Builder articles from December 2004

Builder archives from December 2004

Wake-up call: immigrants and minorities will account for the bulk of new household formations in coming years. Are you ready?(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... AS YOU'VE PROBABLY READ OR HEARD BY NOW, IMMIgrant and minority buyers are the fastest-growing segment of the new-home market. They account for roughly one-quarter of U.S. households today and will account for roughly one-third by the year...

Calendar.(Book It)(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... DECEMBER 6-7 Principles and Practices of Estimating for Construction and Design Course, The University of Wisconsin-Madison This course, offered by the school's Department of Engineering and Professional Development, will help...

Desert difficulties: Pulte revises its earnings downward based on faltering business in Las Vegas, while the number of houses on the market there jumps. What's happening in Sin City?(Pulte Homes)
December 1, 2004... THE SECOND QUARTER IN LAS VEGAS MARKED its hottest quarter yet. Inventory of homes for sale remained low--measured in days, not months--and existing home prices were up nearly 25 percent annually. But the third quarter told a different...

NOR veto.(notice and opportunity to repair)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A notice and opportunity to repair (NOR) bill that passed the House and Senate in Missouri was successfully vetoed this year by Gov. Bob Holden, Gov. Holden's veto was upheld when an override attempt in mid-September fell short by two votes in...

Higher and higher.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Existing-home prices increased 9.36 percent from the second quarter of 2003 through the second quarter of 2004, according to the quarterly House Price Index, published by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). That gain,...

Urban appeal.(Big Deals)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Engle Homes has acquired Phoenix-based Artisan Homes, which specialized in high-density urban infill construction. Eric Brown, founder of Artisan, will continue on as regional manager for Engle's Artisan Homes Collection and will develop new...

Buying barriers.(Hispanic homeownership)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The 47 percent homeownership rate among Hispanics considerably lags the national average of 68 percent, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute says that is due to obstacles that keep Hispanics out of the housing market--such as high...

Paging Prof. Pulte.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Pulte Homes)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Pulte Homes now has its own professorship, courtesy of a $1.5 million gift to the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The pledge is the largest gift ever given to the college and...

Nimby twist.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)
December 1, 2004... More than a dozen residents of Coconut Grove, Fla., frustrated by the trend of replacing tear-downs with monster homes, have joined together to form NAMBIES United, LLC, an acronym for Neighbors Against McMansions: Big Invasive Eyesores. The...

That's entertaining: Kohler's showcase house demonstrates how to design for entertaining.(Home Show)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... TREND WATCHERS TELL US THAT HOMEOWNERS are entertaining more. It's only logical then that they are looking for homes that make it easier to have those events. Realizing the relationship between good design and efficient entertaining, plumbing...

Recycling aid: this online database offers a long overdue way for builders to find nearby companies that recycle construction debris.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... ONE OF THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES to jobsite recycling has been finding the organizations that accept drywall, carpet, asphalt roof shingles, appliances, and other demolition byproducts. Now, by logging on to the Construction Waste Management...

Buddy system.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)
December 1, 2004... One San Francisco-based real estate agent says 33 percent of buyers snapping up $3 million-plus homes still put their children in the same bedroom. The parents say it's to keep from spoiling their kids and to help them learn to share. This is...

Call and answer: a bill in a suburban county of Washington could halt construction of new homes.(Pending Legislation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A NEW MEASURE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md.--an eastern suburban area of Washington--will halt residential construction if police, fire, and EMS response times and staff levels fail to meet targets between now and the end of 2006. The...

Bipartisan approach: a new book published by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies calls for cooperation on housing issues.(Housing Policy)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF FOUR LEADING HOUSING authorities recently published a housing policy treatise that calls for the political parties to put partisan politics aside to solve the nation's affordable housing crisis. The book, Opportunity...

Homes for the brave.(BMail)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I READ THE ARTICLE ON HOUSING DISABLED veterans ("Homeless Heroes," September, page 156). How do I contact the people who need money and manpower? Let's support our returning vets who are fighting for our future and the future of the world. ...

Read the label.(BMail)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I AM WRITING WITH REGARD TO MATTHEW Power's article, "Deceptive Labels?" (September, page 54). This article contains incorrect and misleading statements potentially damaging to TECO, an independent, third-party certification and testing agency...

Raising the bar: a new J.D. Power study shows home-buyer satisfaction going up; Pulte takes platinum.(Customer Satisfaction)
December 1, 2004... NEW-HOME BUYERS ARE MORE SATISFIED than ever with their builders, even as the number of units built and the average price of a house increases, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study ...

Sprawl syndrome: can living in the suburbs make you sick?(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A new study reports that people who live in areas with high levels of suburban sprawl, such as Atlanta and Detroit, are more likely to have chronic health problems--high blood pressure, arthritis, and headaches, for example--than people who...

Luxury boom: high-end segment selling at a record pace.(Inside Story)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... WHILE THE NATIONAL DISCUSSION on the affordable housing crisis continues, there appears to be no shortage of luxury housing being sold. Reports from luxury new-home builders WCI Communities and Toll Brothers both indicate record-setting sales...

Open ranges.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
December 1, 2004... WITH THIS COLLECTION THE MANUFACTURER HAS officially entered the freestanding range category, which means the company can now offer you a complete line of kitchen products for your homes. The Supreme Series of ranges is available in gas or...

Filter fresh.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
December 1, 2004... FILTERED WATER IS NOT ONLY GOOD FOR drinking, it is good for showering, too. This new line of ShowerUp filtering shower-heads offers a stylish way to bathe in pure water. The faucet's filtering mechanism removes more chlorine than other units,...

Cool curves.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
December 1, 2004... IT'S HIP TO BE SQUARE, BUT CURVES ARE COOL TOO. THE new Aspire line of wiring devices has a signature curve motif and two-tone color combinations. The switches also have a concave surface that provides "a tactile complement to its smooth and...

Tight fit.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
December 1, 2004... FOR A LESS THAN SPACIOUS BATHROOM THE NEWPORT SPACE-SAVING, one-piece toilet could be a big help. The manufacturer says it offers an elongated bowl, which is more comfortable to use, but it has a standard rim measurement of 28 1/2 inches from...

Faux fire.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
December 1, 2004... THE MERIT PLUS SERIES ELECTRIC FIREPLACE OFFERS THE ULTIMATE IN CONVENIENCE, the company says, because it can be placed in areas where a traditional wood- or gas-burning unit is impractical. It has a split-oak charred log set with glowing ember...

Carry all.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
December 1, 2004... SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T TAKE YOUR TOOLBOX with you. That's when it's handy to have an alternative. Master Series Tool Backpack allows you to carry tools on your back to almost any location. Made of 1200 denier fabric that resists tears and snags,...

Three's a charm: for our three 2005 show homes, builder issued a challenge: redefine the typical new home built in America.(Improving On Tradition)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... OUR STRAIGHTFORWARD DIRECTIONS to the architects were not unlike the ones that builders hand out every day Give us a 2,300-square-foot home--the size of the average new home built in this country--that fits on a 45-foot-wide lot and include the...

Housing hoaxes: mortgage fraud cases are on the rise. How can lenders keep themselves from getting outfoxed?(Vital Signs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... CASES OF MORTGAGE FRAUD--THE act of intentionally misleading a lender into overextending credit--are rising, a panel of industry experts told the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity in October. "Based on...

Step up your standards[TM] with silestone[R].(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... An Integrated, Comprehensive And Customizable Program For Your Communities Silestone is proud to introduce its comprehensive Step Up Your Standards With Sflestone builder program. Silestone provides a unique program that grants builders...

Blade runner.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... BLADE RUNNER: What's in a blade? A lot. That's why the manufacturer is introducing its first complete line of Professional Series circular saw blades. The woodworking line includes 23 blades with a special carbide that stays sharp up to six...

Solid to the core.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... SOLID TO THE CORE: Giving builders more exterior trim design options, the Fluted Lineal is the newest addition to the manufacturer's line of insulated architectural accessories. The product features a solid-core backing that provides added...

Products parade: here's a cheat sheet of some new products debuting at the 2005 International Builders' Show.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... NAVIGATING YOUR WAY THROUGH the sea of new products at the International Builders' Show (IBS) is like looking for a black cat in a dark room: You may find something interesting but only if you stop at every booth. This, we know, is next to...

Scenic route.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... SCENIC ROUTE: The manufacturer says this Scenic Series glass baluster is the first of its kind in the building industry. Made of 5/16-inch tempered glass, the 4-inch-wide balusters have safety edges and are specially designed with a universal...

Glass menagerie.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... GLASS MENAGERIE: Brilliance is a new garage-door window design application that offers the look of beveled glass at a more affordable price. That's because the company uses 3M's Accentrim technology to optically enhance the window surface so...

Black jack.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... BLACK JACK: The manufacturer continues its strong product introductions with the Tiburon family of faucets, including this widespread lavatory version, shown here with wire mesh handles and in the company's new finish, satin black. Featuring...

Oversized load.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... OVERSIZED LOAD: Expanding on its successful 17th Century series of rustic, Old World-style wood-mold bricks, the manufacturer is adding four specially textured, oversized products to the line. The oversized units measure 3 1/2 inches wide by 2...

Grain game.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... GRAIN GAME: The manufacturer says its EverGrain is unlike the other plastic and composite decking products on the market because it uses compression molding--a process that creates a deep grain texture directly onto every board. The compression...

Color me good.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... COLOR ME GOOD: The iColor Collection of medicine cabinets is another way--besides paint--to add color to a home. Made from steel with a baked-on powder-coat finish, the cabinets have snap-fit supports that lock the shelves in place and rubber...

Savoy fare.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... SAVOY FARE: The manufacturer says its Savoy ceramic tile harkens back to a time when unique tile installations were considered the ultimate status symbol. Available in five colors, the tile consists of a 1-by-2-inch pinwheel pattern and a...

Guidance system.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... GUIDANCE SYSTEM: The manufacturer says the 850-ET is the most powerful jigsaw available. Among its many features, the 8.4-amp unit has Smart Power, which provides constant blade speed under load, and a Precision-Guide clamping system that...

Tread on this.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... TREAD ON THIS: To add to its covered-porch flooring product, the manufacturer has created TenduraTread for use in stair applications. Made of 40 percent recycled plastic and 60 percent industrial waste wood fiber, TenduraTread is rounded to...

Hybrid wall.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... HYBRID WALL: This new StrongWall shearwall is an engineered composite of steel and wood that has allowable loads that are two to three times higher than the manufacturer's original product, the company says. The steel design maintains its...

Worry free.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... WORRY FREE: Homeowners don't have to carry house keys or worry about getting locked out with the Powerbolt I000 keyless entry. The system's electronic touchpad has an almost unlimited supply of security code combinations and can be programmed...

Auto zone.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... AUTO ZONE: The MSV-9 Autofeed Screw System is newly designed to meet contractor-grade applications, the company says. As such, it has a collated screw belt guide, fast-click depth changing, and tool-less maintenance and bit removal. Available...

Quiet line.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... QUIET LINE: The ductless Mini-Split air-conditioner line is a small and quiet alternative to window-mounted air conditioners in older homes where installing ducted air-conditioning systems is not feasible, the company says. Featuring a...

Slate select.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... SLATE SELECT: Majestic Slate Colonial roofing tiles are designed to simulate the smaller-sized slate found in the Eastern United States but at a quarter of the weight and cost, the maker says. Made from recycled rubber and plastic, Colonial...

Seal of approval.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... SEAL OF APPROVAL: Designed for use in an even greater number of applications than the original insulation system, Gold Seal 400 can be used around windows and doors, touch-ups in small areas that have undergone repairs, rim joist areas, cracks...

See-through.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... SEE-THROUGH: Driven by a desire to give consumers more variety, the appliance maker is introducing Art Deco-inspired opaque glass fronts for refrigerators. warming drawers, dishwashers, ovens, cook tops, and more. The reflective glass panels...

Fire starter.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... FIRE STARTER: Enabling designers to use fire as a decorative element, the Cyclone features a whirling vertical flame inside a concentric glass cylinder that can be viewed from any direction. The Cyclone comes as a stand-alone cylinder that can...

On the slide.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... ON THE SLIDE: The company's Fiber-Classic and Smooth-Star fiberglass patio doors are now available in sliding versions. The doors come in 6-foot-6-inch, 6-foot-8-inch, and 8-foot heights and up to 12-foot widths in two-, three-, and bi-parting,...

Wet down.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
December 1, 2004... WET DOWN: The D24000 10-inch wet tile saw offers 24 inches of rip capacity and 18 inches of capacity on diagonal. It has an aluminum frame and an ABS plastic water pan, which help the unit weigh only 69 pounds. Other features include a...

Access granted.(NAHB Briefs)
December 1, 2004... Housing officials from the United States and Mexico endorsed a landmark agreement to increase cross-border housing opportunities. The contract is part of the NAHB's international initiative "Access Mexico." The project promotes a bilateral...

Bargain building.(prediction on building material costs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The cost of building materials is expected to go down in 2005, according to analysts at the NAHB's fall Construction Forecast Conference. Economists say commodity prices, which are determined by international factors such as China's population...

House policy: building industry representatives outline housing agenda to help federal government meet housing goals.(From The President)
December 1, 2004... THEN THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL INAUguration is just a memory and the 109th Congress has settled into place, making housing a national priority should be the first order of business for our nation's elected officials. Fortunately; they will...

Just speculating: speculative buying could endanger some housing markets.(Seiders Economy)
December 1, 2004... HOUSE PRICES SURGED IN 2004 AS FALLING mortgage rates and rising employment and household income energized home buyer demand. Several major Wall Street media outlets (including Fortune and Barton's) argue that speculators piled onto the...

Log on.(National Association of Home Builders of the United States' web services)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A new NAHB Web-based publication provides expert, in-depth analysis of economic and housing market trends and the latest housing economic statistics. The online news service, which is produced by the NAHB Economics Group, consolidates and...

Seeing green: green building goes mainstream.(The NAHB Research Center Corner)
December 1, 2004... THE NAHB HAS DESIGNED A SET OF Monel Green Home Building Guidelines to move environmentally friendly home building concepts further into the mainstream home building marketplace. Now, approximately 30 communities throughout the country have...

Winds of change.(NAHB Briefs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The country's housing boom is expected to flatten out from record levels in 2005. Economists say the nation's housing market is reaching its limit. Some industry insiders predict about a 4 percent (1.85 million units) decline in starts next...

Seaside charm.(Hotsellers: sold out! Fast-moving communities)(Sea House)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Sea House at Waters End, Residence 3, Carlsbad, Calif. WHY IT WORKED: It's hard to go wrong with a community that's just one-eighth of a mile from the beach and within walking distance of a light-rail system. Add great architecture and a...

Triple treat.(Hotsellers: sold out! Fast-moving communities)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Lanes of Tapestry, Centennial Hills, Las Vegas WHY IT WORKED: The Lanes is the first of three neighborhoods available at Tapestry, an innovative mini-master planned community that features a wide variety of floor plans and plenty of...

Priced to move.(Hotsellers: sold out! Fast-moving communities)(clubhouses on offer)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Clublands Antioch, Antioch, Ill. WHY IT WORKED: Clublands Antioch is one of the only mid-priced clubhouse communities in Lake County, one of Chicago's northern suburbs. Rolling topography and numerous water features are some of the...

Barriers to entry: Builder's exclusive research shows that some salespeople may not be treating potential buyers equally.(Minority Report)(Cover Story)
December 1, 2004... ON A WARM AFTERNOON IN AUGUST 2004 a customer walks into the Irvine, Calif., sales office of one of the country's largest home builders and, not unexpectedly, gets the red carpet treatment. She's greeted immediately by the builder's agent, who...

Trends and traditions: innovative new products add value to homes. And to homebuyers' lives.
December 1, 2004... HOMEBUILDERS TODAY FACE a tremendous amount of competition. Most builders find the key to customer satisfaction is offering extra features that make a homeowner's daily life easier or add personal style to a home. Innovative fenestration...

Power brokers: this group makes waves. When members of our list of 50 of the most influential people in home building--among them economists, bankers, architects, manufacturers, developers, and, of course, builders--act, stocks react and consumers line up. A look at their accomplishments helps explain much of the industry's recent success--and what is yet to come.
December 1, 2004... 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...

Master upgrade: Intuit's popular Master Builder software offers new features without alienating existing users.(Builder tech: new gadgets, new systems, new future)(Intuit Inc.'s Master Builder 10 )
December 1, 2004... "GIMME A 6-4-1, MACK!" No, it's not a baseball play on the radio or waitress slang for a burger and fries at the local diner. A 6-4-1 in Master Builder speak is a change order. Builders who use Master Builder fly around the program with a...

Avad deal.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Builders wondering how to get started with home technology should talk to Avad. The large home technology distributor now offers a special dealer-to-builder program that puts home builders in touch with qualified home technology integrators....

Water works.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Liquid Breaker)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A new panel that serves hub for a series of sensors placed throughout the house in water-sensitive areas has been developed by Liquid Breaker of Carlsbad, Calif. The product is sold as a kit, with a panel, valves, and sensors. Sensors and...

Options vision: a consortium of builders and manufacturers is set to deploy an online options management system.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)
December 1, 2004... AS A SELF-PROCLAIMED "PROPELLER-HEAD," Jonathan Smoke, Chief Information Officer of Beazer Homes, has spent the past few years; immersed in new technology initiatives. But few have piqued his interest as much as the Envision online option...

Out front.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Front15 Secure Technologies' Info/Build software)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Small- to mid-sized builders looking for an online options selection system may want to check out Info/Build from Minneapolis-based Front15 Secure Technologies. Front15 is marketing Info/Build under the application service provider model, which...

Do the wave.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Leviton Manufacturing has formed a strategic alliance with Zensys to market a suite of Leviton products based on Zensys' Z-wave radio frequency technology. The new Leviton products will include wireless switches, dimmers, and receptacles that...

Time to re-act! Contact manager gets a new database based on Microsoft's .Net platform.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)
December 1, 2004... BEST SOFTWARE'S ACT! HAS BEEN HIGH ON MY list for small to medium builders since the 1980S because it offers contact management, incidence tracking, document management, and sales/warranty automation in an inexpensive, customizable, and...

What's new on Builder Online: Big Builder panel.(Missing Links)
December 1, 2004... GROWTH IN BROADBAND ACCESS TO BUILDER Online has been phenomenal over the past year, with more than 75 percent of our visitors now accessing the Web site via high-speed Internet connections. This gives us the opportunity to bring a new...

Impressive entry entices.(Builder plans: featuring new plans from the nation's leading designers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Exquisite French style overwhelms the exterior of this modern European cottage. The entry introduces a study and an open great room which features a built-in bookshelf, access to the rear covered patio, and a bar ledge that overlooks the...

All inclusive.(Builder plans: featuring new plans from the nation's leading designers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... This charismatic home artfully blends traditional architecture with country style. The floor plan places formal rooms--a dining room and vaulted living room--to the front of the home for easy entertaining. Continue to a two-story family room,...

Southern colonial charm.(Builder plans: featuring new plans from the nation's leading designers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... This sturdy Southern Colonial home is perfect for a large family that likes to stretch out--and it's great for entertaining too. Upstairs, four bedrooms, including a ravishing master suite, provide ample sleeping quarters. A laundry is...

Park Hill, Denver.(Walk Through)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... IS THE STORY GOES, THE DENVER NEIGHBORHOOD OF PARK Hill was laid out by one Baron von Winckler, a Prussian army officer who fell off his horse in front of Kaiser Wilhelm. Von Winckler arrived in Denver in 1884 after fleeing Germany in disgrace...