Builder articles from June 2004

Builder archives from June 2004

Squeeze play: the biggest builders have developed an iron grip on the top 50 housing markets.(Editor's Notes)
June 1, 2004... DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE BIG BUILDERS ARE GETTING ALL the best land deals? Do you envy their marketing budgets? Do you wish you could pay for talent like they do? Do you worry about the future of your business? If you work in one of the top 50...

Calendar.(Book It)(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... JUNE 10-12 The American Institute of Architects 2004 National Convention and Expo, Chicago More than 700 companies in the building, design, and construction industries will present their most innovative products and services....

Hire education: builders step up recruiting efforts on college campuses.(Talent Search)
June 1, 2004... IN 2003, REAL ESTATE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY of Southern California (USC) were beating the bushes for jobs. This year, they're being courted--and most of the suitors are home builders. In a field that once primarily relied on word-of-mouth...

Urban incentives.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Atlanta Regional Commission, which disburses federal transportation money in the Atlanta area, has launched a $350 million program through its Livable Centers initiative to encourage mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented planning and development....

Priority points.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... As part of its America's Affordable Communities Initiative, HUD is issuing priority points to communities that find creative ways to reduce the negative effects of exclusionary zoning, antiquated building codes, duplicative review and approval...

Green houses.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)
June 1, 2004... The St. Johns Housing Partnership and World Island Builders have teamed up to build 32 homes using energy-efficient and green building techniques to make occupants healthier and to minimize the effects of development on the environment. Located...

Broader appeal.(Big Deals)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Home Depot says it will expand its reach to contractors with the acquisition of Costa Mesa, Calif.--based White Cap Construction Supply, a privately held specialty hardware, hand tools, and safety equipment distributor with annual sales...

Free land.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Kansas community of Marquette)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Kansas community of Marquette has taken a drastic step to try to attract young families back to their dwindling township: They are giving away land to families with kids. The purpose is to bolster their school-age population enough to keep...

Growth plan.(Urban Land Institute)(Green Development Without Sprawl: The Role of Planned Communities)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A new study by the Urban Land Institute found that planned communities can play an important role in fostering more efficient growth in outlying areas by encouraging development that uses less land to accommodate population growth. The study,...

High stakes.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Demand for developable farmland in parts of Southwest Florida has caused prices to triple in just three years, according to a report by The St. Petersburg Times. It notes that Pulte just paid $16,000 per acre for a 47-acre lot located two miles...

Betting on brownfields: this developer wins hearts (and permits) by "remediating the environmental sins of the past.".(Looking Inward)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... BASED IN KING OF PRUSSIA, PA., JUST OUTSIDE Philadelphia, O'Neill Properties Group has done it all, from commercial office space to residential. Michael T. Trio, senior vice president and director of planning for O'Neill, recently announced...

Glass Menagerie: one company has put a twist on custom glass mosaics.(Editor's Internet Pick)(Meshglass)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... GLASS TILE IS ENJOYING A HUGE FOLLOWING the residential arena, with mosaics the popular choice among the trades. You ",could hire someone to design a custom glass mosaic, but what if you could design your own? New York City-based Meshglass has...

Builder beware.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... At the end of previous housing booms, builders had a surplus of unsold homes, but stock market analysts believe that inventory is finally under control. In the past, small builders were largely responsible for the glut of speculative...

Federal inaction: builders and contractors spared federal water regulations pertaining to construction sites.(Permitting As Is)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... HOME BUILDERS AND GENERAL CONTRACTING firms are relieved the EPA is not tightening a stormwater-permitting regulation that would have affected the construction industry. "The administration definitely made the right choice by recognizing...

No surprises: Miller and Smith believes in buying first, building later.(Cost Cutter)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... T'S TOUGH LOVE, HOME building style, While many builders will start construction before all the materials are bought, figuring they'll finish the purchasing details later, one family-owned builder has a strict policy against doing just that....

Dream weavers: as home building's active M&A market attracts interest from deal makers from outside the industry, small players need to learn the rules of the game.(Mergers And Acquisitions)
June 1, 2004... THE LETTER ARRIVED IN THE MAIL bearing the promise of a big payoff. "A billion-dollar company has expressed interest in acquiring your company," it read. What builder wouldn't be interested in hearing more? As public builders purchase land and...

Illegal wood watch: surprised at the low cost of imported finish wood? Don't be. The environment is likely paying the costs.(Inside Story)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... IF YOU HAVE VISITED A DEPARTMENT OR home furnishings store recently, you may have noticed dozens of items made from Indonesian Teak and other dark, rich woods. That's because, unlike The Home Depot and Lowe's, which recently committed to...

Wetland warrior: the Bush administration hopes to create and restore wetlands, but critics say the plan may have serious flaws.(The straight dope: the whole truth and nothing but the truth)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... As part of his 2004 re-election bid, President Bush has been stumping recently in swing states talking about his new five-year plan to preserve America's wetlands, including the creation of a million acres of additional wetlands. Scientists...

Surface treatment.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
June 1, 2004... WANT TO BE KIND TO THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE GIVING YOUR buyers some style? Try veneer-faced trim products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as being responsibly harvested. The product's core is made from rapidly renewable or recycled...

Pilgrim's progress.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
June 1, 2004... A HIGH-END HOUSE NEEDS a roof to match. Pilgrim 100 percent, clay-shingle tile may be just the ticket. Priced as low as $795 per square, the tile could easily be the least expensive Grade 1 handcrafted clay shingle on the market, the company...

Kitty corner.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
June 1, 2004... THE ALLEY CATS HAVE MOVED INDOORS, THANKS TO CERAMICA Antigua's Alley Cats collection of ceramic tiles. Each tile bears the silhouette of a cat or cats, painted against a backdrop of night sky or urban landscape. Available in gray and black,...

Fire fighter.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
June 1, 2004... EVEN WITH SMOKE ALARMS, HOUSES BURN EVERY DAY. ONE solution may be a can of No Burn Plus latex drywall primer. Applied by a licensed distributor, the nontoxic and noncarcinogenic product creates a heat and fire barrier that the manufacturer...

Form a line.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
June 1, 2004... GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES. This little device solves a big headache in the field: cleanly and accurately applying construction adhesive down the middle of 2x4 studs and joists. Made from plastic, the FastGuide attaches to any cartridge...

Odor eater.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
June 1, 2004... ALL TOILET SEATS AREN'T CREATED EQUAL. HERE TO prove it is one that fights odors and bacteria before they escape into the air. Miracle Seat has an attached vacuum that sucks microscopic particles from the toilet and vents them outside the home....

Ever upward: in the course of meeting restrictive building codes, this West Coast architect has developed a striking prototype for vertical living.(New Prototype)
June 1, 2004... DESIGNING HOMES THAT PASS REGULATORY muster in West Hollywood, Calif., requires patience, skill, and not a little endurance. The city has strict requirements about almost every construction detail, from public and private spaces to parking,...

From all-wet to 'wow!': a New Hampshire builder transforms an ugly duckling lot.(Seeing Is Believing)
June 1, 2004... SOMETIMES, BUYERS CAN JUST LOOK at a lot and imagine the possibilities. Sometimes, it's not quite as obvious and you have to show them. George and Pat Matarazzo of Wilmot, N.H., had owned a 1.8-acre lot near their farm for 15 years. They had...

Stuck in cement: builders face prolonged cement shortage.(Vital Signs)
June 1, 2004... BUILDERS WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD last month when cement shortages hit south Florida and started spreading to South Carolina, Louisiana, and Texas, states that depend on cement imports shipped from overseas. Cement imports average 22 percent...

Builder chooses to stand out by using premium materials.(Builder Of The Month Profile)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Silestone[R] By Cosentino Recognizes Grand Pointe Homes (Chicago Metro Area) Grand Pointe Homes has been building houses in the Chicago area for nearly 20 years. The firm covers the market, building everything from entry-level townhomes to...

Hot stuff: these new products from the 2004 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show will surely pique your buyers' interest.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AS FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT THE kitchen and bath are the two most important rooms in the house, they get their own show. And what a show it is! Held in Chicago this year, the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (or K/BIS, to those in the...

Back stoppers.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... BACK STOPPERS: Muro tile backsplashes, a new line of Silestone quartz surfacing, measure 1/4-inch thick and 4 inches square and feature a demi-bullnose edge. The tiles, also ideal for shower walls, come grouped in various color combinations on...

A real steel.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... A REAL STEEL: Featuring one wooden knife block and three utensil wells, the Work-Top Sink (model 0450) offers ample storage. The stainless steel sink measures 24 inches wide by 16 inches long, has a 10-inch-deep basin, and a 5-inch back-splash....

Dual flusher.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... DUAL FLUSHER: If water conservation is your thing, Rockton might be the toilet for you, It lets users select one of two water levels each time the unit is flushed: the standard 1.6 gallons or 0.8 gallons. The manufacturer says the latter option...

Taken for granite.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... TAKEN FOR GRANITE: Composed of 93 percent natural quartz crystal and 7 percent high-performance polymers, Formica Stone quartz surfacing comes in slab thicknesses of 2 or 3 centimeters to fit various horizontal applications. The material...

Hip spigot.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... HIP SPIGOT: The Kitchen Pre-Rinse faucet is constructed of solid brass with ceramic disc cartridges and features a single-control handle. Users can toggle between standard and spray streams, and the faucet automatically resets to standard when...

Hype it up.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... HYPE IT UP: The minimalist Hype faucet features a single lever that is completely camouflaged when not in use. The lever sits at the top of the faucet body and slides across for hot or cold water. It is available in chrome or satin chrome....

The pull of luxury.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... THE PULL OF LUXURY: Featuring ADA-compliant. high-arc cathedral spouts, the Woodmere faucet collection, part of the manufacturer's luxury ShowHouse line, includes pull-down faucets for both kitchen and bar/prep sinks. The single-hole faucets...

Spa treatment.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... SPA TREATMENT: The VertiSpa shower system features an overhead showerhead and a vertical shower tower that connects to the wall surface. The tower has five body spray jets, and the showerhead adjusts from a spray to a drenching flow. The maker...

Electric slide.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... ELECTRIC SLIDE: Known for its brightly colored retro gas ranges, the manufacturer has introduced aim all-electric unit that eliminates the need for combustion or venting. It is made from cast iron with an enamel finish and has two cooking...

Induction introduction.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... INDUCTION INTRODUCTION: The Vario Induction Wok uses electromagnetic energy to deliver the performance of gas with none of the drawbacks, the maker says. The cook-top uses no radiant heat source, so it stays cool to the touch during operation....

Fitting in.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... FITTING IN: The DesignerFit counter-depth refrigerator offers a built-in look without the built-in expense, says the manufacturer. It has the largest capacity of any side-by-side, countertop-depth refrigerator on the market, with 24.5 cubic...

Three doors down.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... THREE DOORS DOWN: This three-door refrigerator comes in two sizes--20.7 and 25.0 cubic feet--with four slide-out shelves, two crispers, a wine rack, and five adjustable gallon-sized shelves in each door. A freezer drawer contains pullout wire...

A-Frame.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... A-FRAME: AF Series aluminum-frame kitchen cabinetry features tempered safety-glass panels and three frame profiles in a natural aluminum finish. Options include five glass styles, aluminum or acrylic-and-aluminum pulls and knobs, and face-frame...

Verity of style.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... VERITY OF STYLE: Verity is an apron-front kitchen sink that offers the look of a farmhouse unit in contemporary stainless steel. It's available in two styles: a traditional under-mount or a countertop model with a four-sided exposed apron. The...

Slim fit.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... SLIM FIT: The WhisperFit-Lite low-profile ventilation fan features a super-slim design that requires minimal space, the manufacturer says. The unit has two 13-watt, compact fluorescent lights and a housing that measures 5 1/2 inches deep, so it...

Retro chic.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... RETRO CHIC: Known for its contemporary European-style faucets, the manufacturer is branching out into traditional-style products with the Retroaktiv line. The faucets offer three interchangeable handles--cross, scroll, and lever--and come in...

It's a Brizo.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... IT'S A BRIZO: Brizo is the manufacturer's new premium faucet brand, and one of its first product lines is the Floriano. The kitchen faucet is a single-handle, high-arc product with a pull-down spout. Inspired by the designs of the 1920s, the...

Wash up.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... WASH UP: These personal shower kits can be attached to existing tub and shower arms for inexpensive custom applications. One kit includes a 24-inch slide bar mount with oversized storage baskets for soap and shampoo. The other kit is a...

Freezer frame.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... FREEZER FRAME: The 736TC is a 36-inch-wide, full-size unit with an upper-cabinet refrigerator and two freezer drawers below. The latest offering in the maker's 700 Series, it has 13.4 cubic feet of refrigerator storage and 6.9 cubic feet of...

Counter depth.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
June 1, 2004... COUNTER DEPTH: This refrigerator not only has three doors. it's also countertop depth, so it fits neatly into the kitchen. The configuration, the manufacturer says, provides wide storage spaces and reduces the amount of space needed for door...

Crane reshapes siding industry with solid core siding.(Crane Performance Siding)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Since its invention of the first vinyl siding product in 1957, Crane Performance Siding[R] has lead the way in product innovation. This commitment to progress continued in 1998, when Crane Performance Siding unveiled a new category to the...

Building skills.(NAHB Briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The number of people needed to fill construction jobs is expected to increase exponentially over the next 10 years. To thwart the predicted shortage of skilled trade workers, the U.S. Department of Labor, the NAHB, and several other...

A domestic dispute.(NAHB Briefs)(North American Free Trade Agreement)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) panel determined that lumber producers in the United States are not threatened by Canadian trade practices. The ruling is an important win for affordable housing, free trade, and millions of...

Close call: proposed stormwater guidelines would have made homeownership difficult for many families.(From The President)
June 1, 2004... IN A GREAT VICTORY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, the EPA recently decided not to issue stormwater Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELG) that would have cost builders and consumers an estimated $3.5 billion per year. The Clean Water Act allows the...

Interest rates rise: the shift in interest rates does not mean home prices are vulnerable.(Seiders Economy)
June 1, 2004... A MAJOR CHANGE IN FINANCIAL MARKETS Occurred in April when surprising news on job growth and inflation sent long-term interest rates upward and hastened the day the Federal Reserve will start hiking short-term rates. The sudden change in...

Scholarship fund.(NAHB Briefs)(Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation and the Home Builder's Institute (HBI) are partnering to establish the HBI Lowe's Building Careers Scholarship Fund for Job Corps graduates. The fund will provide financial assistance to program...

Green houses.(NAHB Briefs)
June 1, 2004... The NAHB celebrates 30 years of advances in green home building in 2004. Green building, the construction of resource-efficient, environmentally sensitive residential homes, may be one of the most significant developments in home building to...

Log on: online panel moves building industry toward the future.(The NAHB Research Center Corner)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THE NAHB RESEARCH CENTER'S Mission--to promote innovation in housing technology to improve the durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and building products--affords home builders the opportunity to share their...

Keystone retaining walls win the race at Infineon Raceway.
June 1, 2004... Project: Infineon Raceway (formerly Sears Point Racetrack) Location: Sonoma, CA Owner/Developer: Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Product: Keystone Compac-Straight-Face Square Feet: 336,000 sq. ft. Retaining Wall Contractor:...

Postcards from America: Builder sets out in search of America's top 100 best-selling communities.
June 1, 2004... IT'S A SUMMER VACATION ITINERARY THAT only a builder could love: Atlanta, Phoenix/Mesa, Ariz., Riverside/San Bernardino, Calif., Houston, the Washington, D.C., metro area, Chicago, Las Vegas, Dallas, Orlando, Fla., and Minneapolis/St. Paul....

Visionary appeal: small-town values come to life in an Indiana suburb.(Welcome To Indiana)(Centennial, a suburb on Indianopolis)
June 1, 2004... WHAT MAKES ONE COMMUNITY SELL better than another? Is it a builder's reputation, location, site plan, product diversity, price, amenities, or customer satisfaction? Those were all part of what helped land Centennial, an Estridge Cos.' community...

Window on the old world: mountains, the city, and the first hole--you can't beat the view from these Los Angeles duplexes.(Welcome To California)
June 1, 2004... BELLA VENTANA MEANS "BEAUTIFUL WINDOW," but while the windows of these golf-side duplexes in the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles, are certainly decorative--with iron grille-work, arches, and shutters--the name refers to much more....

Safe bet: John Wieland's gamble on a depressed area pays off.(Welcome To Georgia)
June 1, 2004... ANYONE THE LEAST BIT FAMILIAR WITH ATLANTA knows how hot the housing market is and how bad the traffic is. It's no surprise then that builders are revitalizing some in-town areas that had fallen on hard times because they offer home buyers the...

Standard heights: Morningstar View sold out by giving customers more home for their money.(Welcome To Washington)(New Tradition Homes)
June 1, 2004... WHAT A DIFFERENCE 12 inches can make. It probably wasn't the 9-foot ceilings that sold out " Morningstar View. But they certainly didn't hurt sales in the 152-site community east of Vancouver, Wash., across the Columbia River from Portland,...

Team effort: a great location and departmental collaboration helped sell a Denver project in a weak economy.(Welcome To Colorado)
June 1, 2004... THREE YEARS AGO, NO PRODUCTION BUILDER IN DENVER would have gotten excited about selling 10.5 units a month. Then, the market lost approximately 50,000 jobs, and housing permits dropped by 8 percent from 2002 to 2003. So Seasons at River Run, a...

Lexus living: age is the only restriction at this Las Vegas master planned community.(Welcome To Nevada)
June 1, 2004... WHEN YOU BUY A LEXUS, EVERYTHING YOU could possibly want is included as standard equipment. "Besides picking the color, all the bells and whistles are already there," says R. Wayne Wermuth. Wermuth isn't in the car business. He's senior...

California style, Florida sizzle: Mercedes Homes brings casitas and courtyards to Orlando.(Welcom To Florida)
June 1, 2004... CALIFORNIA HOME buyers may not think that rotundas, front courtyards, and casitas are very special; builders have been offering floor plans with those options for years. But in Orlando, Fla., they're new, they're hot, and they sell houses. That...

Home of the free: the Grande at Crystal Lake trades on its assets as home to one of America's greatest symbols.(Welcome To New Jersey)
June 1, 2004... RESIDENTS OF THE GRANDE AT CRYSTAL LAKE LEARN very quickly that they have a high-profile but elusive neighbor who gives their 101-acre central New Jersey community some cachet. Not a rock star or a Hollywood celebrity, but a bald eagle that...

Intimate infill: "Reverse ranch" creates a new product niche in Midwest market.(Welcome To Kansas)
June 1, 2004... JUST ABOUT EVERY BUYER IN THE KANSAS CITY, KAN., market wants a daylight or walk-out basement. That's fine when you have the lots to accommodate them. But Minneapolis-based developer RDK Properties didn't have them. The 10-acre infill site was...

Design intervention: providence brings the flavor of Cape Cod to the north Texas prairie.(Welcome To Texas)
June 1, 2004... ITS DEVELOPER NAMED THE 310-ACRE, MASTER PLANNED community Providence to reflect the neat, New England-style homes rising from the prairie north of Dallas and Fort Worth and for the bit of old-time religion the style conjures up. It certainly...

Path to the future: if you build homes, expect to use some of these products and processes in the next few years.
June 1, 2004... IT'S A CLICHE THAT THE PACE OF CHANGE IN home building is glacial. That's only partly true. Actually, builders will embrace any change that solves a problem or saves time or money. Some new technologies, like cell phones, become ubiquitous...

Civic duties: Builders find themselves forced to take on infrastructure as a price of development.
June 1, 2004... WHEN STEVE BROCK first envisioned building West Highlands in metro Atlanta in the late 1990s, the idea raised more than a few eyebrows. The site was home to the city's largest public housing project, Perry Homes. "If you were from Atlanta,...

Base maneuvers: military base closures, housing privatization, and realignments offer a wealth of opportunities for builders, developers, and contractors.
June 1, 2004... Just THE THOUGHT OF PREPARING A GOVERNMENT PROPOSal, much less winning the contract and working for several years within a bureaucratic system to see it built, makes most private-venture builders and developers cringe. Build boring homes for a...

Tablets step up: new Tablet PC application could drive building industry's use of wireless.(Builder tech: new gadgets, new systems, new future)(Field2Base develops software for home building industry)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... UP UNTIL NOW. I'VE BEEN LUKEWARM ABOUT Tablet PCs. Not because a "digital clipboard" wouldn't make sense for a home builder, but because there hadn't been any applications for the Tablet PC that made it any better than a regular laptop--or, for...

Web magic.(Builder tech: new gadgets, new systems, new future)(www.servicemagic.com)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The home services portal run by Service Magic has emerged as an effective tool for small custom home builders. Rodney Rice, the company's co-CEO, says that of the 45,000 businesses Service Magic has screened, profiled, and rated, about 23,000...

Easier leads.(Builder tech: new gadgets, new systems, new future)(Builder1440)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Sales automation software Builder1440 now includes an XML interface that feeds sales leads automatically from a builder's Web site or builder-oriented portals such as homestore.com directly into Builder1440. In the past, builders had to print...

Sony gears up: large electronics vendor offers all-Sony integrated home theater package starting at $10,000.(Builder tech: new gadgets, new systems, new future)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SONY ELECTRONICS WANTS TO MAKE IT EASIER for builders to mass-market home entertainment to owners of new homes in the $200,000 to $500,000 price range. Earlier this spring, the company started shipping a turnkey home entertainment system...

Rugged Nextel.(Builder tech: new gadgets, new systems, new future)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Nextel and Motorola have begun shipping the i530, a rugged flip-style phone that's geared to contractors and meets military standards for resistance to dust, shock, vibration, and humidity. The phone comes with Nextel's Nationwide Direct...

Voice coach.(Builder tech: new gadgets, new systems, new future)(LYNXR wireless security system)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Honeywell's new LYNXR wireless security system comes with a voice prompt that walks the installer through setup. The unit delivers voice messages to homeowners about their alarms and pre-programmed reminders regarding personal appointments. The...

Helping hand: BuildWorks 4.0 delivers a feature-rich, back-office system to small builders.(Builder tech: new gadgets, new systems, new future)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... INTUIT'S QUICKBOOKS AND MICROSOFT OFFICE are the software programs used by the majority of small-volume builders. Unfortunately, they aren't very home builder--friendly straight out of the box. The BuildWorks system resolves that by providing...

Wireless generation: a $17,000-plus investment in wireless networking and back-office software puts a South Carolina builder a step ahead.
June 1, 2004... THE IMAGE OF THE SMALL BUILDER AS a rough-and-tumble guy in his 50s or 60s who can do anything with his hands except handle a computer is fading fast. The tech-savvy GenXers are starting to run building companies--and you can bet many view a...

What's new on Builder online: free weekly newsletter.(Missing Links)
June 1, 2004... AS BIG BUILDERS BECOME MORE AND more of a force in home building, it's becoming increasingly important to keep track of the high-volume end of the business. Now, with a new, free weekly email from BUILDER magazine's sister publication BIG...

Second-story loft or 5th bedroom.(Builder plans: featuring new plans from the nation's leading designers)
June 1, 2004... Side-loading two-car garage adds curb-appeal to this outstanding bungalow. A shed dormer enhances natural light in the foyer and formal dining room. An island kitchen works seemlessly with an oversize breakfast room and adjoining vaulted...

Kitchens and baths.(Special Advertising Section)(Directory)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Kitchens and baths are the settings for the daily rituals of life, so it is imperative that these rooms look great and function well. When designing these rooms, be sure to choose products that create an inviting appearance, allow practical...

June 2004 computer directory.(Special Advertising Section)(Directory)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... * AEC Software FASTTRACK SCHEDULE 8 22611-113 Markey Court Sterling, VA 20166 Phone: 800-346-9413, 703-450-1980 Fax: 703-450-9786 info@aecsoftware.com www.aecsoftware.com * @Last Software SKETCHUP...