Builder articles from June 2003

Builder archives from June 2003

Value proposition: a consistent theme emerges from our coverage of the country's fastest-selling communities. (Editor's Notes).
June 1, 2003... IF ONLY BEST-SELLING COMMUNITIES CAME IN A BOX. YOU'D take some land, stir in two pints of architecture, add a dose of marketing, and presto--three sales a week. Imagine the good life you'd enjoy. It may not be that simple to create a...

B-mail.
June 1, 2003... Mold Up I AM LOOKING AT A SPECIAL HOW-TO FEAture in the May 2002 issue of BUILDER on black mold ("Mold," May 2002, page 218). I would like to know how to get more of these informative brochure pullouts. I use them in my company and am...

No worries: builders find war in Iraq exerts little influence on American home buyers. (War Stories).
June 1, 2003... WHEN THE UNITED STATES ATTACKED IRAQ in 1991, the housing market held its breath as potential buyers stayed tuned to CNN for hour after hour. "I remember it very vividly," says Steve Wall, president of Arlington, Texas-based Choice Homes. "The...

Fee fight. (House Blend).(Duke Cox)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Builders baffling impact fees can take heart from Duke Cox, a Colorado builder who just won such a fight in Silt, a mountain town near Aspen, Cob. Fees had escalated as high as $16,000 for a 2,000-square-foot house--more than twice what...

On the trail. (Big Deals).(ColRich Communities)(Pulte Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Pulte boosted its California holdings April, buying the assets of builder ColRich Communities. The purchase brings Pulte 500 entitled lots in San Diego and 150 projected additional closings this year. Lennar also bought in California, adding...

Decision time. (House Blend).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Texas Association of Builders is pushing for a bill that would require cities and counties to go into mediation if they don't meet a Sept. I deadline for deciding which party has legal authority over its extraterritorial jurisdictions...

Super builders. (House Blend).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Think your company does a great job? Let us know: Enter the 2004 America's Best Builder contest. Each year, BUILDER and the NAHB honor the top builders in the country based on their performance in finance/operations, customer service/quality,...

Equity lifeboat? (House Blend).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... An analysis of Orlando, Fla.'s economic health suggests that mortgage refinancing has been virtually the sole economic growth engine for the last year, heading off an otherwise disastrous recession. According to area bankers and economists,...

Uncertain soils: as construction defect lawyers in Las Vegas turn their sights toward foundation cracks, builders err on the side of caution. (Deep Science).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... "WE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT SOILS in Southern Nevada are extremely challenging," says Klif Andrews, vice president of community development for Pardee Homes in Las Vegas. "They are highly expansive, with high sulfates in some areas." ...

Pays for itself: recycling machine pays for itself in dumpster fees in less than a year. (Cost Cutter).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... THEY ARE EXPENSIVE, ARTISTIC HOMES' MAX Wade says. But the Albuquerque, N.M., home builder saved so much money on dumpster fees and clean-up labor costs that the first two grinders paid for them selves and the brand-new Ford Super-Duty dump...

Center stage. (House Blend).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Not all home builders are big enough to make model-home merchandising work. Enter www.centerstagehome.com, a resource on the Web that serves markets in 10 states to help home sellers find home stagers. Home stagers rearrange and lightly...

Keep tabs. (House Blend).(building permit fees)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Municipalities in Minnesota are scheduled to file reports with the state legislature this month that delineate the income they receive from building permit fees and the expenses associated with building inspections. The reports are required by...

Water wars: "no water, no houses" is a nightmare come true in some Western communities; however, a new water agreement may keep some spigots running until 2015. (Natural Resources).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... WHISKEY'S FOR DRINKIN' AND WATER'S for fightin' over," goes the Western proverb often attributed to Mark Twain. Laws already exist in Arizona and California requiring new developments to prove they have an assured 100-year water supply. Now...

Bubble redux: a new IMF study looks at booms and busts in stocks and housing. (Ups and Downs).(International Monetary Fund)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... JUST WHEN THE HOUSING BUBBLE TALK WAS deflating, a new International MonetaryFund (IMF) study of 21 industrialized countries raises the issue again, suggesting that housing crashes hurt economies more than stock crashes. According to the...

Denver's in the zone: local builders fought to overturn Denver's set-aside rule, but the city is determined to deliver work force housing. (Inclusionary Zoning).
June 1, 2003... DENVER HAS A NEW MAYOR, AUDITOR, and city council, but even though builders lobbied hard during last month's citywide elections to convince the politicians that the city's new inclusionary zoning ordinance was flawed, all signs point to the...

Florida Fiasco: sudden withdrawal of workers' comp underwriting threatens to ruin thousands of small builders in the Sunshine State. (The Straight Dope).(Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... THE FLORIDA HBA Estimates that $10,000 of the price of a $100,000 home goes to workers' compensation premiums. It's an onerous burden that has grown larger as legal claims have increased. But those were the good old days. Starting this...

Rental glut? A soft rental market switches projects to condos. (Inside Story).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... WHAT DO WASHINGTON, MIAMI-DADE County, Fla., Vail, Colo., Tucson, Ariz., and New York City share? All these markets, and many more, now face a rental glut, especially among luxury apartment units. Every market is at least a little bit soft,...

Opener sesame. (TopShelf).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... MADE FROM BLACK NYLON, THIS MULTI-DIMENsional tool is designed to give you the leverage needed to open 5-gallon buckets. It also will mix paint and is sturdy enough to scoop out drywall mud. At 18 inches, the tool is long enough to reach the...

Raising the bar. (TopShelf).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... THE BARTENDING CENTER COMES PEE pared for all entertaining eventualities. Measuring 42 inches wide, the built-in or freestanding unit has a refrigerated base with two drawers and a door section for tall bottles. Made from stainless steel, the...

Super cuts. (TopShelf).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... DESPITE ITS LIGHT WEIGHT, THE TILE PRO TP7 CEramic and stone saw offers real power on the jobsite. The saw has a removable water tray, an aluminum conveyor cart, a water-cooled blade, and an aluminum blade guard. Weighing only 43 pounds, it can...

Double play. (TopShelf).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... TWO HEADS AREN'T ALWAYS BETTER THAN ONE. So instead of lugging a framing nailer and a metal-connecting nailer to a jobsite, carry the N88RH-2MCN, which offers both. The tool has a push-button trip mechanism that allows it to transform from a...

Helping hand. (TopShelf).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... EVERYONE CAN USE AN extra hand. With 3rd HAND Heavy Duty you get it. Designed for supporting drywall, crown molding, or simply for use as a load jack, the product features a 70-pound load capacity and has a lever to secure or release pressure....

Falling water. (TopShelf).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... THIS WATERFALL HUTCH WITH MIRror allows buyers to have wall-mounted faucets and vessel sinks with a traditional plumbing system. The handmade hutch features a 3 1/2-inch space in the rear, where plumbing runs in front of the wall and picks up...

Ground swell: KB Home has raised the quality bar by urging trades to train and certify. (Certifiable Quality).(National Association of Home Builders of the United States' National Housing Quality Certified Trade Contractor Program)
June 1, 2003... WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT Las Vegas, the home of the five-minute wedding, would become a national leader in home building quality? Blame it on the hornet's nest of lawyers swarming in nearby California. Blame it on fierce competition among...

All aboard: a public/private partnership helps a declining New Jersey shore town reinvent itself as a transit-oriented commuter village. (Gateway to the Shore).(Baker Residential in South Amboy)
June 1, 2003... "I TOLD THEM IT WAS MY WAY OR THE highway," says South Amboy's Mayor John T. O'Leary, referring to the national builders interested in developing in his small New Jersey town. "I showed them the highway." He also could have shown them the...

Take pictures: worth more than a thousand words on the job. (Special Advertising Section).
June 1, 2003... Polaroid's new JobPro camera allow pros to take job site photos that can save thousands and sell homes. Their tough construction and built-in features make these cameras a must for any builder, anywhere. Bring Your Homes To Life For...

Price watch: as the economy wobbles, some worry about deflation. What would that mean for housing? (Vital Signs).
June 1, 2003... USUALLY IT'S INFLATION--RISING prices--that worries the Federal Reserve Board. Not right now. After its May meeting on monetary policy and interest rates, the Fed alluded to the economy's ongoing weakness and "the probability of an unwelcome,...

Silestone... natural attraction. (Special Advertising Section).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Silestone natural quartz is both attractive and extremely durable. Builders love the versatility; flexibility, consistency and endurance that Silestone offers. And above all, Silestone's established distribution network offers builders reliable...

The heat is on: today's cooking appliances are smarter, offer more power, and look better, too. (Products).
June 1, 2003... APPLIANCES ARE PERHAPS THE MOST dynamic category in the building products landscape. Manufacturers in this segment do more in a year than other categories do in two. The ever-changing product range is a win-win for builders who want to...

Micro managed. (Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Aerotech uses a microprocessor and electronic controls instead of a traditional thermostat, so temperature fluctuates less and food cooks better, the manufacturer says. The technology evenly distributes hot air throughout the oven cavity, so...

Wide load. (Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... This range can accommodate a 24-pound turkey and four side dishes all at once, the manufacturer says, because the oven has the largest capacity of any range available to consumers. Possessing 5.22 cubic feet of cooking space, the oven has a...

Look, ma, no knobs. (Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Arrow Series marks the first time a gas cooktop can be controlled with electronic touch controls, the manufacturer says. The product allows users to digitally set the cooktop with 21 flame levels so the flame is consistent every time. The...

Electronic control. (Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The new Profile freestanding electric range features one-touch pads that have replaced conventional range knobs. A Tri-ring element gives cooks the choice of using the burner with a 5-, 7-, or 9-inch element, and four of the five burners can be...

All pro. (Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Pro Line cooktop features five burners including a high output 18,000-BTU element that also can be converted into a wok. In addition, it has a simmer burner that can go as low as 600 BTU. A triple-tier burner design gives each element more...

Sure layers: though your buyers will never see it, a good underlayment will help make your floors smooth and stiff. (Products).(Columbia Forest Products Inc. and Georgia-Pacific Corp.)
June 1, 2003... IN HOME BUILDING, IT'S EASY TO IGnore the things buyers cannot see for the things they can. This approach often leads to problems. Take underlayment, for example. Homeowners never see it, but a quality product will result in stiff, level...

Cork it. (Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... This cork underlayment is ideal for sound control and can be installed under any type of floor covering, says the manufacturer. A rot- and moisture-resistant product, cork also reduces and absorbs the moisture created by condensation and is...

High fiber. (Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... FiberFlor's uniform thickness minimizes irregularities in subfloors and improves the dimensional stability of the entire floor system, says the manufacturer. It can also be used under many types of flooring, including carpet and laminate. The...

Rough and tough. (Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... No need to install a subfloor and an underlayment under Tough-Ply Sturd-I-Floor, because the single-layer product is almost four times as stiff as ordinary plywood, the manufacturer says. The product's stiffer properties mean that builders can...

Hardwood. (Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Multiply Plywood is a puncture-resistant hardwood panel that provides a smooth and durable foundation over new or existing subfloors, according to its manufacturer. It won't stain or discolor vinyl flooring, and each panel has a nailing pattern...

Forecast up. (NAHB Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Economists gathered for the NAHB's semiannual Construction Forecast Conference at the end of April predicted significant improvement beginning in the second half of 2003. Nearly all the panelists agreed housing construction would likely...

Continuing education: "Nation's Building News Online," the NAHB's new, online e-newsletter, keeps members up to date. (From the President).
June 1, 2003... BY ITS VERY NATURE, OURS IS NOT A 9-TO-5 profession. We start early and work late, and our workweek often stretches well beyond five days. Moreover, we have to be adept at multi-tasking since there is no such thing as a "typical" workday in...

Home builders benefit: the decline in nonresidential construction benefits home builders. (Seiders Economy).
June 1, 2003... SINCE THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECESSION began in March 2001, the volume of residential construction has risen substantially, paced by a powerful expansion in production of new single-family homes. But over the same period, the number of workers...

Care free. (NAHB Briefs).(National Association of Home Builders of the United States)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Those who are 50-plus aren't planning on spending their leisure time doing home maintenance. So says a study released at the end of April by the NAHB and Countrywide Home Loans. The NAHB released its survey of home builders and developers,...

Energy Act. (NAHB Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... On April 11, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bill H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2003. "The legislation would spur builders to invest in market- and technology-driven initiatives that promote higher levels of energy efficiency at...

Earth Day celebration: to mark Earth Day, the NAHB Research Center opens a Zero Energy Home. (National Beat).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... ON APRIL 22, 2003, TUCSON, ARIZ, builder John Wesley Miller, in partnership with the NAHB Research Center and Tucson Electric Power (TEP), celebrated Earth Day with the grand opening of Tucson's own Zero Energy Home (ZEH). A ZEH is an...

Green grows. (NAHB Briefs).(National Association of Home Builders of the United States)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Green building is a growing trend, according to the NAHB, and the greatest advances are occurring inside today's homes, thanks to innovative applications, manufacturers, builders, and energy-efficiency experts. One of the most promising...

Leaders of the pack: Builder tracks America's top 100 best-selling communities. (America's Best-Selling Communities).
June 1, 2003... TONIGHT, WHEN YOU TUCK THE kids into bed and it's time for prayers, right after blessing Grandma and Granddad and cousin Jack and Spot the dog, don't forget Alan Greenspan and all the Federal Reserve Board governors. The rest of the economy may...

Lennox is the ENERGY STAR manufacturing partner of the year. (Advertisement).
June 1, 2003... LENNOX HAS JUST BEEN AWARDED THE 2003 ENERGY STAR PARTNER OF the Year -- Product Manufacturer award. This is the first and only time an HVAC company has ever received this prestigious honour. The ENERGY STAR program rates home products that...

Buy design: is a new day dawning--when builders without independent design centers lose ground?
June 1, 2003... "TODAY'S CONSUMERS DEMAND options to personalize their possessions-whether it's a 'loaded' car, custom jeans, or a 'have-it-your-way' hamburger," Steve Cameron says. "The bottom line is that consumer demand for options to customize new homes...

Chicago hope.(Cabrini- Green redevelopment success)
June 1, 2003... AN INFAMOUS NEIGHBORHOOD GOES FROM A PLACE OF DESPERATION TO AN ADDRESS IN DEMAND. THANKS TO THE CITY AND THREE BUILDERS WHO TOOK A CHANGE ON CABRINI-GREEN WHEN FEW OTHERS WOULD. THE BUILDINGS CAST THEIR SHADOWS STILL. BUT the fear of this...

Ace of a network: networked applications help Las Vegas builder grow without busting its payroll. (Builder Tech).(Longford Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A $250,000 TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT PAID off in spades for Las Vegas-based Longford Group. The builder grew from 110 closings and 36 employees in 1999 to 601 closings and 92 employees in 2002--a nearly sixfold increase in production with less than...

All-in-one. (Builder Tech).(Vantage Controls' home automation system)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Vantage Controls now offers the RadioLink Integration Package, a complete system for home automation that controls a home's audio, video, lighting, and HVAC. The package includes two VCR-like boxes: the RadioLink CBox master, which is the main...

A new chief. (Builder Tech).(from Chief Architect)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Chief Architect is now shipping the new version of its 3D architectural design software, Chief Architect Professional Edition 9.0. New features include an extensive library of custom cabinets, doors, and window treatments; enhanced...

Connecting builders: Nextel introduces two new applications and adds enhancements to Direct Connect. (Builder Tech).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... NEXTEL IS STAYING SHARP BY ROLLING out two new applications that connect builders to building code officials and permit information, as well as offering its popular Direct Connect service nationally. The service, introduced about 10 years ago,...

Grand monitor. (Builder Tech).
June 1, 2003... Sim2USA is shipping its Grand Cinema RTX line of rear projection monitors. The RTX comes with a DigiOptic Image Processor (DOIP) that accepts digital video signals and is connected by a single fiber-optic cable to the RTX monitor. The...

Core alliance. (Builder Tech).
June 1, 2003... SpeakerCraft recently entered into a strategic alliance with CorAccess Systems to market the CorAccess Control Station series of touchscreen interfaces for home audio and automation. The Control Station lets homeowners control audio, video,...

Get networked! Small-office networks are easier to set up than you might think. (Builder Tech).(Editorial)
June 1, 2003... JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, IT WAS RARE FOR small contractors or builders to have more than one computer in their office, not to mention extra desktops in the family room, laptops in the truck, or pocket PDAs. Now, one of the most common...

Straight talk: builders who use the Internet to run e-commerce transactions with suppliers and subcontractors report tangible benefits--but their numbers are few overall.
June 1, 2003... JOHN PAYTON, DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHnology at Edward Hines Lumber Co. in Buffalo Grove, Ill., doesn't mince words when he talks about how few builders use e-commerce systems to communicate with suppliers over the Internet. "The Web is...

What's new on Builder online? Starting next month, just about everything. (Missing Links).
June 1, 2003... THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE DEEP IN A REworking of BUILDER Online--freshening up the look, simplifying our site navigation, and organizing content to make it easier to find--with the results to be unveiled to the public in early July. But if you...

Two-story covered porch. (Builder Plans).
June 1, 2003... From a Colonial past to a contemporary future, this Southern-style home perfectly combines elements of history and modernity Brick facing graces the entry where a double-decker porch invites casual relaxation. A two-story foyer opens on the...

Landscaping, decking, and room enclosures. (Special Advertising Section).
June 1, 2003... EXPERIENCED BUILDERS UNDERSTAND THAT A HOME'S EXTERIOR BEAUTY IS A PRIMARY CONSIDERATION FOR POTENTIAL OWNERS. THE DECISION TO BUY A HOME IS IMBUED WITH EMOTIONS, AND A HOME'S EXTERNAL APPEAL CAN HAVE A DEEP EMOTIONAL IMPACT. IN FACT, IT CAN BE...

June 2003 computer directory. (Special Advertising Section).
June 1, 2003... * Advanced Marketing Concepts, Ltd. MARKETSHARP 505 King Street, Suite 025 La Crosse, WI 54601 Phone: 800-335-4254 Fax: 608-779-5045 sales@marketsharp.com www.marketsharp.com * Argos Systems, Inc. ...

Farmview, Yardley, Penn. (Walk Through).
June 1, 2003... "DENSITY NEUTRAL" WAS THE CATCH PHRASE WHEN REALEN Homes' Farmview changed the development game: In 1986, 18 months of negotiation began for new "conservation subdivision design" zoning. Slashing one-acre lots by half or two-thirds maintained...