Boyce Thompson: Boyce On Building
Boyce Thompson is editorial director of the BUILDER group of magazines published by Hanley Wood. Drawing on his years of experience covering home building, architecture, and retailing, Boyce tackles diverse and far-ranging industry topics in his weekly blog.
More than 100 builders plan to lobby Congress next month, asking lawmakers to include some meaty housing provisions in a second economic stimulus bill. Even though most legislators would probably agree that jump starting the housing market could very well turn the economy around, builders are likely to get a cool reception on Capitol Hill. Here are the objections they are likely to hear.
Ted Cushman: The Ten-Penny News
Ted Cushman covers the home building industry as a freelance writer from his base in the hills of Western Massachusetts. His blog promises insightful, accurate, and practical coverage of home building techniques, building science, and housing economics.
There's an interesting analysis posted on the website of Standard and Poor's website, in a page associated with the well-known Case-Schiller index of existing home prices. Written by David Stiff, Chief Economist of Fiserv Lending Solutions, the May 2008 article argues that just as the home construction boom showed itself as a push into increasingly distant suburban developments, so too the subsequent crash will hit hardest in those farther-flung locations.
Chuck Shinn: Rx from the Profit Doctor
Charles C. Shinn, Jr., Phd, often referred to as the Profit Doctor, created the Shinn Group of Companies, The Lee Evans Group, and Builder Partnerships to help increase the professionalism and management standards of the homebuilding industry. His constant focus is to help builders and manufacturers to improve performance of their companies, improve relationships and ultimately maximize their total profits.
Even though we had planned and prepared for the housing recession, it was a devastating year, as it was for everyone involved in the homebuilding industry. The industry has now gone through almost three years of a housing recession. The length and depth of the housing collapse has been disastrous from record high to record lows. We have lost a lot of good companies and people in the industry during the last year.
Patrick Duffy: The Housing Chronicles
Patrick Duffy has consulted for nearly 20 years for the country's leading home builders, land developers, investors, and lenders on residential, mixed-use, commercial, and industrial projects. An expert on local housing markets, Duffy offers his thoughts on what’s happening around the country.
It looks like the next real estate domino to fall (after housing, retail and hotels) will be office space, with every market in the U.S. to suffer rising vacancies and falling rent.
Scott Sedam: The Lean Builder
Scott Sedam is President of TrueNorth Development, an internationally-known consulting and training firm focused exclusively on the building industry. Scott’s blog, The Lean Builder, promises tips and tools for product and process improvement for your company.
I was invited to speak recently at two of the leading “green advocacies” – EEBA, the Energy & Environmental Building Association Annual Conference, in Phoenix, and the EnergyStar Summit, in Denver. The first surprising thing is that in this, the worst downturn in the history of the U.S. housing industry, was that the attendance at both of these events was up this year, each drawing more than 500 participants. Given the impact of the economy on many other long-standing conferences, this is both curious and impressive.
David Miles: Miles on Branding
David Miles’ award-winning advertising agency, Milesbrand, helps new-home builders and master plan community developers increase profitability by maximizing brand equity. He shares some of his hard-won knowledge with you in this blog.
A year ago I had 38 employees and 2 offices. Today I have 3 employees in a drastically reduced office scenario. Fortunately, I still have a number of clients and friends that know my value. However, my confidence, like everyone's, has been shaken. So what do we do now?
Patrick Hendry: Going Green Globally
Patrick Hendry has been actively involved in the green building industry since 2004. For the last six months, he has been traveling around the world documenting the global green building revolution. Follow his amazing trip through his writings and photographs.
Pristine Beaches, tropical rainforests, exotic wildlife, and an inviting culture, Costa Rica is quickly becoming a model for the international Ecotourism boom.
Brad Haubert: Green Building 101
Brad Haubert is a home builder from central Pennsylvania who recently earned the NAHB Certified Green Professional designation. He has begun building his first green home and is writing regularly about his progress on it.
Today we met with the folks from Goods Tree Care on the lot itself. This is one tricky (and tree-filled) lot! It was a first-look for many at the lot. We decided it was best to have the engineer stake the centerline of the driveway - and the approximate location of the house.
Pauline Guntlow: Building a Thermal Mass House
Pauline Guntlow is a designer, renovator, builder, and consultant in the Mass/Vermont area. What was once a sideline hobby evolved into a full time business of designing and building homes. Pauline absolutely loves all aspects of the building industry including the latest innovations in building materials. Her designs are, above all, practical.
Great news today! The well crew arrived to hydro-fracture the well which had been dug several months ago to a depth of 600 feet. Initially the amount of water was 1 - 2 gallons per minute but the well driller was sure that the volume could be greatly improved by hydro-fracture. And it was. The gallons per minute increased to 5 – 6 gallons per minute.