Builder articles from July 2006

Builder archives from July 2006

Tough choices: Builders find themselves between a rock and a hard place when it comes to using undocumented workers on their jobsites.
July 1, 2006... When Builder's staff conceived this month's cover story on immigrant labor more than a year ago (see "Into the Limelight," page 88), we knew it would be a topic of great interest to our readers. It has since exploded into a front-burner issue...

Market smarts.(B MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... After reading the article and chart on the 11 home builders that have been in the Builder 100 every year since 1986 ("In Command," May 2006, page 134), I was inspired to do a little more analysis that was somewhat enlightening. Over the...

Calendar.(BOOK IT)(Calendar)
July 1, 2006... JULY 19-21 DesignDC 2006, Washington DesignDC is Washington's premier event for D.C-area architects, designers, engineers, and contractors. Learn about the latest tools, trends, and technology to give your design business the...

Musical chairs: a new report reveals the most- and least-desirable destinations for Americans moving throughout the United States.(reports of Emigration and immigration)(Report)
July 1, 2006... American are moving from the Northeast and the Midwest to the South, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report. That's not news to home builders operating in those areas, but the data reveal trends that may represent future opportunities...

Owners cry uncle.(market research of real estate industry)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Residential foreclosure filings rose, on a year-to-year basis, by 72 percent through the first three months of 2006. RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which monitors foreclosure activity, estimates that 323,102 properties entered some...

Dispute update.(HOUSE BLEND)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Residents of Clarksburg Town Center, a suburban Washington community, who uncovered height and setback violations have negotiated millions of dollars in concessions from the developer, Newland Communities, and five home builders involved in the...

Gold digging.(Wachovia Corp merges with Golden West Financial Corp)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Banking giant Wachovia Corp. announced in May that it will buy Oakland, Calif.-based Golden West Financial Corp., the nation's second-largest savings and loan, in a deal worth $25.5 billion in stock and cash. Golden West is known nationally by...

Catch up.(rankings of Home ownership)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... According to a recent California Building Industry Association report, the state's homeownership rate ranks 49th out of the 50 states. Only 58 percent of Californians own their home, compared with a national average of almost 70 percent. Blacks...

Beijing boom.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The U.S. building boom may be softening, but that's hardly the case in China, where, reports president of home builder Barratt American and columnist for San Diego's North County Times Michael D. Pattinson, there are more than 1,000 cranes...

Spin cycle.(Downsizing of Whirlpool Corp)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Whirlpool has announced that it will eliminate 4,500 jobs by closing three plants and consolidating corporate offices and other sites following its $1.8 billion acquisition of Maytag. The company plans to close Maytag washer and dryer plants in...

Gimme safe shelter: a new development proves that houses can be hurricane resistant ... and affordable.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Building affordable homes in a hot real estate market seems difficult enough, but building them to withstand a Category 3 hurricane seems nutty and impossible. "It's a challenge," says Mount Dora, Fla.-based builder Kristin Beall. But she says...

Public opinion: analysts downgrade home builder stocks as the slowing market leads to fewer orders and lower earnings.
July 1, 2006... Public home builders' earnings announcements this spring--largely a show of how far the sector has fallen since early 2005--were often followed by downgrades of the companies' stock ratings by industry analysts. William Mack, a housing...

Home schooled.(home buying expo)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Faced with the need to hire more than 30,000 teachers by the fall, school districts in Florida are getting creative. One example is in Broward County, where the school district held a housing expo that brought together builders, developers, and...

Positive thinking: Pulte bets on a remote property on the outer rim of the Las Vegas area.(Prices of Residential Buildings)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Developable residential land in the Las Vegas Valley now costs in excess of $750,000 an acre, so it certainly turned a few heads earlier this year when Pulte released that it paid roughly $40,000 an acre for land in Mesquite, Nev., about 80...

Golden state gateway: international developer Emaar Properties sets stage for growth in the United States by acquiring John Laing Homes.
July 1, 2006... John Laing Homes, the industry's 34th-largest builder, plans to expand into several Western and Southern states and could soon be exporting its construction and operational disciplines to other countries, as part of Emaar Properties, the...

Double trouble? The demand for homes away from home hit a record high in 2005. Will it continue?
July 1, 2006... Rumors of a housing bubble didn't scare off second-home buyers last year. Second-home sales hit an all-time high in 2005, with vacation and investment properties accounting for 40 percent of all residential transactions, according to the latest...

In the neighborhood: Centex subdivides with an eye toward more-efficient operations.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Centex Corp. is going through what its CEO, Tim Eller, calls a "transition year" in 2006, in which the Dallas-based builder is moving forward with a flatter operational management structure that Eller believes will be a key element in his...

Long overdue: California development breaks ground after three decades of approvals process.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... In 1974, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record, and RBF Consulting, a civil engineering and land-planning firm in Irvine, Calif., started working on a site plan for a 1,000-acre parcel known as the...

Bionic block.(TOP SHELF: THE LATEST AND GREATEST BUILDING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... Books can be deceiving. Omni Block, for instance, looks like a typical masonry unit, but in addition to aggregate, it has expanded polystyrene and other insulation inserts that can lower utility bills by 30 percent, the manufacturer says. It...

Warm up.(TOP SHELF: THE LATEST AND GREATEST BUILDING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... A toasty floor is an underrated pleasure. Now it's more accessible to builders--and their buyers--thanks to the manufacturer's prepackaged floor warming systems for baths with open areas up to 40 square feet. The system includes a free 24-hour...

Tight angle.(TOP SHELF: THE LATEST AND GREATEST BUILDING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... T250A is the first 16-gauge pneumatic angled finish nailer in the industry, its manufacturer says. The tool has a depth-of-drive mechanism, a nomar rubber tip to protect work surfaces, and a Quick Clear for nail jams. It shoots finish nails...

In the pink.(TOP SHELF: THE LATEST AND GREATEST BUILDING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... Sometimes it's hard to tell if the mud is really dry. Not any more. This lightweight joint compound has dry-time indicator technology, so it goes on pink and turns white as it dries. The product lets contractors know when it's time for sanding...

Soap opera.(TOP SHELF: THE LATEST AND GREATEST BUILDING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... Soapstone is not just for kitchen countertops and fireplace surrounds. The maker says that the material also can be used in the bathroom, which is why the company has introduced soapstone tiles. Nonabsorbent and easy to maintain, the tiles are...

Power station.(TOP SHELF: THE LATEST AND GREATEST BUILDING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... The ultimate cutting station is a portable docking system that converts the maker's handheld X-Band STX-250 series cordless band saw into a bench-top cutting table. It will cut materials up to 2 1/2 inches in diameter, and its light weight...

Price check: climbing inflation rates add pressure to the slowing housing market.
July 1, 2006... Inflation rates continued their march upward in May, climbing toward the top of the Federal Reserve's comfort zone and almost certainly securing another increase in a key interest rate. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most frequently...

Hands off ... sort of: are electronic faucets finally ready for the home?(PRODUCTS: PRODUCTS AND TOOLS EVERY BUILDER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT)
July 1, 2006... Some products spend an eternity on the cusp of being the next hot thing, but never gain enough mass appeal for one reason or another. You can add electronic faucets to this list. The hands-free electronic faucet (e-faucet) first appeared in...

Euro flash: American cabinetmakers go for the full contemporary look.
July 1, 2006... Contemporary design is hot (again), but this time around it is not the cold, machine-like look that some people usually associate with it. Today's modernism is more of a move toward simpler interiors and pared-down products. Cabinet...

Best deal: big builder division offers Best Buy's home tech in all of its new homes.
July 1, 2006... Tech pioneers and visionaries sometimes talk like the digital home will happen overnight. The reality is that the home-technology industry is making only gradual progress in winning over home builders, home buyers, and other consumers. A...

Low-cost option.(DIGITAL HOME: SMART TECHNOLOGY FOR NEW HOMES)
July 1, 2006... Home-automation vendor Control 4 has an entry-level system that starts at about $2,500. The system is on display at one of John Laing Homes' models at Silhouette at 4S Ranch in the San Diego area. The Control 4 product was featured during the...

On the record.(Interactive Television with Digital Video Recorder)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Home-tech research group iSuppli reports that most people experience interactive TV for the first time with a digital video recorder (DVR). The firm's new study on such recorders reports that cable DVR subscribers reached 3.4 million last year,...

Easier control: a Web-based interface brings home automation over an AMX system to a broader audience.(DIGITAL HOME: SMART TECHNOLOGY FOR NEW HOMES)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... HomePort, a new home-automation product from Cutting Edge Solutions in Westford, Mass., lets homeowners use the Web to make simple selections and updates over a home-automation system based on an AMX controller. This is a welcome change...

Triple action.(Housing market)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... For the third 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 (HOI). Just over 90 percent of...

Local authority: by encouraging the acceptance of local control plans for construction site runoff, the EPA is helping to make housing more affordable.
July 1, 2006... A recent decision by the EPA will promote housing affordability and is a victory for home builders, the environment, and home buyers. It also provides an excellent example of how grassroots activism can result in significant dividends for NAHB...

Buckle up: the projected "soft landing" will have some rough spots.
July 1, 2006... The NAHB's forecast shows a "soft landing" for the U.S. housing market in 2006 and 2007, following record levels of activity in the single-family and condo markets in 2005. However, the landing will feel pretty rough in some areas of the...

Tilting up.(Residential Building and Facilities)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Once confined to foundations, driveways, and swimming pools, concrete now accounts for 16 percent of all above-grade residential walls--up from 2 percent in 1993. In response to the material's growing popularity, the NAHB's Concrete Home...

Election time.(National Association of Home Builders of the United States )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The NAHB, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has created a grassroots advocacy and get-out-the-vote tool for the 2006 elections. On Building TheVote.com you can research candidates and issues; locate your polling place; apply for...

ToolBase.org 2.0: the popular online technology information resource gets a top-to-bottom renovation.(National Association of Home Builders of the United States)
July 1, 2006... Builders searching for practical and reliable information on innovative construction products and practices now have a new place to go. Well, not exactly new, but certainly improved. A fully redesigned version of ToolBase.org, the online...

Rent increase.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Multifamily builder confidence in the rental apartment market soared to a new high in the first quarter of 2006, as rising occupancies and rental rates pointed to increased consumer demand, according to the results of the NAHB/ Fannie Mae...

Into the limelight: America's invisible workforce steps onto center stage.(SPECIAL REPORT)(Cover story)
July 1, 2006... On May 9, four supervisors for Crestview Hills, Ky.-based Fischer Homes were arrested and charged with aiding and abetting or harboring illegal aliens for financial gain. Similar charges followed for contractors who provided Fischer Homes with...

Good as gold: this year's Gold Nugget Awards toast time-honored traditions, as well as a few renegades that rock the status quo.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Good architecture is contextual. So with the balmy climates of most of the West a consistent factor in the Gold Nugget Awards, there were plenty of stunning out-door living spaces inciting floor plan envy in this, the competition's 43rd year....

Retro fit.(GOLD NUGGETS)
July 1, 2006... Alta--plan A, Palm Springs, Calif Typically, the phrase "vintage architecture" sparks visions of gabled Victorians or quaint colonials with cramped interiors. Unless you're in Palm Springs, Calif, where it's code for midcentury modern. ...

Sustainable affordability.(Denny Park Apartment's Rent)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Denny Park Apartments, Seattle Talk about a project that covers all the bases. Denny Park Apartments, a 50-unit, rent-restricted building in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood, is not only affordable, it's also one of the first...

Compound interest.(Town Homes construction)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... La Bellezza at Peregrine, Colorado Springs, Colo. Attached townhomes would have been the easy route to satisfying density requirements at Peregrine, a picturesque community outside Colorado Springs. Scheurer Architects and Keller Homes...

Streetcar desire.(Commercial construction)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Lexis on the park, Portland, Ore. It's hard to go wrong with property in Portland's Pearl District, the erstwhile industrial zone now revered by city planners nationwide as a model for urban redevelopment. Lexis on the Park, a 139-unit...

Time traveller.(Architectural styles of Travel Houses)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... La Cantera-Santa Barbara/residence 1, La Quinta, Calif. Classic architectural styles have one thing in common: Most of them travel well. At first glance, this 2,195-square-foot jewel, designed by South Coast Architects and built by R.A....

Double take.(Rental property)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Prado on Lake Avenue, Pasadena, Calif. Cities are mercurial places where the character of a street can change dramatically from one block to the next. Case in point: This tricky infill project in Pasadena, Calif., which presents two...

Midcentury modest.(Home Architecture)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Greenwood residence, Palo Alto, Calif. Restraint becomes this gem of a house on .18 acre in Silicon Valley The clients wanted to use every square inch of available space, all the while reinforcing the dwelling's connection to the outdoors....

Care package.(Projects of Housing developers)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Laguna Court, Santa Barbara, Calif. THE SITE CONSTRAINTS ON THIS ACRE of turf would have prompted most developers to call it a day, but not Capital Pacific Homes. In the steeply graded parcel, its scouts saw a chance to meet present-day...

Big island beauty.(Residential Construction)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Hualalai Resort--Plan A, Kona, Hawaii THE BEST HOUSES ARE DESIGNED WITH their site in mind, but when it comes to a site as glorious as a 10,000-square-foot lot in a primo Hawaiian resort, that connection is doubly important. Given the...

Residential winners not shown.(Residential facilities)
July 1, 2006... BEST CUSTOM HOME--5,000 TO 10,000 SQUARE FEET Auerbach Residence, Los Angeles Builder: Tyler Development, Calabasas, Calif.; Developer:, L. Auerbach Associates, Santa Monica, Calif.; Architect: Landry Design Group, Los Angeles BEST CUSTOM...

What's new on Builder Online: finding the building projects you want.(Best building and remodeling projects )
July 1, 2006... EVERY YEAR, BUILDER MAGAZINE AND other Hanley Wood, LLC, publications offer dozens of examples of the best building and remodeling projects in the nation. Now, in a new feature just launched on BUILDER Online, you can study those projects,...

Builder plans: featuring new plans from the nation's leading designers.
July 1, 2006... Elegant ceiling treatments HWB7300001 PUN: HWB7300001 FIRST FLOOR: 2,143 sq. ft. SECOND FLOOR: 694 sq. ft. TOTAL: 2,837 sq. ft. BEBROOMS: 4 BATHROOMS: 3 DIMENSIONS: 52' - 0" X 72' - 0" Brick homes have...

Waxahachie, Texas.(WALK THROUGH)
July 1, 2006... In the late 1800s, when cotton was king, the warm climate and rich black soil of East Texas provided the perfect conditions for its cultivation. Around the same time, several railroad companies were busily laying down an intersecting network of...