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When Delray Beach, Fla.-based developer Frank McKinney erected a 23-foot-high treehouse on his property, he thought he was fulfilling a boyhood dream. They unanimously voted that the air-conditioned treehouse ruins the appearance of his historic house--and it has to go. McKinney also had none of...
Online relationships between builders and suppliers are finally catching up with the rest of the world. By Charles WardellAnd the system has made Ogletree one of Ply Mart's most loyal customers.
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HomeSoft can be used at the point of sale when a salesperson determines that a customer is interested in buying a house in a specific price range.
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Tired of your job slowing down be-cause your engineer is in one place, your project superintendent another, and you need to meet with both together?The software supports CAD documents, 3D models, plot plans, photos, pdf and tiff files, and all Microsoft Office files.
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By BUILDER Magazine Staff. BuildLinks, a Web-based customer management tool that lets builders and customers use an electronic calendar to manage options and selections, recently secured $2 million in second-round funding. Company officials expect BuildLinks to be a profitable company by the second...
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By BUILDER Magazine Staff. The Internet is now equal to newspapers as an information source for new-home shoppers in the Washington metro area, according to BeHomeWise. The Internet and newspapers tied for first place at 14 percent, followed by realtors at 11 percent, 10 percent for home guide...
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Home Automation Inc. will ship its new OmniTouch touchscreen interface later this month for the company's Omni line of integrated security and home controllers. Company officials tout the OmniTouch as a "no-frills'' product that sells for $799, well below the $1,200 most other touchscreens sell for.
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By BUILDER Magazine Staff. Intuit added to its QuickBooks Solutions Marketplace recently by developing a list of 22 third-party applications for construction that integrate with QuickBooks. Builders will find background information on the products and links to the software vendors' sites.
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One of the great challenges builders face on any new project is how to set up data communications at a site where none exist. Other gear at the communications tower included a solar panel to create DC power, two standard 70-amp batteries, and a power inverter to change the DC power to AC.
This master bath is part of a major renovation of a 30-year-old house that was in horrible shape, says architect Robert Moore, president of Habitat Design Group in Boulder, Colo. The house was in such bad shape, in fact, that the client, a recently single developer with a young son, moved in with...
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After almost a century of standing, any house could be expected to fall victim to bad remodeling work. The company's Catalina Collection features 1/4-turn ceramic disc valves and cast brass spout construction.
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Home buyers seemingly cannot get enough of granite. This model-home kitchen is located in a market where buyers customarily pay $700 to $900 per square foot for a home.
Just as a watermark indicates a fine piece of paper, made from the finest materials with exquisite craftsmanship, our new contest recognizes the best in kitchens and baths.
Though ranked as one of the best communities in the South by Living Southern Style magazine, Stonehouse was experiencing slow sales. Of 400 brokers invited, 387 attended the Stonehouse Community's Picnic in the Park broker promotion.
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These are the pioneer families buying before there is anything to really see at the development, says Erin McGivney, account executive at Atlanta-based Denmark Advertising and Public Relations. All boxed up: This handsome invitation was included in an exclusive wooden box inviting potential buyers...
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By BUILDER Magazine Staff. "Expected turnout for the weekend was 3,000, with planning for 5,000 to 7,500, just in case," says Marcia Neese-Ooley, director of account services for Gauger + Santy, the San Francisco-based agency that orchestrated the grand opening. Flocking to fun: More than three...
Much like opinion polls, trying to figure out what home buyers want is an inexact science. No longer content with ceramic tiles, buyers are looking to glass to add pizzazz, and though homeowners still want color, they are moving beyond paint and using light fixtures in a variety of colors, styles...
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Just 30 percent of family-owned companies make it to the second generation.
Architect David Furman designed the company's one-of-a-kind Park West Condos in Charlotte, with contemporary lines and some traditional details that were perfect for the site and the market. Although the forms are modern, the brick facade of Lander's Summit/Grotto Condominium townhomes in St. Paul...
"Eventually, [infill] will be 100 percent of what everyone does," predicts Lance Waite, president for Western Pacific Housing in San Diego, a division of D.R. Horton. I've lived in the city my whole life, and I understand the value and economics of city development," says Jim Letchinger, president...
Until recently, there weren't a lot of reasons to get off Highway 80 at Hercules, Calif. In fact, many San Franciscans probably aren't familiar with the little town, which is on the Bay side 16 miles north of Oakland. Promenade, built by Western Pacific Housing, is the first residential project in...
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By BUILDER Magazine Staff. Why it worked: The builder's "quality package" concept consists of only the basic finishes, providing affordable homes for first-time buyers moving up from apartments. Project: Independence, Las Vegas; Sales started: November 2002; Sales through January 2003: 71; Units...
High quality of architecture and construction distinguishes Claremont Pointe from its neighboring communities. Residents enjoy the closeness to community parks, fine dining, and Modesto's top-ranked Sylvan School district.
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The buyer profile consists of 30 percent first move-up, 55 percent second move-up, and 15 percent move-down.
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In January, the National Center for Seniors' Housing Research (NCSHR) announced the winners of its third annual national student design competition, "Aging in Place: An Open Design Competition for Students." The NAHB Research Center will develop a virtual tour of the winning entry and publish...
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A look at the fiscal proposals unveiled by the Bush administration and the Democratic leadership.The estimated 10-year cost of the entire package is $674 billion, compared with about $100 billion for the Democratic proposal.The results would weaken the two principal policy supports to the...
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The secondary market for home mortgages is successful. Why not a similar program for land acquisition, development, and construction?And as anyone who was active in the housing market prior to the emergence and growth of the secondary mortgage market can tell you, today's housing finance system is...
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- The International Builders' Show in Las Vegas has record-breaking attendance of 92,064.
- Unintentional injury is the No. 1 killer of America's children; more than 4.5 million children are injured in their homes every day.
- The NAHB expresses serious concerns about recommendations published by...
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New research shows how clever use of demolition materials can greatly defray infill costs, at the same time easing environmental impacts.As urban infill construction becomes ever more desirable, many builders fear the "hidden" costs associated with demolishing and trucking away old factories...
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In yet another boom year, big builders best themselves again.Other top 10 results: KB Home, with 21,778 closings in the United States and 3,787 in France; NVR, with 11,368 closings; and MDC, with 8,900 deliveries.
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By Steve Zurier. The HBA of Mississippi recently filed a lawsuit against the seaside city of Ocean Springs, claiming that impact fees the city passed in January are illegal taxes. "The federal court also decided not to send the case back to the Mississippi Supreme Court."
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Mold hysteria took a hit in December, when a Texas appeals court judge sliced a jury's news-making $32 million award to a homeowner for mold and water damage.
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The Bosch Tool Co. has redesigned its Web site (www.boschtools.com), adding three new "community pages" and improving its home page. Amazon offers reviews and discounts on Bosch tools and a list of top-selling tools and accessories that is updated daily.
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A group of researchers from the nonprofit Housing Assistance Council (HAC) in Washington have more bad news about housing conditions on Native American lands. Sources: Knight Ridder Reports, Housing Assistance Council
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As a builder of executive and estate homes in the Washington area, Renaissance Homes knows the importance of customer satisfaction. And, as for the original goal of boosting those "would you recommend" numbers, Renaissance achieved that too, climbing to 95 percent in 2002, up from 75 percent in...
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Faced with explosive population growth and the threat of state aid cuts due to California's multibillion-dollar budget deficit, the city of Elk Grove has added two new taxes totaling $275 to the annual tax bill of new homeowners. The new taxes, which were approved by the city council and local...
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In its first acquisition of the year, Miami- based Lennar Corp. in January purchased South Carolina-based Seppala Homes, which closed roughly 400 homes in 2002.
Like Maryland's former governor, Parris Glendening, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey has grabbed the sprawl bull by the horns. In New Jersey, he says, most of the biggest problems people face come back to one root cause.
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The federal EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers now want field staff to contact headquarters in Washington before issuing a permit in isolated wetlands. Environmental groups say the edict from the federal government weakens the Clean Water Act, thus making it easier for developers to obtain permits...
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The International Design Guild in Manchester, N.H., has set standards for budgeting for carpet in the home for the year 2003.
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A new study by the National Association of Realtors has some surprising news about second homes. Reason for Buying Getaway for family: 51%Retirement home: 18%Investment: 15%Rental income: 15%Other: 1%Source: NAR
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Three model-code organizations officially merged in a formal signing ceremony at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 21. ICC developed the International Residential Code, the first national residential building code developed with significant home builder input and representation.
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By Boyce Thompson. Ray Kennedy, one of the most admired executives in the industry, died unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack in early February. Kennedy, 60, was president and COO of Masco Corp., a $10 billion manufacturer and installer of building products with more than 60,000 employees.
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The HBA of Connecticut is vigorously opposing the doubling of the state's conveyance tax to offset the state's budget deficit. Officials from the HBA expect the state legislature to be debating tax issues well into the spring.
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Like many people, I have fond memories of the first home my wife and I bought. I wistfully remember the day several neighbors helped me build a huge play structure out of treated lumber in the backyard.