Builder articles from April 2006

Builder archives from April 2006

Service magic: you can't pull great customer service out of a hat--it requires constant diligence.(Editorial)
April 1, 2006... WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOMER SERVICE, APRIL MAY indeed be the cruelest month. This is when the dreaded J.D. Power and Associates starts to mail out thousands of surveys to people who bought new homes within the last 16 months. Suffice it to say,...

Calendar.
April 1, 2006... APRIL 8-May 21 Street of Dreams, Houston Tour the Tidewater Collection in Harborwalk--six remarkable show homes in a most unusual setting. Located in a marina community on West Galveston Bay, the homes are built on broad dredged...

One man's blight ...: definition of blight spurs call for eminent domain reform in Florida.(EMINENT DOMAIN)
April 1, 2006... A redevelopment paln in the small city of Riviera Beach, Fla., has drawn national attention as part of the eminent domain firestorm. The working-class, predominantly black community sits across the Lake Worth Lagoon from the playground of...

Bid high.(Real estate industry forecasts and sales)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... As if there were any doubt that land is a hot commodity, the latest research from the National Auctioneers Association confirms it. Sales of residential real estate through live auctions amounted to $14.2 billion in 2005-an 8.4 percent increase...

Zero down.(real estate prices forecasts)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Home prices rose ever higher in 2005: The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the median new-home price came in at $237,300, compared with $221,000 a year earlier--but the increases didn't keep first-lime buyers out of the market. Instead, 43...

Salt Lake sale.(M.D.C. Holdings acquistions)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... M.D.C. Holdings made a play to jump to the top spot among home builders in the Salt Lake City market with its March I acquisition of local builder Salisbury Homes. Based on 2004 closings, MD.C. ranked as the No. 2 builder in the market, 157...

Exurbs explained.(land costs and home buying prospects)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Sprawl is driven by low land prices and economic prosperity, not by highway expansion, as previously thought. At least, that's the conclusion of a recent study by researchers at University of Illinois-Chicago's Urban Transportation Center. The...

Mortgage Mania.(real estate license)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Does it seem like everyone you know is getting into real estate? In California, it's not far from the truth. The California Department of Real Estate reports that about one in every 75 residents in the state now has a license to transact sales....

Back to school.(builders education bill)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Home builders in Wisconsin may soon need to take classes, show proof of insurance, and stay out of criminal trouble if they want to do business in the state, according to legislation pending in the state Senate. The bill would require anyone...

In short supply: U.S. and Mexico strike deal on cement, but experts say supplies will remain tight.(CEMENT DEAL)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... U.S. Commerce Department officials have announced an agreement in principle with Mexico to virtually eliminate anti-dumping duties on Mexican shipments of cement to the United States. In place since 1990, the import penalties are intended...

Extra credit: Owens Corning gives builders a quick way to figure out how they can earn tax deductions through energy-efficient construction.(ENERGY ANALYSIS TOOL)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... President Bush gave energy efficiency a nod when he signed the Energy Policy Act in April 2005. But one year later, some builders and home buyers are confused about their eligibility to receive tax credits for using energy-saving materials in...

Second City windfall.(Cambridge Homes Inc.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Last year was the first year that a Chicago-area builder sold more than 2,000 homes. In its ranking of the area's 50 largest builders, published in February, the Chicago Sun--Times reported that D.R. Horton's Cambridge Homes division sold 2,349...

Liberace slept here: another famous hotel turns condo.(Societa Generale Immobiliare residential real esate price)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... In 1960, European Real Estate Giant Societa Generale Immobiliare paid $10 million for the 10-acre riverfront tract that was to become the infamous Watergate complex. When the site's namesake hotel closes its doors and re-emerges as 96 luxury...

Infill law review: builders beat back moratorium, but agree to sit on task force to review infill codes.(TEARDOWNS)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Atlanta's City Council voted to nix a 120-day infill moratorium in February, but the issue of so-called McMansions has become so controversial that the city council has appointed a task force to revisit the city's infill regulations. At...

Up, up, and ... away? Escalating construction costs cause the Las Vegas high-rise market to stumble.(MARKET DYNAMICS)(Market overview)
April 1, 2006... There won't be as many Las Vegas units as expected with a view of the strip. During the last few months, several developers have pulled the plug on high-profile high-rise condo projects, citing rapidly escalating construction prices that...

New start: a Chicago investor buys Pulte Mexico and plans to accelerate construction.(Waltham Street Capital)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Pulte Homes' recent sale of its Mexico operations occurred as the country's housing policies seem to be creating a more-robust mortgage market. "There is significant liquidity there. We're bullish about Mexico," says Ira Schulman, a principal...

Sprawl busters: new report highlights successful projects that avoid sprawl.(THE STRAIGHT DOPE: THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Taking a show-and-tell approach to curbing sprawl, Washington-based Sierra Club has published a 32-page report that gives examples of 12 projects where good town planning created livablecommunities. The projects range from large to small,...

Grab it.
April 1, 2006... There's a lot to be said for having the right tool in a tight spot. The manufacturer of these 960 locknut pliers, for example, says that they are designed for quick and easy adjustment of electrical nuts in tight or wire-constricted boxes....

No hands.
April 1, 2006... Any manufacturer can make an electronic bath faucet--and many already have. But the Pascal is one of the first for the kitchen. Launched under the manufacturer's Brizo line, Pascal combines hands-free and touch-control technology so that users...

Lovely soak.
April 1, 2006... A soaking tub in the bathroom makes a style statement; one in metal makes a point: It says that the owner is on the cutting edge. This tub is handmade from insulated, double-walled stainless steel. Measuring 72 inches long and 36 inches deep,...

Easy pieces.
April 1, 2006... Here's a twist on wood flooring: Instead of strips or planks, this product comes in two puzzle-piece patterns that are ideal for entertainment and game rooms. Puzzle Floor units are prefinished, solid hardwood that interlock quickly to create a...

Power up.
April 1, 2006... An 18-volt cordless tool, or even A 24-volt, used to be good enough. This manufacturer has upped the ante with its new line of heavy-duty, 36-volt tools. The line includes the circular saw shown here, plus a hammerdrill, a reciprocating saw, an...

Spacer Odyssey.
April 1, 2006... Anyone who has laid tile knows how difficult it is to make spacing consistent. The Set-&-Go light-weight adjustable tile spacer allows users to achieve perfect grout line consistency, the manufacturer says. The frame adjusts in both length and...

Storm Clouds Hurricane Katrina's lingering effects drive up the nation's mortgage delinquency rates.
April 1, 2006... NEARLY 76,000 HOMEOWNERS IN Louisiana and Mississippi have been unable to resume their mortgage payments since last year's Gulf Coast hurricanes and have fallen into "seriously delinquent" status, meaning that their payments are overdue by 90...

Hung up.
April 1, 2006... The Ultimate Double Hung Magnum is a wood window that offers commercial performance, the manufacturer says. Measuring 10 feet tall by 5 feet wide, the window features a spiral balance system that allows it to operate smoothly and easily, the...

Double down.
April 1, 2006... Because ceilings are getting higher, the manufacturer has expanded the size of its 400 Series double-hung windows to 7 feet 8 inches high by 3 feet 9 inches wide. All together, builders can now choose from 18 new sizes. The windows can be...

Open wide: when it comes to windows, manufacturers are looking at the big picture.(PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2006... EARLIER THIS YEAR, AT THE INTERnational Builders' Show, Warroad, Minn.-based Marvin Windows and Doors introduced the new operable Ultimate Double Hung Magnum window, which measures a whopping 10 feet high by 5 feet wide. The introduction "is...

Good views.
April 1, 2006... Because luxury homes are getting bigger, the manufacturer has introduced the 10-foot-tall Kingsview double-hung to accommodate them. The window has no visible synthetic material, so only wood can be seen from the interior; the result is a...

Case closed.(PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2006... This 7-foot casement window can be customized with divided lites in a variety of muntin bar widths, two profiles, and a host of other design options. It is available in 39 metal-clad exterior colors with Kynar 500 and factory-applied interior...

Sterling performance.(PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2006... The Sterling is a 10-foot-by-4-foot double-hung window with a jamb liner that completely hides the vinyl components. There is no tilt latch applied to the interior sash of the window, and the multifunctional lock incorporates a dual-positioning...

The simple life: hardware manufacturers pursue easier selection opportunities for builders and consumers.(PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2006... The average builder buys prodUCtS for his homes from a variety of suppliers: lighting fixtures from one manufacturer and faucets from another, for example. Product lines by these companies may have some similarities but, by design, will not...

Steel this.
April 1, 2006... STEEL THIS: The latest introduction to the manufacturer's door hardware collection, Metro is a tubular-style handle set that complements the company's interior levers. The stainless steel product will not rust or stain, making it perfect for...

Get a grip.
April 1, 2006... GET A GRIP: The new Inox line of door levers is simple yet elegant. Made from solid stainless steel, the line comes in 28 handle designs, including leather or wood accents. In addition to door levers, a variety of accessories are available so...

Style star.
April 1, 2006... STYLE STAR: It's no good having unusual hardware if you can't match it with other accessories. With Baldwin Archetypes, the manufacturer says that builders will be able to specify entry and interior door hardware in three distinct styles and...

Power of two.
April 1, 2006... POWER OF TWO: It's now possible to match the manufacturer's door hardware with Price Pfister faucets, showerheads, and bath accessories. Part of the manufacturer's Architecturally Inspired Collections, Avalon is available in an entry handle...

Making waves: Z-Wave networking technology gathers huge momentum in residential market.(DIGITAL HOME)
April 1, 2006... These have been heady months for the Z-Wave Alliance. A string of events starting in January with a CNET award at the Consumer Electronics Show, a successful demo of a marketable package of Z-Wave products at the International Builders' Show,...

Port of call.
April 1, 2006... The new freestanding iPort is expected to ship in the first quarter of this year. The iPort lets ipod users stream audio and photos to their home entertainment system and sync with iTunes. The freestanding units follow the iPort in-wall units,...

Audio anywhere.
April 1, 2006... OnQ Legrand says it will ship a multisource version of its new lyriQ audio system starting next month. The multisource feature will let homeowners play a DVD player in one room and an ipod in another room. OnQ marketing communications manager...

NAHB tech group formed: builder trade group creates subcommittee to focus on home technology.(National Association of Home Builders)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... There's been a sense in the home-tech vendor community that the NAHB has to play a stronger role in defining digital home standards for new construction. Help is on the way, as the NAHB has formed a new subcommittee to work with builders to...

Instant reports.
April 1, 2006... BuildTopia, makers of a Web-based home building system, is packing an On Demand Reporting tool into all of its products. The new feature lets home builders develop custom reports and save them as Excel, HTML, PDE and Word files. Builders can...

Sales hook.
April 1, 2006... Constellation HomeBuilder Systems has developed an interface that links its Web-based sales system, Constellation Sales, to the old PeopleSoft/J.D. Edwards system now owned by Oracle. Dexter Salna, Constellation's president, says that the...

Workflow freedom: new builder MT tool lets builders customize business processes.(Builder MT purchasing bases software tool)
April 1, 2006... If every home builder issues contracts, releases work orders, and schedules new-home construction over 90 days in roughly the same way, why do builders need workflow software? Brett Parkhurst, chief technology officer at Builder MT, maker...

Pole position.(real estate industry)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... For a second consecutive quarter, Indianapolis was the nation's most affordable housing market among major metros with populations over 500,000. According to the NAHB/ Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, 88.7 percent of new and existing...

Rate of attrition.(real estate industry prices)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Meanwhile, higher interest rates and rising home prices caused nationwide housing affordability to slip for a fourth consecutive quarter to its lowest level on Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) record. The latest HOI showed that only 41...

Government for the people? It's well known that regulation erodes housing affordability, and yet our leaders continue to pile it on at every level.(FROM THE PRESIDENT)
April 1, 2006... YOU WOULD THINK THAT, BY NOW, GOVERNment officials would understand this simple equation: More regulation equals higher housing prices and lower affordability Yet year after year--and despite numerous government and independent studies...

Supplier beware: control of housing inventory is now a critical issue for builders.(SEIDERS ECONOMY)
April 1, 2006... Rapid house price gains and rising mortgages rates have taken a heavy toll on housing affordability in many areas. As a result, home sales have come off the record highs of last year, and inventories of unsold new homes have climbed in the...

Taking no more.(Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... In February, Reps. Steve Chabot (ROhio) and Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) introduced H.R. 4772, the Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006, which is designed to ensure that proprty owners get their day in federal court to defend their Fifth...

Zero hour: a research center study probes the impact of zero-energy homes in reducing future US. energy consumption.(THE NABH RESEARCH CENTER CORNER)(Market overview)
April 1, 2006... ONCE JUST A CONCEPT, A truly zero-energy home (ZEH) is now a reality in several locales throughout the United States. And the opportunities to construct ZEHs are growing as solar and other energy-efficient technologies become more affordable....

Beyond barracks.(Our Military's Enlisted Servicemembers Act)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity is considering the Build Houses for Our Military's Enlisted Servicemembers Act, which the NAHB supports and testified on in February. H.R. 3186 would correct a...

The personal touch: quality construction is merely the price of admission to compete in today's home building market. To stand out, you need to make the home buying experience something to be enjoyed, not endured.(FIELD REPORT 2006)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Every builder provides essentially the same product. The elevations, floor plans, and square footage may vary, but it's all about providing shelter. So in order to differentiate your company; especially in markets that are beginning to soften,...

First impressions: a customer's sales-center experience sets the tone for the entire transaction.(SALES CENTER)
April 1, 2006... It is an unusually cold Saturday morning in Orlando, Fla. A winter wind kicked up overnight, and dirt is blowing everywhere from cleared home sites at Avalon Park, a neotraditional, mixed-use development several miles southeast of downtown. It...

Stock options: Winchester Homes has found a way to make its options process easier for buyers and better for the bottom line.(PURCHASE OF OPTIONS AND UPGRADES)
April 1, 2006... It's a rainy Saturday in February, and home buyers Lisa and Chuck Brousseau have an appointment at Creative Touch Interiors (CTD, in Landover, Md., to select the hardwood and vinyl flooring, carpeting, padding, and window coverings for their...

Constant contact: buyers form strong impressions of builders from their financing and closing experiences.(FINANCING AND CLOSING)
April 1, 2006... Not too long ago, First AmericanTitle, one of the industry's largest title companies, found itself on the defensive when some of its large builder-clients complained that its service wasn't cutting it with their customers. "Builders said to us,...

Construction junction: for Brookfield Homes, creating satisfied buyers is as easy as counting to one--PriorityOne.(CONSTRUCTION)
April 1, 2006... Allison Grant knows, more or less, how her Mondays will play out. She'll turn on her computer, pour a cup of joe, and attend meetings like every other American worker. But Mondays also bring an assignment that is an essential part of the sales...

Welcome home: move-in offers a chance to making a lasting impression.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... When Dennis Johnson and his wife, Joan Black, moved in to their new home in Warmington Homes' Bayport Alameda community in Alameda, Calif., the couple didn't have to spend any time figuring out how the garbage disposal or the thermostat worked....

It could happen to you: as many as 40 percent of small businesses don't recover from a disaster. Do you have a plan in place to beat the odds?(advance planning)
April 1, 2006... What if... What if hackers break into your computer system and delete vital customer and employee data? What if an unexpected ice storm knocks out power to your office--and all the other offices 20 miles away--for a week? What...

Street wise: true urban revitalization requires more than just filling in the voids. Three infill projects show how it's done.
April 1, 2006... It wasn't long ago that URBAN infill was a niche market dominated by a select few. Not anymore. With land in scarce supply and prices skyrocketing, it's no wonder that more than a handful of volume builders have gone sniffing for new profit...

What's new on builder online: buried treasure.(MISSING LINKS)
April 1, 2006... Looking into our online archives the other day; we discovered that we recently surpassed 10,000 articles from Hanley Wood print publications available on Builder Online and our other Web sites. Those articles form the backbone of Builder...

Private office with built-ins.(Builder PLANS)
April 1, 2006... The stone facade lends a stately appearance to this European cottage. Inside, decorative columns distinguish the common living spaces. The living room boasts a fireplace, French-door access to a rear patio, and built-in bookshelves. An eating...

Marina District, San Francisco.(real estate)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Built on the site of San Francisco's 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition, the Marina District rests on a base of sand and mud dredged from the bottom of the ocean, a landfill specially created as the setting for that year's world's...

Products in print.(HOW TO USE THE 2006 GUIDE IN PRINT)
April 15, 2006

Products online.(HOW TO USE THE 2006 GUIDE ONLINE)(Buyers guide)
April 15, 2006

Editor's picks.(trends and technology usage on building materials )(Editorial)
April 15, 2006

Top choice: which product brands do builders rely on day in and day out? BUILDER'S 2006 Brand Use Study reveals the ones our readers turn to most.(BRAND USE STUDY)(Table)
April 15, 2006

The 50 most popular products of 2005.(FAVORITE 50)
April 15, 2006

Virtual tools: if you can grip a mouse or manipulate a touch pad, you can gain access to a box full of online tools that can assist you with product planning, estimating, and installation.(VIRTUAL TOOLS)
April 15, 2006

Manufacturer directory.(Directory)
April 15, 2006

Computer software.(PRODUCT GUIDE)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Doors & windows.(PRODUCT GUIDE)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Electrical & mechanical.(PRODUCT GUIDE)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Exterior.(building materials industry)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Finishes & surfaces.(Building materials industry-Product guide)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Kitchen & bath.(PRODUCT GUIDE)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Site & landscaping.(Building materials industry)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Specialties.(construction equipment industry-product guide)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Structural.(building materials industry-product guide)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Tools & equipment.(PRODUCT GUIDE)(Directory)(Table)
April 15, 2006

Association directory.(trade associations)(Directory)
April 15, 2006