Power Brokers

IF THE LATE DALE CARNEGIE NEEDED HELP WRITING AN UPDATE to his classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People, he could look to this group for help. Well, maybe they aren't the best choices for instructions on making friends, but as far as influence goes, they certainly have proven adept at making things—big things—happen in home building.

When BUILDER's editors gathered earlier this year to put together this list, we considered one primary measure: When these individuals speak, do other people listen? More important, do they act? Each of the professionals who made the cut left no doubts.

Some made the list as a direct result of being willing to take risks such as angering adversaries, speaking out against the status quo, and starting companies based on unproven ideas. Others stood out for the effect their good works have had on the housing industry and those it serves. Still more made it by virtue of the money they move, directly or indirectly. Finally, we recognized those whose positions atop some of the nation's biggest companies—even when compared to those outside the housing industry—have magnified their clout. These power brokers can point to many examples of their influence, and if the future is anything like the past, there'll be many more to come.—Michele Mariani

His actions can continue the current housing boom or grind it to a halt. That may be oversimplifying Greenspan's effect on home building, but not by much: It's safe to say that his actions as Fed chairman in recent years—particularly his role in keeping the short-term Federal Funds rate at its all-time low for a year—stimulated the industry's business. Those low rates spurred historically low mortgage rates, allowing home shoppers to continue buying despite skyrocketing home prices.

All eyes stayed on the five-term chairman when he began hinting that the Fed would raise rates to stave off rising inflation. The Fed's done just that, raising the Federal Funds rate three times already this year. Still, the boom continues, which just guarantees that we'll be watching for his next move.—Michele Mariani

As the head of the nation's largest source of financing for home mortgages, Raines is in a position of great influence for builders. Under his watch Fannie Mae has expanded its use of technology and mortgage products and committed $2 trillion toward financing affordable homeownership and rental housing for 18 million families.

A former cabinet member, Raines is putting his political skills to use to retain his position and control in the face of intense federal scrutiny; Alan Greenspan is urging consumers to buy ARMs, which would take business away from Fannie Mae, and telling Congress to rein in Fannie and Freddie Mac with increased regulation.—Pat Curry

In two polls conducted by BUILDER during the election season roughly three out of every four builders surveyed planned to vote for President George W. Bush. Builders largely believe that the Republican business policies of lower taxes, streamlined regulations, and tort reform are in their best interests. The majority of the nation's voters agreed, and Bush won the Nov. 2 election against Sen. John Kerry. Bush vows to make minority homeownership a continued priority, but he'll have a tough time juggling domestic needs with our Middle East commitments.—Steve Zurier

It is widely believed that the U.S. economy would be in the commode if it were not being propped up by home building and the real estate market. The NAHB, headed by Howard, has played a major role in the industry's success. With a total of 215,000 builder and remodeler members, including 800 state and local associations, the 62-year-old Washington-based association is a powerful voice, enhancing the climate for housing and the building industry through economic, legislative, and regulatory channels. The association's housing forecasts are like grist for the Wall Street mill.—Nigel F. Maynard

Let's face it—the building industry wouldn't be buzzing about traditional neighborhood developments or New Urbanism if it weren't for Duany. Seaside, Fla., clearly is Duany's most famous project, but his groundbreaking firm is associated with a whole lot more. In fact, DPZ has a whopping 120 projects in its global portfolio. In addition, Duany, a founder and board member of the Congress for New Urbanism, has been at the forefront of a movement that integrates planning with accompanying design codes. His philosophy has changed the look of communities everywhere, on sites that range from 10 to more than 500,000 acres.—Kathleen Stanley

Since assuming his current role back in 1986, Karatz has led KB Home on a march across the country, adding billions in revenue and folding in other builders along the way. Tops among his deals was last year's purchase of Colony Homes, which gave KB the entry into Atlanta Karatz had been hunting. This year, KB joined a consortium of builders to buy 1,940 acres outside Las Vegas, nearly half of which the builder will claim for its own lots.—Michele Mariani

In the shrinking solar system of large public builders other public builders must think of Horton as Jupiter. Get too close and you might be crushed by his gravity.

Horton, just 53 years old, has a simple but highly effective business acumen that has become a model for other firms, the way Wal-Mart has become a model for big retailers. In fact, one year ago, The Arizona Republic reported that Horton actually trumped the Wal-Mart record of 99 consecutive quarters of profit increases.

Horton offers his workers a piece of the action—true profit sharing in the way of quarterly bonuses. In last year's first quarter, the company had a record 52 percent growth over the previous year's first quarter.—Matthew Power

Bren, chairman of The Irvine Co. in Newport Beach, Calif., purchased the company with a group of investors in 1977 and hasn't looked back. Today, he is sole owner of one of the leading real estate investment companies in California. The company is best known for the sustainable community Irvine Ranch, which is home to 240,000 people on 93,000 acres and represents nearly one-fifth of Orange County's total land mass. The company also owns 350 office buildings, 80 apartment communities, and 35 retail centers.—Steve Zurier

On April 1, 2002, Eller became president and CEO of one of the nation's largest home builders, Centex Corp. A giant player in the industry, the company closed on 29,858 homes in 2003 and operates in more than 90 markets, building everything from entry-level homes to resorts and second homes. It often makes Fortune magazine's list of “America's Most Admired Companies” in the engineering and construction category. Eller, a 30-year career employee with Centex Homes, moved up in the company after starting as a superintendent, progressing to the positions of project manager, division president, and executive vice president.—Nigel F. Maynard

Throughout his career, Mc-Cook has specialized in providing capital to the home building industry in stints at investment firm IHP Capital Partners, Prudential Home Building Investors, and Dev-Cap International. Since 2001, he's managed the $13.5 billion real estate portfolio for the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS)—the nation's largest public pension system—which includes more than $4 billion directly invested in residential housing and timber. His efforts are paying off: The real estate portfolio realized a nearly 12 percent gain during fiscal year 2004 and accounts for 7 percent of CalPERS' holdings, and McCook plans to increase that stake to 9 percent.—Michele Mariani

With a preacher's zeal and a marketer's savvy, Fuller's grassroots organization has built and rehabilitated more than 175,000 houses for families in need, sheltering more than 900,000 people in some 3,000 communities worldwide. “I see life as both a gift and a responsibility,” he says. “My responsibility is to use what God has given me to help his people in need.”—Kathleen Stanley

Miller's tenure at Lennar started as a 12-year-old (his dad owned the company) doing landscaping. He's led the charge since 1997 with an aggressive approach to acquisitions and a corporate culture The Wall Street Journal called “oddball.” For example, having a company poem based on the story of the little red hen (the classic children's folk tale about sharing the workload) may be offbeat, but it's helped make Lennar the third-largest builder in the country.—Pat Curry

It's not often that a book title becomes a design movement, but that's exactly what happened with Susanka's first best-seller, The Not So Big House. Susanka is a registered architect, a certified interior designer, and a bonafide cultural visionary whose “build better, not bigger” approach to residential architecture has caught on with a cadre of consumers. Most builders are still at the back of this bandwagon, but they're inching forward.—Kathleen Stanley

Her positions sometimes put her at odds with public builders, but that's because she's willing to challenge their claims in her analyses of the home building industry. A self-described skeptic, Zelman talks to dozens of people other than just big builders each month, and she doesn't shy away from the controversy her research sometimes creates. Zelman honed her craft at Solomon Brothers and has led the CSFB housing team since January 1998.—Michele Mariani

As director of JPMorgan's national home building division, F. Patt Schiewitz's telephone number is probably on the speed dial of several of the country's top builders. Whenever a deal is being hammered out to acquire another builder or lock up a major land parcel, he's likely to be the banker handing out the cash.—Pat Curry

As the nation's biggest land manager, with 262 million acres of land at her disposal, Clark has the power to giveth—or taketh away. Alternately loved and despised by loggers, environmentalists, snowmobilers, developers, and hunters, her power to directly impact the nation's most precious natural resources— including selling off huge tracts of land to builders, as she recently did in Las Vegas—is broad, direct, and almost always controversial.—Matthew Power

When you hear this lawyer on your answering machine, you better grab a notepad. He has a track record of record-setting verdicts and settlements for construction defects. For example, a condo developer in Marina Del Rey, Calif., recently settled for $13 million rather than going to court with Harman. His portfolio also includes sizable victories against single-family home builders and general contractors.— Matthew Power

An early morning stop at The Home Depot has become customary for many builders, and Nardelli has received recognition for moving the company forward as it fights competition from Lowe's. Nardelli came to the Atlanta-based company in December 2000 after a long career at GE, where he leveraged technology to transform GE Power Systems into a $20 billion business. Today, nearly 1,400 Home Depot stores have contractor services desks, and more than 925 stores have tool and equipment rental centers.—Steve Zurier

Kohler's kitchen and bath products are in hundreds of thousands of homes across the United States. In addition, those products are well-known for their high design and high quality. Now, the 130-year-old, family-owned company has a global reach. Its leader, David, is a fourth generation Kohler who once worked in the cast iron foundry and currently oversees a division that produces one of the most well-rounded collections of plumbing products anywhere.—Nigel F.Maynard

As head and founder of one of home building's biggest firms, Weekley can thump a chest full of housing awards, including three straight years as one of the top 100 firms to work for, according to Fortune magazine. What's his secret? He owns the company. Freed from having to think about the elephant in the room (investors), he can (and does) make business decisions that focus on long-term growth and the well-being of his 1,000-plus employees.—Matthew Power

It's not the Harvard law degree or Rhodes Scholar status that piques builders' interest in Pugash. It's his connection with Hearthstone, the first (and the largest) institutional investor in residential development, with nearly $8 billion committed at last count. Since its founding in 1992, Hearthstone has financed 356 communities—nearly 50,000 homes—in 80 markets across the country. Pugash and company pioneered the concept of using pension-fund money to finance moderately priced for-profit housing.—Kathleen Stanley

More than any other architect, Mc-Donough's name is synonymous with beautiful architecture that respects the environment. Perhaps this is one reason Time magazine has called the architect a “hero for the planet.” The Ivy League–educated McDonough has been a professor of architecture and business administration, dean, and board member to various institutions. He also co-founded MBDC, a firm that specializes in ecologically designed products and systems. Oh, yeah ... in his spare time he also designs award-winning houses.—Nigel F. Maynard

Designers of a host of award-winning luxury production homes, Bassenian and Lagoni have led a team of 100 architects in creating what critics refer to as “the new California tradition” in housing. They have worked with top builders to not only design stunning floor plans and elevations but to create neighborhoods that promote community and embrace the landscape.—Pat Curry

A well-respected deal maker, Kahn plays hard ball in the major leagues. “We're very well received by big builders. They know we're not wasting their time,” he says. Averaging about eight mergers and/ or acquisitions a year, he works both sides of the business, alternating between seller and buyer's agent. His outlook for the future: even more deals, as the biggest companies scavenge for more mid-sized companies to wear their polo shirts.—Matthew Power

Sonkin recalls a conversation with J.D. Power president Dave Power, who told her, “If you think buying a car is a big deal, let's talk about building a house.” In 1997, the customer satisfaction arbiter rolled out its first new-home buyer survey, which Sonkin created. It now ranks builders in 25 markets. The impact of the surveys can't be overstated; as builders strive for the marketing edge yielded by being on top, the bar has been raised for both construction quality and the home buying experience.—Pat Curry

Zurich North America of Schaumburg, Ill., is one of the leading providers of general liability (GL) insurance to home builders. When product-defect lawsuits drove GL prices through the roof, Zurich started writing policies primarily for larger home builders with more than $100 million in annual sales. The company's plan is to keep signing big builders and start writing more policies for builders with $25 million to $100 million in sales.—Steve Zurier

This guy must have a crystal ball hidden in his closet. He recently beat 3,000 other analysts in a Forbes list of the best stock pickers for 2003. Best of all, his focus is construction materials and home builders. If you had taken all of his advice in 2003, Forbes says, you would have made a 47 percent killing. He prefers home builder portfolios over materials lately. His current favorite stocks—familiar names: Lennar, KB Home, and Pulte.—Matthew Power

Retsinas, long an expert in low-income homeownership, served as executive director of Rhode Island's Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. and as Assistant Secretary for Housing during the Clinton administration before moving to the Joint Center in 1998. The Joint Center's annual publication, The State of the Nation's Housing, analyzes housing trends and is considered essential reading for a better understanding of the industry's recent history and future direction.— Zach Blattner

Costello, president and CEO of Builder Homesite and New Home Technologies in Austin, Texas, says as large builders started closing more than 20,000 homes annually, technology became a priority. A handful of large builders formed Builder Homesite five years ago. Today, it's a consortium of 34 large builders. The company's main product is the NewHomeSource new homes Web site. New Home Technologies developed Envision, an online options selection tool that 10 consortium members will roll out next month.— Steve Zurier

Mozilo co-founded Countrywide Financial Corp. in 1969. Today, it has more than 550 offices across the country and is one of the most successful consumer home mortgage companies. Countrywide's National Builder Division now offers ways builders can manage financial risk, including three different types of loan options based on specialized need. The company is a member of the S&P 500 and Forbes 500.—Nigel F. Maynard

Masco Corp. is the largest supplier in the home building industry with $10.9 billion in sales. The Taylor, Mich., company's operations consist of five business segments: cabinets and related products; plumbing products; installation and other services; decorative architectural products; and other specialty products such as fasteners and security systems. Barry joined Masco in 1972 as controller of Brass Craft Manufacturing Co., a Masco division, and was named the company's president and COO in April 2003.—Steve Zurier

The name may not be familiar to many of us, but every mortgage lender in the country knows the power of the FICO score in deciding who breezes through approvals—and gets the best interest rate—and who has to go through manual underwriting. Widely used to assess a borrower's credit risk, the score helped automate the lending process, making it faster and easier to navigate.—Pat Curry

Responsible for HomeAid's prototype shelter in Orange County, Calif., built in 1989, Lennon is credited with a great deal of the organization's success. His strengths lie in bringing together members of the home building industry, coupled with volunteer labor and donated materials, to provide temporary housing to thousands of homeless Americans. To date, his efforts include completing 80 shelters—housing 20,000 people—and another 36 are in the works.—Zach Blattner

Dowling, the head of home building for Banc of America since 1995, has led the charge to substantially expand the portfolio in recent years; the investment bank now stands as a leading provider of industry capital. The group also is out in front on major mergers and acquisitions and moves among builders small and large, private and public, with help from its corporate sibling, Bank of America's Commercial Real Estate Home Builder Division.—Michele Mariani

The name DMB comes from the first initials of the firm's founding partners: Drew Brown, Mark Sklar, and Bennett Dorrance. Brown heads up a team that has a track record of successful business alliances and a portfolio of top-notch projects (Ladera Ranch, DC Ranch, Santaluz, and Verrado, to name a few). Founded in 1984, DMB is one of the most active community builders in the West.—Kathleen Stanley

Toll Brothers of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., made a name for itself in the industry for building luxury homes in high volume. Founded in 1967 by Bob Toll, the home builder went public in 1986. In 2004, the company estimates it will close nearly 6,400 homes on sales of $3.6 billion. The average selling price was $575,000. The goal for 2005 is to close nearly 8,000 homes with an average selling price of $600,000.—Steve Zurier

Since taking over for the late (and beloved) Don Terner, Galante has guided BRIDGE to its current position as California's largest nonprofit developer. Working with partners, BRIDGE creates and manages a range of affordable, high-quality housing for working families and seniors. It places special emphasis on creating jobs, retail activity, access to transit, and maintaining open space—all hallmarks of good, sustainable neighborhoods.—Kathleen Stanley

Under Pope, the Sierra Club has gained 150,000 new members and it remains the most influential environmental organization in Washington. Pope has been instrumental in pressuring the Bush administration regarding wilderness conservation—a relevant issue to builders seeking expansion—and continues to lobby against suburban sprawl and unchecked development.—Zach Blattner

When chairman Buffett speaks—through his infamous shareholder letters—people listen. But builders have been especially attentive since October 2003, when his firm, Berkshire Hathaway, spent $1.7 billion to acquire Clayton Homes, a Tennessee manufactured housing company that went on to nab Oakwood Homes for a cool $373 million. It might be just the jolt that the beleaguered manufactured housing industry needs. Stay tuned.—Kathleen Stanley

Controlling the comings and goings of a $32 billion federal budget is not a job for an amateur. Fortunately, Jackson comes to this post with years of public housing experience under his belt. HUD is being urged (by the Bush administration) to enact big changes in the way it grants money to neighborhoods for development, and Jackson is at the forefront of those changes.—Matthew Power

Miles' Denver-based real estate branding and communications firm has played a pivotal role in how builders carve out their niche in the marketplace and communicate their position to consumers. Focusing solely on real estate since 1998, the company has won more national advertising and marketing awards than any other agency in the country.—Pat Curry

Humphrey oversees what is arguably the most recognizable window brand in the United States: Andersen Windows and Doors. The market leader in the new-construction segment, the 100-year-old company offers a wide variety of window and door products that are available in more than 600,000 unique shapes and styles in such materials as wood-clad, aluminum, and vinyl/wood fiber composite.—Nigel F. Maynard

Beazer Homes USA is the nation's sixth-largest home builder, with 15,535 closings in 2003 and $3.3 billion in sales. The Atlanta-based company builds in more than 40 markets in the Southeast, West, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic. McCarthy has logged more than 23 years with Beazer companies in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Thailand. He has served as president, CEO, and director of Beazer Homes USA since its IPO in March 1994.—Steve Zurier

Lowe is now president and CEO of E.W. Scripps Co., HGTV's parent company, but the self-labeled “frustrated architect” will be forever linked with the launch of this wildly successful cable network. In 1992 he pitched the cable channel idea to Scripps by drawing a house in which every room, from attic to wine cellar, was its own TV show. Today, the network is distributed to more than 85 million households.—Kathleen Stanley

Following in the footsteps of Jack Welch before him, Immelt had some big shoes to fill. Nevertheless, business continues apace. In 2004, BusinessWeek ranked GE as the fourth most valuable brand worldwide, after Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and IBM. Though it has many divisions, GE's appliances are what home builders know best. The company's Profile products are used widely in production homes, and its Monogram professional-style line is a favorite with the luxury-home crowd.—Nigel F. Maynard

Formerly a partner with the O'Donnell Group, a large regional developer and owner of commercial properties, Neff now heads one of the nation's biggest residential real estate investment firms. His firm and its investing partners have helped put almost $4 billion worth of real estate in the ground, creating profitable projects in both successful and (previously) unsuccessful markets.—Matthew Power

As director of the agency that regulates government-sponsored enterprises' safety and soundness, Falcon has been busy cleaning up after the Freddie Mac accounting scandal, forcing the company to pay a $125 million penalty; a highly critical review of Fannie Mae's practices followed. Falcon supports legislation to strengthen OFHEO's power with a permanent funding stream and a possible move from HUD to Treasury. Though his five-year term expired in October, at press time he was expected to continue in the role.—Michele Mariani

You know your company is doing something right when it creates a product category and consumers call the product by your name even when it's not yours. Such is the case with DuPont's Corian solid surface. But DuPont is more than just Corian. Its Tyvek housewrap is pretty much a standard spec, and its quartz-based surfacing is fast becoming many buyers' choice. Holiday, who has been with DuPont for 30 years, is helping to take the company into the next millennium.—Nigel F. Maynard

The world's leading manufacturer of engineered lumber, Trus Joist has played a crucial part in revolutionizing how homes are built. Denig joined the company 30 years ago, starting as a sales rep and working his way up to president and CEO of TJ International, Trus Joist's parent company. It was acquired by Weyerhaeuser in 2000.—Pat Curry

The brainchild of Page and Brin, newly public Google is the search engine that many potential home buyers turn to first to research builders. But there's a catch: During the past year, most of the major search engines, Google included, tend to list the large portals because they have the most links and site traffic. Builders now need to list with the major home builder sites if they expect to generate consistent leads over the Web.—Zach Blattner.

Architectural influences continue to come from the left coast.

A chorus of designers will say it ain't so, but in reality most of the architects who cast their spell over production homes hail from the West. California, to be specific. The heavyweights that still wield considerable influence include Bassenian/ Lagoni Architects, Dahlin Group Architecture Planning, JBZ Architecture + Planning, Robert Hidey Architects, and William Hezmalhalch Architects. Bob White, a former principal and director of design at Scheurer Architects, has some interesting projects on the horizon through his new firm, Forest Studio. And Jonathan Segal, The Steinberg Group, and SB Architects are all involved in forward-looking projects, as are two non-California firms: Woodley Architecture Group in Highlands Ranch, Colo., and Mithun Architects + Designer + Planners in Seattle.

But the real buzz these days centers around urban, affordable projects. The best seem to all be executed by David Baker + Partners, a San Francisco firm with just a dozen employees that cleaned up at the most recent Gold Nuggets and Builder's Choice awards' competitions.—Kathleen Stanley

Builders now understand that smarter use of technology will keep them in business.

Nextel is the only telecom company committed to developing construction- and builder-focused applications. The company's Direct Connect “push-to-talk” phones are ubiquitous at most jobsites and major builders such as Hovnanian and Centex are rolling out warranty management applications on Nextel's BlackBerry 7510.

On the software side Intuit's Quick Books is still dominant with small builders, and the company's MasterBuilder software is perfect for builders who want some back-office functionality. PeopleSoft is making a major play for big builders with its EnterpriseOne product, claiming it finally has a Web-based product that can deliver a complete construction management solution for builders. Much will depend on the outcome of Oracle's hostile takeover bid, which at press time seemed much more likely.

Turmoil at PeopleSoft may be a boon for Canada-based Constellation software, which spent much of 2004 consolidating its acquisitions of back-office software companies NewStar and FAST. The Canadians say they are in home building to stay and have a strong track record consolidating niche industries. Constellation also has products that are geared to more mid-sized builders, so look for them to take a strong case to builders in 2005.

On the home-technology front, companies such as OnQ and Sony have developed very strong builder programs, and Home Director ended 2004 with some significant contracts with KB Home in California and Land Tejas, a developer of planned communities in Houston.—Steve Zurier

BUILDER names its pop culture icons.

With their own cable channel, cartoon character, and a bevy of reality shows, builders have become a cultural institution. These four individuals may not have transformed home building, but in their own special ways they've made their marks.

A reality show pioneer, Vila was the original host of “This Old House” and is celebrating his 25th year in television. Staying up-to-date with the latest housing trends, Vila is showcasing an urban infill project and modular construction.

The hunky carpenter of The Learning Channel's “Trading Spaces” now leads a crew on ABC's “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” He's one of the few builders with groupies and may be responsible for a surge in women entering the field.

While his would-be apprentices are creating toys and selling ice cream, The Donald's first love is real estate. As evidence of the importance he places on building prime residential properties, Trump's prize in the first season for winner Bill Rancic was a chance to build a Chicago high-rise.—Pat Curry

Thanks to their lobbying efforts, HBAs have posted some big wins in recent years.

State and local HBAs use every tool available—members and money, proposed legislation and ballot initiatives—to drive elections and policy making. Here are a few state HBAs that have fought and won big battles recently:

Not one bill this group opposed—including a controversial public campaign finance proposal and three promoting local impact fees—made it into law during the 2003—2004 legislative session. Meanwhile, lawmakers passed all of the HBA's proposed legislation. The North Carolina Center for Public Policy has named Mike Carpenter, the association's executive vice president, one of the state's top 50 lobbyists every year since 1993.

Ed Phillips credits a philosophical shift with his group's recent successes. “We used to be the ‘hell, no' guys,” Phillips says. The HBA has since adopted a more proactive agenda, promoting—and pushing to victory—bills on such controversial builder issues as licensing and right to repair. Improved credibility helped the association rewrite the state's erosion and sedimentation act, a change that Phillips says saves builders about $700 per lot.

BIAW is on track to add 1,000 new members this year, a feat executive vice president Tom Mc-Cabe connects to last year's successful ballot initiative campaign to overturn state ergonomics regulations. The association spearheaded the $1.6 million effort, which relied on a combination of grassroots education and multimedia advertising. Fifty-three percent of Washington state voters opted to overturn the regulations, which McCabe says would have cost businesses $750 million annually.—Michele Mariani

Stop blaming the environmentalists. Conservative suburban homeowners are the most powerful foes builders face.

There's nothing quite like self-interest to get a yuppie off the couch and into City Hall. While environmentalists have lost clout in the face of a disintegrating federal commitment to clean air, clean water, energy conservation, and wetland protection, NIMBY homeowners have become savvy, homespun activists. They understand the nuances of zoning and environmental laws and can mobilize other self-interested neighbors who might otherwise stay out of local politics altogether.

Do their tactics work? Absolutely. And lower-income buyers are the first to pay the price. NIMBY sentiments drive up home prices, cause enormous time delays in new projects, and make smart growth through density almost impossible. A recent study of NIMBY impact in Florida by the state-appointed Affordable Housing Study Commission (www.floridahousing.org) found that NIMBY efforts are spreading rapidly—due in large part to use of the Internet to spread false information.

The report says: “Unfortunately, ignorance, community fear, and opposition to affordable housing are still very much a part of life in Florida today. Left unchecked, ignorance and fear will continue to guide community residents' actions and hinder efforts to build inclusive communities that can accommodate all of Florida's citizens.” It adds that “NIMBYism and its insidious impacts on Florida's communities and the state's economy continue to be a primary concern for the Commission.”—Matthew Power