Builder articles from September 2004

Builder archives from September 2004

Race for the top: racing a bike and running a home building company have more than a little in common.(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... I'VE GOT TO ADMIT THAT BEFORE I WATCHED A COUPLE OF incredibly grueling and exciting Tour de France races, I didn't think too much of bicycling. I knew very little about the sport, except that when I ride my bike to work, the eight miles...

Behind the boom.(B Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... THE ARTICLE ON HOUSING WAS EXCELLENT ("Divided We Stand," July, page 118); however, zoning is a general factor, and I don't think that you went far enough on the topic. If we would let the free market and capitalistic system do its job, there...

Calendar.(Book It)(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... SEPTEMBER 8 Meyers Group Housing Seminars, San Francisco Bay Area Meyers Group Executive Housing Market Seminars provide local home building communities with up-to-date information on housing market conditions in their competitive...

A winning proposition: California's neediest first-time home buyers benefit from a $2.1 billion housing bond.(Money Matters)
September 1, 2004... A FEW YEARS AGO, EDWARD MONCRIEF, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services of Silicon Valley--a nonprofit organization that promotes homeownership in lower-income neighborhoods--worried that the resources he relied on to provide...

Mi casa es su casa.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Home builders with sales agents who speak Spanish will have a distinct advantage in the coming years as the Hispanic home buying market continues to expand. A study released in May by Texas A&M University's Real Estate Center reported that 48...

Saleable enterprise.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Residential developers are turning to vacant commercial sites due to the lack of developable land and anti-sprawl efforts. Local governments would rather see the tax revenues and jobs generated by commercial projects, but many are willing to...

Keeping busy.(Big Deals)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Competition in the Philadelphia market is starting to heat up. Orleans Homebuilders, the No. 2 builder in the market in 2003, announced plans to acquire Realen Homes, which has operations in Philadelphia and Chicago. The move should expand...

Light fare.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(O.ZoneLite)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based company O.ZoneLite says it has produced what possibly could be the world's first light bulb that kills airborne bacteria, germs, smoke, mildew, odors, mold, and fungi. The bulb, coated with titanium dioxide,...

Arnold's yard sale.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Arnold Schwarzenegger)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to sell off about $50 million worth of what he says are surplus assets owned by the state to help close the state's $15 billion budget problem. The properties on his fire sale list include a golf...

Prevention tax.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Builders in San Diego are upset about a new fee imposed by the region's Rural Fire Protection District to pay for fire protection in a 720-square-mile area in eastern San Diego County. The tax requires new homeowners to pay $150 to $450 based...

Stigma zoning: a new study aims to quantify the cumulative negative effect on home values caused by undesirable neighborhood features such as landfills and airports.(What Hurts Housing Values?)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... ACCORDING TO RESEARCHER STEPHEN F. THODE, the impact of locally undesirable land uses, or LULUs, is poorly understood. Liability for depressed housing values, he says, often lean too heavily on a single bad factor, when many sites should share...

Holes in one: builders save money with precut I-joists.(Cost Cutter)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... TIME WAS, BUILDERS WHO FRAMED THEIR FLOORS with engineered I-joists would cut holes in the web to run HVAC ducts and plumbing pipes. Performing this job on site was costly and increased the chances of a mistake. But now more builders are...

Vermont's little miracle.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... In Vermont, due to a combination of zoning changes, below-market-rate sales of land by municipalities, and other factors, this year's housing permits have shot up 40 percent more than last year, to 1,048 in the first four months alone. But...

Learning center.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A national survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association earlier this year found that more than half of Americans planning to buy a house want more information about the process. The survey also said that 95 percent of respondents thought it was...

South of the border: the NAHB signs joint cooperative agreement with a Mexican building group.(Trade Pacts)(National Association of Home Builders )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THE NAHB SIGNED AN AGREEMENT with its counterpart in Mexico to build stronger ties between the two countries' housing industries. The agreement, which stems from the "Partnership for Prosperity" alliance established by President Bush and...

Got web site? an Illinois company makes Internet sites affordable to small builders.(Internet Pick)(YourWebPro Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... IF YOU'VE PUT OFF CREATING A COMPANY WEB site because of cost, here is some good news: Schaumburg, Ill.-based YourWebPro Inc. now offers small builders and contractors Web sites that include 'all the bells and whistles of a full-fledged site...

Research hope.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(HOPE VI)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Urban Institute, in tandem with the Brookings Institution, recently released a report on the HOPE VI program. The Bush administration still wants to cut the program, which seeks to reconstruct severely distressed public housing projects....

Up to the challenge: John Wieland tackles a modernist design near downtown Atlanta.(Building News)(John Wieland Homes Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... IN HIS 33 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS, DOUG TOLLESON, a builder for John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods in Atlanta, has pretty much seen it all. But a recent project he did for an Atlanta artist and his family showed the veteran production builder a...

From altar to alcove: cities and developers prepare for the sale of 60 churches about to shut down in Massachusetts.(Church And State)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THE IMPENDING CLOSURE OF 60 Catholic churches in eastern Massachusetts has left many parishioners distraught, but it may be a boon to area developers. In May, the Archdiocese of Boston announced it would sell the churches, attributing...

Surprise decision: builders fear federal judge's decision will make it easier for the federal government to revoke existing permits.(Spirit of the Sage Council)
September 1, 2004... A RECENT DECISION BY A FEDERAL judge, resulting from a lawsuit originally filed back in the late 1990s, may seriously jeopardize a builder's right to develop environmentally sensitive lands in situations where the builder already holds a...

Deceptive labels? False labeling on poor-quality imported panels has spooked the engineered wood industry.(The straight dope: the whole truth and nothing but the truth)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... "This stuff scares the hell out of me." That was the reaction of engineer Walter Schneider, with John Haas Associates in State College, Pa., after stepping through a piece of Plyform panel on a jobsite. Closer inspection of the material...

Talent wars: D.C. is first of many regions to face labor shortages.(Inside Story)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... FOR MONTHS, EMPLOYMENT ANALYSTS have been forecasting an impending labor crisis in which businesses have far more jobs available than qualified applicants to fill them. That shift has already started in a number of the top employment regions,...

Lyte it up.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
September 1, 2004... THIS LITTLE LIGHT IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND made for wet locations and harsh environments, the manufacturer says, so it is perfectly fine for your houses. The 4-inch WetLyte withstands high humidity, wind, moisture, and saltwater corrosion. It...

Board stiff.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
September 1, 2004... FACE IT--KIDS ARE GOING TO WRITE ON THE WALLS, THIS LINE of doors with magnetic chalkboard panels gives them a place to do it. Perfect for a child's room or a kitchen, the door comes in three configurations and is available in widths from 2 to...

Master of the house.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
September 1, 2004... FOR CERTAIN DISCRIMINATING BUYERS, SYNTHETIC VENEER stone will not do. Give those buyers the real thing with MasterCut. The product is cut from natural fieldstones so it satisfies purists who want real stone, but because the veneer is lighter...

Modern mix.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
September 1, 2004... WHAT HAPPEN WHEN YOU MIX TWO HUGELY POPULAR MATERIALS such as concrete and steel? You get MetalCrete tiles. Made from concrete and hot rolled steel, the tiles are ideal for loft projects, industrial aesthetics, and contemporary interiors. Tiles...

Wipe off.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
September 1, 2004... SCOTCHGARD IS A PRODUCT OFTEN USED IN APPAREL and carpets for stain protection. Now it's being used in Sensations paint. The result is an acrylic flat paint that allows such common blemishes as coffee, crayon, and oil spots to wipe off with...

Window resin.(Top shelf: the latest and greatest building products)
September 1, 2004... RENAISSANCE IS THE NAME FOR A NEW COMPOSITE WINDOW that is made from an alloy of resins and wood fiber. This amalgam, the manufacturer claims, results in a window that will not rot, warp, or peel. The unit's exterior is a medium gloss finish...

Silestone gives Atlanta builder an edge in competitive market.(Builder Of The Month Profile)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... The Atlanta housing market shows no signs of slowing down, according to Brian Carr, Design Center Manager, Ashton Woods Homes (Atlanta). "Atlanta is posting both positive job growth and increased home sales. In addition, land availability is...

Dixie rising: by preserving natural assets and helping tenants relocate, this developer turned a neglected neighborhood into a desirable, affordable, profitable project.(Easy Does It)
September 1, 2004... PATIENCE. THAT'S ONE OF THE RARE virtues developers such as Ron Vergnolle of PHC Communities (formerly Pierce Homes of Carolina) in Greenville, S.C., use to their advantage. After identifying a neighborhood in need of a major overhaul on the...

Gentrify or die! Take a lesson from the pros of old when you find yourself staring down a bigger, better-equipped competitor.(Defending Growth)
September 1, 2004... THE MOMENT YOU BRING UP PLANS to rebuild less-favorable parts of the inner city with new housing, you inevitably raise the hackles of neighbors opposed to expansionism, displacement, and, worst of all, gentrification--more-affluent elites...

Sustained sizzle: the housing market continues to outperform expectations.(Vital Signs)
September 1, 2004... SO MUCH FOR A SLOWDOWN. THE Federal Reserve has followed through on its much-anticipated increases of the Federal Funds rate, which now stands at 1.5 percent. Economists expected the rate hikes to trigger increases in mortgage rates, but the...

Classic lines.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... CLASSIC LINES: The manufacturer says the Classica Collection line of steel doors has patterns pressed into the steel instead of glued on so there are no pieces that can fall off. Inspired by carriage-house doors of the 18th and 19th century,...

Carriage ride.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... CARRIAGE RIDE: The Carriage House composite doors are available in 27 new styles. Rather than standard steel-core garage doors that may be covered in plastic or wood, these are made from the same material throughout so the joints will not...

Wide open: as garages grow in importance, the doors get better looking--and bigger.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... ANYONE WHO HAS EYES MUST ADMIT that we've come a long way from the days when the garage door was a boring slab. Garage door manufacturers have stepped it up with different panel configurations, glass options, and materials. But with the growing...

Steel deal.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... STEEL DEAL: The model 5216 is an all steel carriage house door that has a foamed-in-place, urethane core that enhances structural integrity and provides good insulation for items in the garage, the company says. A thermal break provides...

Choice decisions.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... CHOICE DECISIONS: Builders Choice Collection has been redesigned with a more economical frame system that better fits the needs of budget-conscious production builders, the company says. Doors are made from either paint- or stain-grade plywood...

Coach class.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... COACH CLASS: The Coachman Col-lection is a low-maintenance alternative to the increasingly popular look of wood carriage-house--style garage doors, the company says. Crafted of layers of steel and insulation, the doors are topped with a...

Stand and deliver: jobsite equipment gets a face lift.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... IT'S A FACT OF BUILDER LIFE--COOL tools (such as circular saws, power drills, and nailers) get all the attention and the accolades. But just think where you would be without the blue-collar jobsite equipment that doesn't compete for attention...

Home store.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... HOME STORE: The Model 2048-0S on-site storage chest measures 48 inches wide and 28 inches high and has 16 cubic feet of storage space. Weighing 149 pounds, it features a Rapid Pass hole for power tool charging and Flexi-Shelf customized...

Mix it up.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... MIX IT UP: Featuring a sturdy polyethylene drum, the PortoMix can mix up to 3 cubic feet of concrete for footings and bases. It has a steel frame and is powered by a 3/4 horsepower electric motor. The unit measures 34 by 23 1/2 by 48 1/2 inches...

Compact this.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... COMPACT THIS: The MVH-306 Series reversible plate compactor is specifically designed for soil and gravel compaction in trenches and around retaining walls, the company says. Generating 10,125 pounds of compaction force, the unit has an...

Flat free.(Products: products and tools every builder should know about)
September 1, 2004... FLAT FREE: The Dualie wheelbarrow has two flat-free tires and a high-density polyethylene tub. The unit is designed with the wheels inside the handles, so it's stable when hauling large loads and easily used on ramps. It has extra-long, 62-inch...

Novel ideas.(NAHB Briefs)
September 1, 2004... The NAHB is calling for entries for its first annual innovation in Workforce Housing Awards. Designed to increase awareness of the difficulties associated with finding decent homes for public servants, the Workforce Housing awards recognize...

Every vote counts: the NAHB launches a Web site to help its members prepare for November's presidential election.(From The President)(National Association of Home Builders of the United States)
September 1, 2004... IN THE 2000 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, JUST 55 percent of the voting age population went to the polls, according to the Census Bureau. I'm willing to bet the percentage was considerably higher among home builders and others involved in housing. But...

David and Goliath: consolidation is putting pressure on small builders.(Seiders Economy)
September 1, 2004... CONSOLIDATION IN THE HOME BUILDING INDUSTRY has continued apace. Today, the top to single-family builders account for more than 20 percent of the market, and the top 50 companies represent almost one-third of the market. Consolidation continues...

Short supply.(NAHB Briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A shortage of cement is the biggest threat to the country's housing market, according to a recent nationwide survey conducted by the NAHB. Forty-one percent of respondents cited the cement shortage as an immediate concern, a huge jump from May,...

Freeze out: new design guide demonstrates how to stave off frost damage.(The NAHB Research Center Corner)
September 1, 2004... FROST-PROTECTED SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS, or FPSFs, provide protection against frost damage without the need for excavating below the frost line. FPSFs feature insulation placed strategically around the outside of the foundation to direct heat loss...

Crunch time.(NAHB Briefs)(Building Systems Council appreciates Department of State's approval system)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The NAHB's Building Systems Council (BSC) lauds a new pilot program in New York that allows a third-party inspection company to sanction modular homes in the state. The program was developed to cut down the time between design submission and...

Elevated architecture.(Hot sellers: sold out! fast-moving communities)(Cedar Rose at Windingwalk)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Cedar Rose at Windingwalk, Chula Vista, Calif. WHY IT WORKED: Location, price, and better-than-average interior appointments all contributed to Cedar Rose's success, but it's the high level of exterior architecture that really pulled in the...

At Ease.(Hotsellers: sold out! fast-moving communities)(Charter Communities Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Forest Park, Naples, Fla. WHY IT WORKED: Value is the main draw at Forest Park. The homes, which range in price from $235,900 to $378,900, are downright affordable for tony Naples, Fla. Throw in more than 100 acres of forest, a 20-acre...

Nantucket-Style Living.(Hotsellers: sold out! fast-moving communities)(Miller and Smith Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Stone Lake, Laurel, Md. WHY IT WORKED: Builder Miller and Smith has lots of experience with the affluent move-down, empty-nester, so it knew what bells and whistles to throw at this project, including expansive glass, decks, and patios on...

The Moor's last sigh: the Sycamores at Shady Canyon takes the architectural legacy of Arab Spain and transplants it to the rolling hills of Irvine, Calif.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... ASCEND FROM THE STREET ON two quick sets of steps and pass through a deep doorway framed with cast concrete. Push open the iron gate and walk along a narrow entryway. At its end, a courtyard suddenly opens before you. Inside the courtyard,...

Fast Track 2004: in an industry that continues to break records, these fast-growing builders lead the charge. Our sixth-annual Fast Track list looks at how they're setting the pace.
September 1, 2004... CYCLISTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE who compete in the Tour de France, learn early to pace themselves. Go too slow, and they'll lack the velocity to make it up a steep slope. Go too fast, and they'll lose control on a hairpin turn. The best have both...

Crazy for condos: from urban lofts to luxury townhomes, condos are making a comeback--especially with empty-nesters and first-time buyers.
September 1, 2004... DARYL ANDREWS, DIRECTOR OF SALES FOR PARK Place at Worman's Mill in Frederick, Md., has been selling condominiums since the early '80s, "back in the day when you couldn't give them away," he says. "But that's not the case anymore. "Someone...

Homesless heroes: many of Iraq's most grievously wounded veterans can't afford the special housing they need.
September 1, 2004... WHEN SGT. PETER DAMON, A SOLDIER FROM Brockton, Mass., returned home from Iraq a few months ago with both of his arms blown off by a Blackhawk helicopter that exploded he wasn't looking for a ticker-tape parade. Like many of the shattered young...

Virtual realty: done correctly, presales can still be a major step in a community's success.
September 1, 2004... IT DIDN'T TAKE BILL PROBERT LONG to figure out that he hated presales. "I sat in a trailer for 10 months," says Probert, now the executive vice president of sales and marketing for Newport Beach, Calif.-based John Laing Homes. "I was...

Tech champion: a Pennsylvania builder rolls out a wireless infrastructure and virtual private network for about $4,500.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Greth Homes)
September 1, 2004... WHEN CRAIG STONAHA CAME ON BOARD A few years ago at Greth Homes in Reading, Pa,. to run the builder's marketing operation, he couldn't help but notice that the company's computer systems and processes were antiquated. Greth's supers were...

Custom security.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Honeywell Power Products)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Increased interest in home security has made the closed-circuit TV products from Honeywell Power Products more popular among custom builders. Honeywell says the product most of these builders specify is its four-camera unit, the HPTV 2404. For...

Desktop flair.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Best Software Inc.'s Timberline Office Desktop)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Best Software, new owners of back-office software Timberline, now offers Timberline Office Desktop as part of the company's rollout of Timberline Office 2004. Timberline Office Desktop lets builders customize a view of the back-office software...

Double play: a large home-tech supplier develops a dual-band networked lighting system.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Smarthome's Insteon )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... SMARTHOME, LONG KNOWN AS A LEADING supplier of home automation products, is betting that its new Insteon line will offer builders what they've been looking for in home technology: affordable networked lighting products that can run on both...

Audio push.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has launched a campaign to increase familiarity and awareness of multiroom audio among builders. The CEA reports that 65 percent of American home builders now offer multi-room audio as a standard or...

Micro partner.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Field2Base)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Field2Base, the Tablet PC-based communications and forms management tool, has been added to the list of partners participating in Microsoft's Tablet PC initiative. Field2Base joins Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, and Kodak on Microsoft's...

Digital outhouse: builders report substantial savings using an outsourcing firm for CAD, 3-D, and printing services.(Builder tech: new gadgets. New systems. New future.)(Outhouse)
September 1, 2004... DAVE BESSEY, PRESIDENT OF PHOENIX-based Maracay Homes, is typical of many builders: He used to pay a rendering company $40,000 to draw water color conceptuals he would present to a planning board and then spend another $40,000 to get marketing...

Great communicators: the latest smartphones let builders use one gadget for everything--from a personal organizer to a tool that serves as a phone, e-mail device, and web surfer.
September 1, 2004... A HOME BUILDER WITH A SMARTPHONE is still rare, but slowly, and sometimes with great measures of success, builders are deploying the latest crop of smartphones. The two smartphones builders report they use to run business applications are...

What's new on builder Online: builder archives available via pay-per-view.(Missing Links)
September 1, 2004... LONG-TIME BUILDER ONLINE READERS know that our archives hold virtually every article from BUILDER magazine since Sept. 2001 and every article from BIG BUILDER magazine since March 2002. The effort in time and expense to maintain these archives...

Builder plans: featuring new plans from the nation's leading designers.
September 1, 2004... Stone, siding, and a variety of gables create an exciting exterior. Inside, liability is just as pleasing with open living areas such as the island kitchen, breakfast room, and family room with a fireplace. The master suite with a deluxe bath...

Welcome years of reliability into your homes.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... JELD-WEN[R] ROUTER CARVED INTERIOR DOORS Our router carved doors offer vast design opportunities. They come in 70 standard designs, or nearly any custom design you can imagine. These doors are lighter than most MDF doors, and their...

Flooring.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... Flooring decisions can be big for homeowners because there are so many choices on the market--hardwood bamboo, tile, stone, the list goes on The type of flooring in a room can determine its look and function, so these decisions are important....

Windows & doors.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... When it comes to windows and doors, it's all about style and performance. No matter what style of home you are building, you can complete the total look with the right windows and doors. You'll find a wide range of styles on the market today,...

Santa Fe, N.M.(Walk Through)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... SANTA FE, THE THIRD-OLDEST PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN the United States (after Jamestown, Va., and S. Augustine, Fla.), boasts both the oldest public building and the oldest religious building. But the structures that enchant visitors and cause...