Builder articles from December 2002

Builder archives from December 2002

Heroic effort: the housing industry's contribution to the American economy -- the American way of life -- was nothing short of fantastic this year. (Editor's Notes).(Editorial)
December 1, 2002... IN AN ISSUE DEDICATED TO ANALYZING THE TRENDS OF THE last year, can there be any doubt about the biggest event of the year? It has to be the heroic effort of the housing industry, literally carrying a moribund economy on its back through much...

B-mail.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2002... Valuing Business DOES BUILDER GATHER DATA SPECIFIC for the custom home building industry? I am a business appraiser and have a current assignment to appraise a custom home builder's business in Arizona. I have not been able to locate much...

Calendar.(Calendar)
December 1, 2002... January 2003 20-28 Jack Miller Seminars, Orlando, Fla. Jack Miller Seminars presents a series of three workshops in Orlando: Total Quality Management (Jan. 20-21), Marketing Construction Services (Jan. 23-24), and...

Shattered trust: homeowners struggle with the consequences of a Cincinnati builder' actions. (Hard Lessons).(The Erpenbeck Co. under investigation for bank fraud)
December 1, 2002... IN JULY 2000, STEVE AND WHITNEY REMLEY closed on the perfect house for their growing family. They liked the location of the Steeplechase community, so convenient to I-75. They looked forward to enjoying the pool and the clubhouse. And they...

HD floored. (House Blend).(The Home Depot has planned mergers with Floors Inc., Arvada Hardwood Floor Co. and Floorworks Inc. )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... The Home Depot wants home builders' business. In October, the Atlanta-based home improvement retailer announced the planned acquisition of three flooring companies that serve new-home builders: Floors Inc. of Landover, Md., Arvada Hardwood...

Asbestos villain? (House Blend).(Edward Carroll charged with crimes involving asbestos)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Edward Carroll, a 71-year-old Vermont man, has been charged in New Haven, Conn., with environmental crimes involving asbestos. Authorities say that while renovating an old mill, which he knew contained asbestos, he told subcontractors and...

Adding assets. (Big Deals).(real estate developers mergers and acquisitions )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Public builders continue to expand their reach and depth. In November, New Jersey- based Hovnanian Enterprises entered the Houston market by purchasing the assets of Parkside Homes. Parkside, which projects 300 closings in fiscal 2003, controls...

Too ugly. (House Blend).(Habitat for Humanity homes in Alaska look alike )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... In Mountain View, Alaska, locals have some clearly defined problems with the half dozen or so Habitat for Humanity homes now being built there each year. As one woman told the Anchorage Daily News, "They look like 1950s tract homes, and they're...

Island paradise: home magazine's island heritage home makes waves in Charleston, S.C. (Show Home).(Home magazine's island heritage show home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... WITH A STUCCO FACADE AND A DESIGN reminiscent of far away beaches, Home magazine's island heritage show home stands out from the pack of more familiar neo-traditional styles on Daniel Island, a 4,000-acre master plan TND in Charleston, S.C. ...

Team defense: when corporate downsizing eliminated his job, this sales manager decided to beat the big companies at their own game. (Strength in Numbers).(Alan Hill creates ClearPath among six local high-tech service companies)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... ALAN HILL, LIKE A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE, USED to work for a big corporation--in this case BellSouth. When the company handed him his walking papers last year (at a time when BellSouth CEO Duane Ackerman raked in about $28 million in pay and stock...

Marketing speak. (House Blend).(for home construction )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Buyers might fear that your homes are infested with slimy creatures when they hear this new acronym, FROG (Finished Room Over Garage). But assure them that it's one of the hottest floor plan add-on options these days and won't keep them up at...

New vs. used. (House Blend).(Bob Schultz offers advice at the Energy and Environmental Building Association conference)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Popular sales trainer Bob Schultz of New Home Specialist Inc., in Boca Raton, Fla., reminded builders attending the Energy and Environmental Building Association conference in Phoenix last month that new-home sales are a retail not a real...

Stat watch. (House Blend).(National Association of Home Builders fall board meeting )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Wondering what the future holds for your local housing market? At the NAHB fall board meeting in Alaska, NAHB economist Michael Carliner offered this tip: If housing starts are high relative to population, and employment growth is low, "that's...

What a deal! (House Blend).(Tulsa HBA paid for winning entries in the National Sales and Marketing Awards from the National Association of Home Builders of the United States)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... To encourage its members to enter the local SAM Awards (Sales and Marketing) and expand national recognition for the market, the Tulsa HBA paid for all of its local winners to enter the NAHB's National Sales and Marketing Awards. That's a great...

A-maizing space: developer grows and cuts corn for charity Halloween fun. (Agri-Tainment).(Sienna Plantation and TBG Partners )
December 1, 2002... COMBINE THE ART OF THE CROP CIRCLE WITH the idea of a maze and what do you get? "Confused," which ran weekends and Halloween from Sept. 28 to Nov. 2 in Fort Bend County, Texas. Developer Sienna Plantation was host sponsor of Cornfused and...

Simplified supply: Keystone Custom Homes improves building material pricing with direct communication and quantity commitments. (Cost Cutter).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... FOR THE BEST PRICES ON BUILDING MATERIALS, go to bat for your contractors. That's what Keystone Custom Homes did with its roofing, communicating directly with its contractors' suppliers and staving off an expected 5 percent increase in...

Think green. (House Blend).(Prairie Crossing's public relations )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Successfully selling a green, conservation community such as Prairie Crossing, in Grayslake, Ill., means thinking beyond traditional advertising. Prairie Crossing is unique among Chicago-area builders in that it sponsors programs on Chicago...

Low-flow lowdown: new research on toilets shows that price has little to do with the discharging power of a flush. (Toilet Test).
December 1, 2002... SOME BRANDS CAN JETTISON A HOLIDAY turkey. Others would do better service as decorative planters. That's the bottom line of the just-released "Water Closet Performance Testing," an NAHB Research Center study on low-flow toilets. Although...

Super soaker: being a drip may save money and resources. (Editor's Internet Pick).(Netafim product information )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... IF YOU'RE BUILDING MODELS IN DRY REGIONS like the West and Southwest, it can take forever for grass, plants, and trees to grow. But Netafim (www.netafim-usa.com) could be the answer. Created on a kibbutz in Israel in 1967 and now available...

Revenue racket: former Homestore execs admit to fraud. (Guilty Pleas).(John Giesecke, Joseph Shew and John DeSimone )
December 1, 2002... IN YET ANOTHER ACCOUNTING SCHEME exposed, three former Homestore senior executives pleaded guilty to criminal corporate fraud charges in October for illegally manipulating Homestore's revenues. Under plea agreements announced in September...

Walking the high wire: a record $27 million bid wins Meritage Homes a 100-acre tract of land in Roseville, Calif. was the purchase bold or brash? (The Straight Dope).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... When Meritage Homes, a national builder, purchased one of the last large pieces of land approved for building in Roseville, Calif.--not far from Sacramento--it had plenty of competition. Four other builders offered the seller (Richmond...

No escape: manufactured housing stocks get dropped by CSFB. (Inside Story).(Credit Suisse First Boston and Deutsche Financial Services )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... THE BAD NEWS JUST KEEPS COMING FOR manufactured housing producers. In October, Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) analyst Ivy Zelman announced CSFB would no longer cover public manufactured home builders Champion Enterprises (NYSE: CHB) and...

Hold on. (Top Shelf).
December 1, 2002... WHILE PLASTIC CLIPS ARE AN EFFECTIVE AND INEXPENSIVE WAY TO holdup mirrors, they offer very little style. Class up your mirror installations with this collection of sand-cast aluminum mounting hardware instead. Mirror Images can be used to...

Clean slate. (Top Shelf).
December 1, 2002... IF REGULAR SLATE IS TOO TAME FOR YOUR HOME BUYERS, ADD A LITTLE pizzazz with this new line of natural slate products that feature laser-cut designs etched right into the stone's surface. Available in 6-, 8-, and 12-inch squares, the Premiere...

Curve appeal. (Top Shelf).
December 1, 2002... ARCHED DOORWAYS AND ROOM TRANSITIONS WILL NO LONGER GIVE YOU Headaches. Easy-Arch pre-formed metal framing allows for quick and simple installations. The product secures to framing, creating an arch at a fraction of the cost of forming the...

Wall flower. (Top Shelf).
December 1, 2002... THESE PRE-FABRICATED ARCHITECTURAL wall panels will save you time and will reduce jobsite errors, the manufacturer says. Used in place of exterior siding, the rigid foam insulation panels are constructed of plywood, Dens Glass, and cement board...

Copper mine. (Top Shelf).
December 1, 2002... THIS FARMHOUSE SINK IS MADE OF 1/8-INCH-THICK, HEAVY-GAUGE copper, which is "softer" than most other sink materials, so it will be easier on dishes and glassware. The copper will also age and develop its trademark patina over time. The sink has...

Solid foundation. (Top Shelf).
December 1, 2002... EVERY BUILDER WANTS TO REDUCE CONSTRUCtion costs and time. The easy-to-install E-MAXX System insulating foundation wall can do both, the company says. The system consists of e-studs, e-ties, e-panels, and e-corners. The 2- or 2 1/2-inch-thick...

Monumental efforts: with dozens of workers crawling around the jobsite, and hundreds of changes along the way, builder's super-sized show home tests this builder's mettle. (Betting on Luxury).(Interview)
December 1, 2002... BILL BLANCHARD OF CHRISTOPHER Homes has never seen anything like it. As the builder in charge of the 2003 HomeDestinations at Southern Highlands project, ("home" seems too small a word), he roams the vast confines of this speculative...

On the mend: will 2003 restore that traditional relationship between the housing market and the stock market? (Vital Signs).
December 1, 2002... FOR YEARS, THE HOUSING MARKET moved in tandem with the stock market. Recently, though, that relationship has hit a rough patch, as the returns on each of those investments moved in opposite directions. "During the [stock market] boom, a lot...

Green with envy: environmentally responsible products don't need to cost an arm and a leg. (Products).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... LIKE KERMIT THE FROG SAID, IT'S not easy being green," and who relates to that better than builders? You may have used a few green products here and there because it was simple and easy, but you might have avoided totally "greening" up your...

Supply Crucial. (NAHB Briefs).(land supply in Maryland)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Adequate land supply is one of the greatest challenges to successfully implementing Maryland's smart growth program, said Chuck Ellison, a developer and home builder from McLean, Va., and the chair of the NAHB's Water Quality Effluent...

Code opposed. (NAHB Briefs).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... After participating in a multi-year effort to produce a single set of national model building codes that will ensure public health and safety while preserving housing affordability, the NAHB is urging regulators against adopting a competing...

Farms vs. houses? American Farmland Trust report recommends no-growth policies that are prescriptions for disaster. (From the President).
December 1, 2002... FOR BUILDERS TRYING TO CONstruct housing at an affordable price, the scarcity of available land and sky-high land prices present a problem that only seems to be growing worse. GROWTH PRESCRIPTION Across the country, builders are...

ARM revival: there is little doubt rates will be subject to upward pressures. Be prepared to help arrange ARMs when interest rates inevitably rise. (Seiders Economy).
December 1, 2002... INTEREST-RATE DEVELOPMENTS DURING 2002 have been striking, and 2003 is likely to be an interest-rate adventure as well. There's little doubt that rates will be subject to upward pressures next year, following large reductions this year....

Condos now? (NAHB Briefs).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... California Governor Gray Davis signed landmark legislation overhauling construction dispute laws that had effectively lowered the number of attached housing units built. California legislators unanimously passed the bill. The bill, SB 800,...

Stocking pantries: Florida developer gets in the spirit of charity through its "Season of Giving". (Home Builders Care Corner).(Landmar Group)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... BUILDER AND DEVELOPER LANDMAR Group, in Jacksonville, Fla., celebrated the "Season of Giving," from Saturday, Nov. 9 to Sunday, Nov. 24, by collecting food for needy families with children in cooperation with the Monique Burr Foundation for...

Callback. (NAHB Briefs).(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2002... Last month we inadvertently misspelled acting president of the NAHB Research Center, Terre Belt's name. We apologize for the error.

2002 Walk-through: did 2002 fly by in a haze? Builder editors are here to help with a year-in-review refresher course that highlights the year's best tips, innovations, stats, and stories.
December 1, 2002... PORCH LIGHTS ON NEW houses--lots and lots of new houses--were one of the few beacons shining brightly in an otherwise difficult year. Housing pretty much held the economy together in 2002, prompting President Bush to personally thank the...

Move over, imus: how well did you follow trends and turnarounds in 2002? See if you rank among the best of the industry's talking beads. (Test Your Industry Smarts).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... 1. Q: Mold was this year's panic button for the industry. If you did your homework, you should know all there is to know about mold. Which specific type of mold (scientific name) is the one that can get you in big legal trouble? a....

Serious money: consolidation hit all corners of the housing industry in 2002 as corporations concentrated on market share. (Big Deals).
December 1, 2002... FOR PRIVATE BUILDERS, 2002 MIGHT HAVE been the year to cash out. With public builders sitting on cash and trading at high Multiplies, they had ample opportunity to play "Let's Make a Deal." Here's a snap-shot of key industry transactions in...

The low road: for those we wish had taken a different path. (Wrecking Ball Awards).
December 1, 2002... Unfortunately, not every home buyer ends up with their dream home. Some find themselves in lawsuits over construction quality, others find their closing date postponed over and over again, and still others learn that they never really owned...

Recession to recovery: builders held strong as the economy wavered. (The Numbers in Review).
December 1, 2002... LESS THE FED. WHILE HOUSing suffered in past recessions, this time home building has been the bulwark of the economy, contributing 4.1 percent to the GDP this year, according to the NAHB. What's the secret? Historically low interest rates...

Six picks: a half a dozen design trends shaping the building industry. (Style Watch).
December 1, 2002... BY THE BOOK: Every municipality in America has jumped onto the neo-traditional bandwagon, and many are starting to develop strict guidelines and pattern books for builders. So it's goodbye to the old standby plans, and hello to a whole new way...

Inside and out: winning marketing ideas came from a variety of industries in 2002. (Marketing Moves).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Here are stand-out examples for marketing and advertising from inside and outside the housing industry. THE WOODLANDS. The Houston community promoted its new commuter canal with a blue fluid-filled binder and CO holder (see photo, right)....

Above and beyond: we salute those who make a difference in housing this year. (Cornerstone Awards).
December 1, 2002... BUILDERS OFTEN SAY THEY HELP their customers achieve the American Dream. But some people need a little extra assistance landing a place of their own-down-payment assistance, credit counseling, or just a decent place to live in a neighborhood...

Adventures in home building: construction's craziest stories. (House Party).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... BUILDERS ARE USED TO EYE-POPping anecdotes about the cost of land or the price of insurance. But these tales weren't the only attention-grabbing stories in the construction industry this year. WOOD CHIPPER NOT INCLUDED: A Minnesota woman...

Places to build a business. (Geography Matters).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2002... BEST STATES FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO DO BUSINESS 1. South Dakota 2. Nevada 3. Wyoming 4. Texas 5. Florida 6. New Hampshire 7. Tennessee 8. Washington 9. Mississippi 10. Alabama WORST STATES FOR...

10 time-tested tips: a walk through five years of trade secrets reveals truths. (Top Trade Secrets).(construction industry)
December 1, 2002... THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, the more things stay the same. Despite technology, engineered building products, and a buyer pool that grows more ethnically diverse each year, successful builders rely on many of the same strategies year after year....

Lord of the rings: a home theater system and a closet system top our list of most popular products with readers. (Fan Favorites).(includes related article)
December 1, 2002... CIRCLE NUMBERS -- YOU SEE THEM every month in our pages at the end of every product blurb and at the bottom of every ad. You may have even circled a few on our reader service cards and sent them in. But have you ever wondered if in this age of...

New world order: ten cultural/consumer trends that will impact housing. (Market Moves).(includes related article)
December 1, 2002... 1. SAFETY FIRST. Already a top priority for single-women buyers in today's fear-fraught climate of terrorists, security is now top-of-mind for everyone. Whether it's a high-tech alarm system or a neighbor-friendly site plan, buyers want a...

Heroes of the planet: by making homes more energy efficient, more affordable, or building denser, smarter communities, these individuals made our short list for conserving the environment -- and our quality of life. (Looking Ahead).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... DR. ALI RAISSI, SCIENTIST. At a time when fossil fuels account for the lion's share of man's pollution footprint, Raissi has taken over as the head of the new Hydrogen Research and Development Division of the Florida Solar Energy Center. A...

Show homes: lots of celebrity action went down on the real estate front. (Star Search).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... MAN, IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A GANGSTA: Now YOU too can jive like a mob boss. Just click on www.sopranohomedsign.com to see Tony and Carmela Soprano's beautiful 6,000-square-foot, $3.5-million New Jersey mini-mansion. For a mere $599, consumers can...

On the mark? For better or for worse, "experts" are predicting our future. (Forward Thinking).(various predictions)
December 1, 2002... SOMB FORECASTERS were right on the mark and some were way off the mark and simply very, very wrong. Here are some past predictions that came true and others that, blessedly, did not. * "Boomers will strike blow after blow against...

Show & Tell. (IBS 2003 Preview).(International Builders' Show, includes related article)
December 1, 2002... NEXT MONTH'S INTERNATIONAL Builders' Show (IBS) promises enough education, networking, and product information to exhaust the most stalwart builder. To help, our editors offer their picks for hot new products to test drive and education...

Cottage industry: a builder/architect team sets out to prove the notion that bigger isn't always better.(The Cottage Co.)
December 1, 2002... MOST HOUSING SURVEYS CLAIM that more square footage is the No. 1-item on the wish lists of new-home buyers. But do these people really need all that space? If they examined the way they actually live, would they still want all those extra...

Smart integration: read this before nailing your company's future to a new piece of software. (Builder Tech).(construction industry software integration)(Column)
December 1, 2002... "SOFTWARE INTEGRATION" IS ALL THE buzz, but even big builders who have spent millions of dollars on complex integration projects still have problems with fireplace mantles showing up for homes that don't have fireplaces. Such problems could be...

New job service. (Builder Tech).(Builder Job Bank)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... American Home Guides, an Internet referral service for home builders, has added a job service to its online offerings. Builder Job Bank www.builderjobbank.com lets job seekers post resumes and search job listings. Builders can post job listings...

Talking pictures. (Builder Tech).(Olympus America's W-10 Digital Voice Recorder)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Need to communicate a jobsite problem to a remote client or architect? Check out Olympus America's (www.olympusamerica.com) new W-10 digital voice recorder. The device includes a 0.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor that captures VGA quality images,...

Boxing match: giant retailers square off for the home integration business. (Builder Tech).(CompUSA and Best Buy)
December 1, 2002... BIG-Box ELECTRONICS STORES ARE VYING for the hearts and wallets of home builders and home buyers. In May, Dallas-based CompUSA, 225 retail stores nationwide, opened its first "digital design center" in Plano, Texas, (see "Network Superstore,"...

Clean sucker. (Builder Tech).(American Lung Association's Health House standard requires central vacuum system)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Builders who want to market healthy homes might want to look at the American Lung Association's Health House standard. One new requirement is that all homes certified under the standard include a central vacuum system. For more information...

BHS picks CRM. (Builder Tech).(Builder Homesite, customer relationship management software)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Builder Homesite (BHS), a consortium of 31 of the nation's leading home builders, has named Chandler, Ariz.-based Sales Simplicity its preferred provider of customer relationship management software. Sales Simplicity Net is designed to...

Where are you? Stop playing hard to get. (Builder Tech).(uReach.com is a unified messaging system)
December 1, 2002... As A BUILDER, THE LAST THING YOU NEED hung around your neck is the label of hard to get reach or unreliable, but when you're in the heat of battle important calls and messages can fall through the cracks. If you're sick and tired of juggling...

Hand tools: three cool Palm applications. (Builder Tech).(electronic checkbook, preliminary budgets, construction project completion details)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... ASK MOST CONTRACTORS WHAT THEY'RE actually using their hand-held computers for, and the answer will probably be "not much." Here are three applications for the Palm operating system that will transform your under-used PDA into a pocket...

Budget home theater: even a modest house can have awesome entertainment. (Workings).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... WHAT DO YOU TELL A CLIENT WHO wants a home theater but doesn't have megabucks? We asked Dennis MacLeod of Home Systems Design, a Pembroke, Mass., company that specializes in high-end home theaters. He offers these tips: SCREENS A good...

What's new on Builder Online: marketplace expands on BUILDER Online. (Missing Links).
December 1, 2002... OUR GOAL AT BUILDER ONLINE IS TO supplement the award-winning articles from BUILDER magazine with additional information and services that help home builders run their firms more efficiently and profitably. One of the areas expanding most...

Looking ahead to January: our annual show issue is packed with the information you need. (Missing Links).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... * HomeDestinations at Southern Highlands--Our luxury show home is ready for visitors. We'll take you on a tour of this one-of-a-kind home. When you're in Las Vegas, be sure to make time to see it in person. * Resources at Risk?--A special...

Vaulted keeping room. (Builder Plans).(traditional home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... A grand double-door entry welcomes all to this traditional home. Interesting ceiling treatments add a sense of style. Fireplaces enhance the grand room and keeping room. The kitchen features a large food-preparation island and is open to a...

Brick beauty. (Builder Plans).(brick home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... A beautiful brick exterior paired with siding details make this home a brillant mixture of traditional styles. A formal foyer connects to the dining room and the family room. The kitchen features a serving bar and a breakfast area that is open...

Vaulted great room. (Builder Plans).(European-style home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Multiple rooflines, charming stonework and a covered entryway all combine for European style in this home. The two-story foyer leads to the dining room or vaulted great room. The kitchen offers an abundance of counter and cabinet space. Please...

Beamed ceilings. (Builder Plans).(ranch-style home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... This incredible home evokes images of stately Southwestern ranches with classic wood detailing and deep eaves. Equally impressive, the interior boasts three fireplaces while a long cathedral ceiling extends from the great room to the screened...

Family farmhouse. (Builder Plans).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... With a nod to farmhouse and traditional style, this home offers a place for the outdoor lover and the creature comforts of a modern interior. Family areas couldn't be more spacious with a keeping room, breakfast area, two-story family room, and...

Striking gables. (Builder Plans).(home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... A striking roofline captures the traditional open gable and includes a box dormer for added interest in the facade of this home. The dining and living rooms are set across the foyer, which creates an easy traffic flow for entertaining guests. A...

Cathedral ceilings. (Builder Plans).(traditional home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Poised and cozy, this traditional home features a split-bedroom plan, along with half-circle transoms and tall gables on the front elevation. Economical and builder-friendly, the floor plan is family-efficient and has a variety of custom-styled...

Take a seat. (Builder Plans).(home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... A curving staircase graces the entry to this beautiful home and hints at the numerous amenities in the floor plan. Besides a great room with a fireplace and arched windows, there's a hearth room with another fireplace. A secluded den contains...

Country flair. (Builder Plans).(home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Many windows and lap siding give this elevation a country flair. The formal dining room is located near the island kitchen. Highlighting the great room are a raised-hearth fireplace and trapezoid windows. The master suite features a whirlpool...

Narrow-lot design. (Builder Plans).(two-story home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Front and rear covered porches create outdoor living possibilities for this compact two-story home. First-floor living space includes a hearth-warmed living room, an efficient kitchen, and a dining room with porch access. Upstairs, two family...

Working the angles. (Builder Plans).(country style home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... This charming country-style home features a wrapping porch and oval window accents. The great room, directly accessible from the entry and the bowed breakfast area, has a fireplace and transom windows. In the master suite, a whirlpool bath and...

Attractive single-story design. (Builder Plans).(home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... A wonderful combination of textures, trim and windows enhance this attractive design. A covered porch opens to an entry gallery flanked by a formal dining room and study. The great room boasts a vaulted ceiling and fieldstone fireplace. A...

Two-story turret. (Builder Plans).(home)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... A hipped roof, brick exterior, turret and keystones above the windows carry on the Old World legacy of European style. Beyond the gallery is a family room with a fireplace. The nearby kitchen features an island work center, a sunny breakfast...

Walk-through.(Greenbelt, Maryland)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2002... Greenbelt, Md. EVEN THE NEW DEAL HAD ITS UTOPIAN HOUSING. LONG BEfore New Urbanism, Greenbelt was one of three Depression-era "greentowns" built by the government as "garden cities" to employ the unemployed. In Depression-era 1937, 5,700...