom paintings, which can cost upward of $7,000, but he has seen a decline in "middle-class buyers."

"It's not that they don't want to buy," he said. "They're starting to feel the pinch. Those people are very rare to me, and I find that very sad."

Homeowners who attended the show said they don't mind spending money on improving their homes because it's a long-term investment.

"I've been a homeowner for 30-plus years," said Loyce Pickett, 57, of Clarksville. "And I think whenever you put money into your home, it'll really make a difference."

Pickett, who attends the show every year for design ideas, said she was looking to remodel her kitchen.

"Even in a depressed market like this, I think you're going to pick a home that's beautifully decorated and has the amenities you're looking for," she said. "Whatever you put into your home, you'll get a return on it."

Annie Reese said she's willing to pay for home improvement simply because she deserves it.

"I am willing to do mine because I want to enjoy it myself," said Reese, 72, of Randallstown.

However, Jeremy Gabriel, owner of Fudgie Wudgie Jr. candy store, said he is feeling the pinch. He said he has had to cut down on the number of craft and home shows he attends because of increasing gasoline and vendor costs. Still, Gabriel said, his company knows the value of penetrating one of the few markets that are still spending.

"We're trying to bring in a different type of clientele," he said.

tyeesha.dixon@baltsun.com