Builder articles from May 2000

Builder archives from May 2000

Championship Season.
May 1, 2000... Among the highest achievements is the recognition by your peers of a job well done. WHEN THE THIRD-GRADE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM I coach went undefeated this season, they were upset to learn that a trophy didn't come with the achievement. My...

BMAIL.
May 1, 2000... Flying High ON BEHALF OF THE PILOTS, PATIENTS, and Earth Angels (ground support volunteers) of Angel Flight Southeast, thank you for your participation in and support of the Hearthstone BUILDER Lifetime Public Service Award as presented at...

Callbacks.
May 1, 2000... ON PAGE 182 OF THE JANUARY 2000 issue, we misspelled Bill Ostrem's name and his community's name, EastLake. Also, on page 270 of the same issue, we misidentified the location of the Legacy business park, which is in Piano, Texas. We regret the...

Living Single.
May 1, 2000... When it comes to new-home buying, sisters are doing it for themselves. IT USED TO BE SO SIMPLE. GET MARRIED, BUY A house, and live happily ever after. But those days are gone. Society is changing rapidly--and so are the home buying habits...

Noise Downer?
May 1, 2000... Sixty-one percent of new homeowners surveyed in Orange County, Calif., said airports had almost no effect on their decision to buy in comparison to the quality of the neighborhood, crime rates, prices, and schools. However, if sound levels are...

Senior Surge.
May 1, 2000... According to a recently released report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, "Housing America's Seniors," this soaring age group will present the housing industry with unique challenges and opportunities in the future. Some of the...

Live/Work Web.
May 1, 2000... Architect Tom Dolan of Oakland, Calif., has started the Live-Work Institute, a nonprofit entity that advocates, encourages, and assists the development of true live/work projects. His Web site, (www.live-work.com), provides information on...

Moonstruck.
May 1, 2000... Moon estates? Not yet, but one city is supporting an architect's plan to test future habitats on Earth's bella luna. The city of Hesperia, in the Mojave Desert, 50 miles north of Los Angeles, is helping build a full-scale lunar colony to test...

Spam Sells Houses.
May 1, 2000... You've got mail. But do you want it? Well, home buyers do. One out of six polled by Ernst & Young said they go to sites to link to, or read the contents of, their spam messages. That's more readers for home builders, sellers, and agents to sell...

Internet Use Saves Energy.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2000... A new study by Joseph Romm and his colleagues at the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions confirms what many Internet pundits have suggested: Use of the Internet greatly reduces the use of electricity, fuel, and paper products, thus reducing...

Big Deal.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Standard Pacific, ranked #21 in this issue's BUILDER 100 listing, will enter Colorado with its acquisition of The Writer Corp. The California-based company will pay just over $54 million for Writer, which delivered 383 homes in 1999. Writer...

Teachers Next Door.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... HUD has announced it will offer 50 percent discounts on HUD-owned homes to schoolteachers through its Teacher Next Door program. The agency says that 8,000 to 10,000 homes in distressed neighborhoods will be offered to teachers each year to...

Digital Deal.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Top builders create new company to capture online business. AFTER NEARLY A YEAR OF DISCUSSING PRIVATELY how best to capitalize on the Internet, Centex, D.R. Horton, Kaufman and Broad, Lennar, and Pulte officially joined forces and launched...

ALLREALESTATE.COM.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Analysts and bankers predict a surge in housing-related B2B firms. Jay Leupp, an analyst at Robertson Stephens said today's market capitalization of e-commerce for the real estate industry totals about $25 to $30 billion. In a year, he...

RENDER UNTO CAESAR.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... With tax season just wrapped up, it might surprise you to learn that HUD has one of the highest rates of employees who haven't paid their taxes, reports the Associated Press. As of October 1999, HUD employees' non-payment rate was 8.5 percent,...

FASHION OVER FUNCTION.
May 1, 2000... Calvin Klein wants to design home products (and not just sheets, towels, and china, a la Martha Stewart). He plans to create designer freezers, refrigerators, and other kitchen appliances. Klein admits to wanting to design appliances for people...

BARRIER BREAKER.
May 1, 2000... Brian Fuehrlein, a scientist involved in the Apopka Project--a group of homes built as part of a U.S. Department of Energy-funded study on energy conservation in entry-level housing--won first place in the best undergraduate honors thesis...

More Inequality?(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... U.S. investigates why blacks pay higher mortgage rates. HUD IS INVESTIGATING WHETHER THE TWO largest underwriters of home mortgages discriminate against blacks and other minorities, reports The Washington Post. Preliminary findings are that...

Stucco Settlement.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... EIFS manufacturers agree to pay North Carolina homeowners. IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE EPI-center of the controversy over exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS), settlement has been reached in a statewide class-action lawsuit between...

Job But No Home.
May 1, 2000... Workers ride the bus, because there's no home to go to even if they have a job. WHERE DOES A $50,000-A-YEAR INCOME leave you homeless? California's Silicon Valley, where we hear that raw land--just land--sells for $50 a square foot and...

Can Bonds Ease California's s Housing Crisis?(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Advocates support new measures for financing homes THOUGH CALIFORNIA'S POPULATION IS DOUBLE that of Florida, another bellwether Sunbelt state, the Sunshine state spends more, than four times what California does on affordable housing....

Twist'n Shout.
May 1, 2000... YOU'LL BE THE ENVY OF EVERYONE ON THE JOBSITE WITH THIS convenient cool tool. The All-in-One screwdriver's interchangeable blades rest in separate chambers on the handle and slide magnetically into place with a turn of the dial. The blades are...

Over the Rainbow.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... COMPUTERS AREN'T THE ONLY THINGS SPORTING A COLORFUL SIDE THESE DAYS. The traditional round thermostat is stepping up its style with snap-on rings in a range of modern, fun colors. New sets come with the electromechanical thermostat, which is...

Set in Stone.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... WITH STONE CAD SOFTWARE, BUILDERS CAN graphically export Cultured Stone masonry products into other CAD programs and insert them directly into the drawing to enhance the final look. To aid with planning and creativity, the software includes a...

Quiet Please!(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... WHETHER IT'S NOISY KIDS OR A BIG-SCREEN-TV-watching husband, the QuietZone line of acoustic products is designed keep sound in-or out-of any room in a home. The line includes wall framing, floor matting, and caulk that combine with the...

Get Set.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... TIME IS PRECIOUS, SO WHY SPEND IT WAITING FOR THE walls to dry? Universal Tile Setting Adhesive has a drying time of 3 hours on wall tiles and 5 hours on floor tiles, eliminating overnight waiting and allowing for same-day tiling and grouting....

Easy Does It.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... THE FUNCTIONAL DOUBLE ACCESS WINDOW IS A NEW OPTION FOR multistory homes. A European hinge design allows this double-hung, wood-clad window to rotate a full i8o degrees, making hard-to-reach exteriors easier to clean. Made of Douglas fir, the...

Give Them Their 15 Minutes.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Making customers happy is not about an absence of comp faints but about timely answers. By THE MID-1990S, THE folks at John Laing Homes, now part of WL Homes, had pretty much nailed customer satisfaction. They built a strong link between...

Eke Out an Edge.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... When the competition is heavy, taking a new product direction may be a custom builder's ace in the hole. THE SECRET TO ANY BUILDER'S success is to watch for relevant trends and to capitalize on them. That's why Bill Pierce wanted a piece...

Get an OSHA OK.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Attitude and preparedness count when inspectors catch you by surprise. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE BEST defense. Well, having a good offense meant money in the bank for Beazer Homes' Squires Charlotte Division in North Carolina. When...

Warp Speed.
May 1, 2000... This California builder wants to jump-start the Internet revolution. WHEN WE FIRST CAUGHT UP WITH John Picard he was on his cell phone, trying to get his Global Positioning System (GPS) to navigate a snarl of freeway construction near Los...

New Hope for the Hood.
May 1, 2000... Blighted public housing has to come down, but rebuilding the inner city under Hope VI guidelines requires endless patience and a long view. THE RESIDENTS OF ELIZABETH, N.J.'s public housing grew up with broken promises: promises of better...

Mission Possible.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Five master plans and 20 years later, the Catellus Development site in San Francisco's historic Mission Bay is being heralded as a model of smart growth. ONCE A PART OF SAN FRANCISCO Bay, Mission Bay literally arose from the city's...

Courting Disaster.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Workers who try to save a buck by building ladders on site or working without safety gear can land a builder in bankruptcy -- or behind bars. WITH HOME BUILDING STARTS reaching record levels and a continuing shortage of trained workers,...

Gather Round.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Q: What is cluster development and when is it the best solution? A: APPROPRIATE FOR BOTH SINGLE-FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY PRODUCT TYPES of various densities, cluster development uses small enclaves that create neighborhoods instead of...

Rate Hikes.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Are those rate hikes slowing things down? DESPITE THE FEDERAL RESERVE'S steady efforts to let some steam out of the economy through rates hikes, it's still going strong--too strong, insist economists. The current level of growth is not...

Au Naturel.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... New technologies in flooring are making natural-looking vinyl and laminate look even more like real stone or wood. ASK LEONARD LUDOVICO, VICE PRESIDENT of styling and design at Congoleum in Mercerville, N.J., if his company's wood-look...

The Essence of Fluorescence.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Fluorescent lighting has come a long way since the days of flat rectangular ceiling fixtures. New designs and color choices add style to energy-efficient lighting STRUNG FROM THE CEILING AND hidden under cabinets, today's fluorescent...

Steel Yourself.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Steel door manufacturers offer more decorative options to give homes the curb appeal builders and buyers demand. FOR YEARS, HOME BUYERS HAVE CHOSEN steel doors for their sense of security, lower cost, and ease of maintenance. According to...

En Garde.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... In response to reduced acreage limit requirements from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the NAHB filed Suit against the Corps on March 9. "Small towns, suburbs, and large cities alike are about to be hit with a new wave of regulation that...

Gives a Million.
May 1, 2000... Patsy R Smith and Centex Homes each gave $1 million to the National Housing Endowment (NHE), the NAHB's philanthropic arm. Smith is president of Dallas-Ft. Worth-based Herman Smith and Co. Her gift will create education, job training, and...

Over There.
May 1, 2000... For the first time ever, the NAHB goes truly international with a conference to be held April 12-13 in Budapest, Hungary. The NAHB chose Budapest because it is one of the most prosperous and stable mid-European areas, says director of...

Ballots Count.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Bob Mitchell urges builders to get involved in the democratic process and be part of the solution to issues shaping America. Now is THE TIME FOR HOME builders' voices to be heard loud and clear in the national political arena and local...

Review Labor Compensation.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... With labor shortages acute, Seiders says employee retention strategies are critical. THE CURRENT ECONOMIC EXPANsion has just ploughed into its tenth consecutive year, and it keeps draining the pool of labor available to home builders....

May Showcase Project.
May 1, 2000... Free camp helps children cope with loss. THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE IS PERHAPS THE greatest childhood tragedy, says Cullen Hartzog. Hartzog is president of the Home Builders Association of Panama City-Bay County Fla., and this HBA's Home...

Southern Comfort.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Texas based David Weekley Homes'found a home in South Carolina. A neo-traditional neighborhood with wraparound porches draws sales from every segment of the market. TAKE IT OUTSIDE. THAT PROVED TO BE THE KEY APPEAL for buyers of the Shelby...

Cabana Cool.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Discriminating empty-nesters and retirees seek the resort life. A Cabana-style coach-home village in Naples, Fla.'s Grey Oaks Country Club put sales in the pink. LOW-MAINTENANCE LIVING AND PLENTY OF TIME FOR SUN, fun, and golf. Those are...

Desert Dream.
May 1, 2000... Pardee Homes'cZassicalmusic-themed merchandising program, flexible living spaces, and impressive bonus options have proved successful in Las Vegas' highly competitive market. TACKLING THE NEEDS OF BOTH MOVE-UP AND RELO buyers can be a...

THE BUILDER 100.
May 1, 2000... E-COMMERCE HITS HOME BUILDING. THAT 1999 WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL HOME BUILDING year should come as no surprise to anyone who watched confident consumers eagerly part with a sizeable portion of their wealth. Home prices were up, revenue from...

THE BIG FOUR.
May 1, 2000... MEET THE INDUSTRY'S EXCLUSIVE 20,000-UNIT-PER-YEAR CLUB. HOW MANY MORE BUILDERS WILL JOIN THEIR RANKS? PRESIDENT PULTE CORP. * ROBERT HALSO NUMBER ONE. THE STRATEGY OF THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST HOME builder is simple: to expand...

TOP 100.
May 1, 2000... TOP 100 RANK COMPANY/CEO (98 rank) 1 PULTS CORP. (p) (1) Robert K. Burgess ALL-TIME industry high volume [ldots] built 6,512 units built in Mexico, up 60% from...

The 1999 Gross Revenue Ranking.
May 1, 2000... The 1999 Gross Revenue Ranking GROSS RANK COMPANY REVENUE [*] 1 CENTEX CORP. $5,776 2 PULTE CORP. ...

The 1999 Next 50.
May 1, 2000... The 1999 Next 50 GROSS [*] RANK COMPANY CLOSINGS REVENUE 101 SIVAGE-THOMAS HOMES 529 $74 102 SOVEREIGN TEXAS HOMES...

The 1999 Alphabetical Listings.
May 1, 2000... The 1999 Alphabetical Listings COMPANY 1999 WEB SITE RANK ALH HOLDINGS 59 ALL AMERICAN HOMES 27...

The 1999 Top 20 Manufactured Home Builders.
May 1, 2000... The 1999 Top 20 Manufactured Home Builders RANK COMPANY 1999 CHANGE IN 1999 SHIPMENTS SHIPMENTS GROSS ...

REVERSAL OF FORTUNE.
May 1, 2000... Despite the hot housing market, the manufactured home industry is suffering. OUR SECOND ANNUAL LISTING OF the top manufactured home builders finds the industry significantly weaker than just one year ago. In 1998, the industry shipped...

THE 1999 TOP 50 MULTIFAMILY RENTAL BUILDERS.
May 1, 2000... Apartment production remained strong despite materials shortages and escalating land prices. CONSUMER DEMAND FOR APARTment living continued to grow at a brisk pace last year amid continuing fears of possible overbuilding--particularly in...

RANCH DRESSING.
May 1, 2000... Orange County's largest new community is an experiment in diverse architecture and land planning that's the talk of the town. TO DAY THAN LANDERA RANCH IS BIG WOULD BE AN UNDER-statement. It's huge, At 4,000 acres, it is by far Orange...

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.
May 1, 2000... This Pennsylvania custom home isn't exactly Abe Lincoln's log cabin. BUILDER went on site to see how it stacks up. ON THIS SNOW-COVERED Pennsylvania hilltop, the near silence of the jobsite is striking. "If we turn the generator off, we...

TROPIC OF GEORGIA.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Lush, luxuriant Miami-inspired fusion--easy living near Savannah. "YOU KNOW THE SPANISH originally settled as far north as Georgia," says North Miami architect Barry Sugerman, explaining some of the historical fine pints of the tropical...

FORMAL ATTIRE.
May 1, 2000... LIVING AND DINING ROOMS MAY BE SHRINKING IN SIZE, BUT THEY'RE BIGGER THAN EVER ON DETAILS. AS FAMILY ROOMS BECOME THE central living spaces in most new homes, formal areas continue to shrink. But great things do come in little packages,...

Bell Curve.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... D.C. and Baltimore builders get ahead with Bell Atlantic wiring package. TWO YEARS AGO BURKE, VA.--BASED VAN Metre Construction Co. was still offering structured wiring as an option. But demand was so strong that the company's...

Wiring Tool.
May 1, 2000... Members of the Home Automation Association have created www.connectedhome.org, a Web site to accompany the Wiring America's Homes campaign, which seeks to get word on structured wiring out to consumers. The site provides basic definitions of...

Posh Space.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... The idea of civilian space travel acquired a little more flair recently when interior design site MyHome.com proposed decorations for space resort rooms planned by the Space Island Group. The group says the resort will be constructed from used...

Prices Rising.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2000... In the past, the longer you waited to buy a new personal computer, the more speed and memory you got for your buck. But average sales prices have reversed course, increasing in recent months, according to The Wall Street Journal. ...

Wiring Coverage.
May 1, 2000... No more waiting for a file to download or an untrained techie to get you back online. USTec is offering the wiring industry's first 15-year certified warranty program on connectors and cables in their tecLAN home networks. "We guarantee your...

Getting to Know You.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Builder creates communities with neighbor hood Intranet. CLIFF'S COMMUNITIES IN GREENVILLE, S.C., doesn't just sell houses anymore; it sells the Neighborware Intranet meeting place as part of the deal. "New residents have a direct way to...

Culinary Connectivity.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Cook and computer join forces in Internet-enabled kitchens. IF GENERAL ELECTRIC AND WHIRLPOOL HAVE their way, you will soon be able to offer your customers more than the standard stove and refrigerator. At this year's International...

Minnesota.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Mix it up. The Near Northside Implementation Committee of Minneapolis selected a design and engineering team led by the SRF Consulting Group to help make plans to convert the area from public housing projects to a mixed-income neighborhood....

Washington.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Grapes of warth. According to state officials, about 6o percent of the migrant workforce in the state--more than 37,000 workers--s homeless during the harvest season. Apparently, Mattawa, the center of the state's agricultural boom, has seen...

www.rewardwalls.com.
May 1, 2000... Redesigned Web site focuses on insulating concrete forms (ICFs), with information tailored to home buyers, builders, and developers. For contractors, the site has technical information about the ICF system and how it goes together. Other...

www.peach99.com.
May 1, 2000... Revamped Web site has detailed product information and photography of company's two whole-house (entry door, patio door, and window) packages. The builder-friendly site also has a glossary of terms, technical data, and a dealer locator section....

www.lamarlighting.com.
May 1, 2000... New Web site features fluorescent lighting products, both in-stock and custom-made. It provides product images, ready-to-download specification sheets, light fixture and lightbox worksheets, custom design assistance, energy analysis, and...

www.americanstandard-us.com.
May 1, 2000... View the latest products and photography gather installation instructions, and find new design ideas at this enhanced Web site for plumbing products. A "quick search" feature lets users locate product information, specs, and list prices by...

www.c-cure.com.
May 1, 2000... New Web site is a resource for tile installation trade professionals. Technical information focuses on the company's full product line, including mortars, additives, mastics, grouting materials, and surface preparation materials. A product user...

www.readingbody.com.
May 1, 2000... Redesigned Web site covers truck equipment including service bodies, pickup caps, stake bodies, and pickup and van accessories. Site offers current dimensions and specifications, as well as new products and product enhancements. Users can...

www.thulmaneastern.com.
May 1, 2000... Web site highlights the latest trends in fireplaces and miliwork and displays the most modern fireplace products and accessories from all the leading manufacturers. For builders, Thulman Eastern provides quality fireplace installations, a...

www.deltafaucet.com.
May 1, 2000... Enhanced Web site highlights Delta's product selection; features a virtual remodeling center with home improvement tips and trends; and offers a catalog of maintenance and installation sheets, details on code compliance, and a locator system to...

www.websites.pagosa.net/ruinford.
May 1, 2000... Site provides builders with information on the principles of sound masonry fireplace construction and on the Hart-Rumford Fireplace Form. Made of heavy-gauge galvanized steel, the form can be reused hundreds of times. The Web site shows...

www.ugl.com.
May 1, 2000... Web site's redesign is based on suggestions from dealers and customers. The new site has pictures of all United Gilsonite Laboratories' products, step-by-step instructions on do-it-yourself projects, and dealer display information. Users can...

www.homeplansexpress.com.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Town & Country Cedar Homes' new Web site is devoted specifically to log home plans. The site features a searchable database that allows viewers to specify their own criteria and then automatically select the plans matching those criteria from...

www.custombuildingproducts.com.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Offering product descriptions, application tips, installation instructions, and more, this new Web site is a hands-on reference tool for tile installation professionals and do-it-yourselfers. A product selection guide creates a formula for...

Product and Manufacturer Facts & Figures.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... In 1998, homeownership reached an all-time high of 66.7 percent. -U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development "The median sales price of [single-family] new houses sold in November 1999 was $167,400; the mean sales price was...

If They're Good Enough for Spielberg.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2000... Vermont Timber Frames (VTF) works with their clients to create unique timber frame homes that reflect both the functionality and simplicity of the style. Space and light are two of the most essential parts of their successful designs, with...