Professional Builder (1993) articles from February 2008

Professional Builder (1993) archives from February 2008

Cool Cabs.
February 1, 2008... Staff Quality Versatility Staff Versatile enough for most kitchens and bathrooms, Quality Cabinet's Quincy line features a flat, recessed-panel door with wide stiles and rails that offer a transitional look. It's a contemporary...

Total Home Audio Done Right.(National Association of Home Builders Research Foundation Pertnership with Consumer Electronics Association)(Survey)
February 1, 2008... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor There was a time when total home audio systems were reserved exclusively for ultra-high-end Bill Gates-like homes. But times are changing, and builders need to stay on top of total home audio solutions as a...

Attract First-Time Buyers.
February 1, 2008... By Paul Cardis, Avid Ratings Co. First-time home buyers are statistically happier with their home building experience - and that can mean more referrals for you. As builders strive to reduce inventories in a soft market, they can't...

Your Choice.(Editorial)
February 1, 2008... Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director It is time for the home building community to build sustainable houses. Every one of us faces a choice. Not just builders and architects and product manufacturers, but all Americans. All people. We...

Who are these people?(Editorial)
February 1, 2008... By Erin Erickson, Group Managing Editor It pays to understand who your first-time buyers are. Luckily, we've broken it down into easy-to-change steps that will have you selling in no time. Meet Shannon and Jeanpaul Ippolito. At 31 and...

2007 Best in American Living Awards.
February 1, 2008... Staff Professional Builder and the NAHB Design Committee present the winners of home buildings' most prestigious design contest. Building a new home is an incredibly complex process; it pulls together hundreds of people, requires clear...

A Boxed-Set Cottage.(Award for Best One-of-a-Kind Spec-Built Home Up to 4,000 Square Feet)
February 1, 2008... Staff A leading American architect works in modular construction to deliver a cottage in a southern pine forest, earning the Best in American Living Award for Home of the Year. Best in South Atlantic Region: Platinum Award for Best...

Boat Builder's Refuge.(Platinum Award)
February 1, 2008... Staff Platinum Award: Best Detail in a Semi-Custom or Custom Home The design of this sumptuous billiard room and retreat - our Room of the Year - was inspired by the homeowner's desire to maximize views of a river and marsh from the...

Gold.(Public notice)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best Single-Family Detached Home 1,801 to 2,400 square feet Project Name: East Beach Residence Location: Norfolk, Va. Designer/Architect: Donald Powers Architects, Providence, R.I. Builder: North Shore Construction...

Emotional Intelligence, Part II.
February 1, 2008... By Rodney Hall, The Talon Group How EQ acts as a team-building tool In December, I talked about the Emotional Quotient Index. Referred to as people skills or soft skills, EQ is the ability to understand people. Those with a high EQ...

Immense Pull.
February 1, 2008... Staff Old Hickory Staff Hickory Hardware's four new styles of decorative appliance pulls coordinate with the company's cottage, Williamsburg, American diner and Euro-contemporary cabinet hardware collections. Meant for use on...

The Impact of Impact Fees.
February 1, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business With builders squeezing costs to hit home prices that bring buyers back into the market, what sense does it make that many municipalities are still raising impact fees? To arms, home builders of...

Off the Wire.
February 1, 2008... Staff Staring Isn't Polite Staff Take the guesswork out of your measurements and still do it the old-fashioned way. The new ProSite CP505A-12 Combination Protractor by Starrett provides fast, direct readings for miter cuts; single...

Think About It.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff 102,200 Building permits issued in the U.S. in October 2007, according the U.S. Census Bureau. In October 1959, the number was 94,600. 10 A 10 percent down payment will be the standard fixed-mortgage rate, according to...

10 Landmines to avoid in loan documents.
February 1, 2008... By Stuart Teicher, Contributing Editor If you are applying for a loan any time soon, you'll want to cross every "t" and dot every "i" - or risk suffering costly consequences down the line. We've put together a list of common missteps in...

Brownfield Activity on the Rise.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... By Jennifer Powell, Staff Writer 52% of environmental and government professionals involved in brownfield projects are seeing an increase in the pace of redevelopment activity, according to a 2007 by Environmental Data Resources, a...

Get Your Green Credentials Here.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor, Design The Green Building Certification Institute, a new credentialing organization for green building professionals, was recently established by the U.S. Green Building Council. GBCI will develop and...

Where's the Science in Green Building Programs?
February 1, 2008... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor, Design Arguing that personal bias has more to do with green-building standards than science, a University of Min- nesota professor is challenging LEED, the NAHB green building standard and other widely used...

Automation Can Help Home Builders Sell Smart.
February 1, 2008... By Mark Jarasek, Senior Editor, E-media Many years ago I interviewed a gentleman by the name of Arthur Rubloff. He's a legend in the Chicago real-estate scene, both residential and commercial. He was extremely successful, and the company...

Organize This.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... By Erin Erickson, Group Managing Editor According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, more than 80 percent of what we keep we never use. When you factor in the average size of a home - 2,459 square feet, according to...

A Latino Homeownership Crisis.(Survey)
February 1, 2008... By Jennifer Powell, Staff Writer Latino Californians are struggling with homeownership, a survey by the California Building Industry Association and the California Homebuilding Foundation revealed. The survey polled 957 Latino Californians...

This Design Guide's for You.
February 1, 2008... By Glen Salas and Kelly Cutchin, PATH Partners Housing in the United States has historically been driven by local resources and the economy. But that's changing. Building codes, consumer preferences and innovative construction materials are...

Prairie Style Homage.(Three-65 at Victoria Gardens, Best Single-Family Attached Home)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best Single-Family Attached Home Targeting young professionals and empty nesters with its hip, urban flats and townhomes, Three-65 at Victoria Gardens pays tribute to Prairie style architecture while offering smart space...

Modern Roots.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best Single-Family Detached Home 4,001 Square Feet and Over When Phil Kean began designing this home, located in an established, upscale Florida neighborhood, he looked to Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra and Rudolf Schindler...

No Wasted Space.(Best Single-Family Detached Home)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best Single-Family Detached Home 3,001 to 4,000 Square Feet This home features a well-crafted floor plan that makes use of nooks and crannies where space might otherwise be wasted. Built-ins abound, from the boot benches in the...

Southern Belle.(Overlook at Battery Creek, Best Single-Family Detached Home)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best Single-Family Detached Home 1,801 to 2,400 Square Feet Evocative of a traditional Charleston-style home, the Magnolia integrates interior spaces with the surrounding community's creeks, parks, lagoons and sprawling oak...

At One With Nature.(Hankin Residence, Best Specialty Room in a Home )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best Specialty Room in a Home 2,401 to 4,000 Square Feet Enclosed on four sides by glass, this library offers appealing nature views from every angle, including a koi pond in the home's courtyard. A far cry from the stereotypical...

Resort-Style Amenities.(Lakeside at Hampton Lake, Best Community Facility)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best Community Facility 151 Units and Above Designed around a 165-acre freshwater lake and a 350-acre nature preserve, the Lakeside amenity complex has the character of a resort thanks to the fitness center, community center,...

Clean, Bright and Modern.(Private Residence, Best in North Atlantic Region)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best in North Atlantic Region: Gold Award for Best One-of-a-Kind Custom-Built Home Up to 4,000 Square Feet Located in a historic Philadelphia suburb, this contemporary home replaced a small, Prairie-style home that was torn down...

Lofts on the Water.(The Crescent at Fells Point, Best in Middle Atlantic Region)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best in Middle Atlantic Region: Gold Award for Best Rental Development 5 Stories and Up The Crescent at Fells Point in Baltimore is an eight-story, upscale loft apartment project created to complement the existing active...

Timeless Elegance.(Pemberley, Best in Midwest Region facility)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best in Midwest Region: Silver Award for Best One-of-a-Kind Custom-Built Home 6,501 Square Feet and Over Visitors to this old-world-style residence are greeted by a richly textured elevation and a picturesque roofline with...

Inspired by Shingle Style.(Keystone at Lakeside, Best in Central Region facility)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best in Central Region: Gold Award for Best One-of-a-Kind Custom-Built Home 4,001 to 6,500 Square Feet Abundant shake and cobblestone details and groups of large windows reveal the New England shingle-style influence of this...

Classic French Normandy.(Cheska, Best in South Central Region )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best in South Central Region To ensure that this new home would blend in with an older, established neighborhood, the architect created a classic French Normandy elevation, properly proportioned and timeless in design. Materials...

Cattle Ranch Ambience.(Montana River Residence, Best in Mountain Regions facility)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best in Mountain Region: Silver Award for Best One-of-a-Kind Custom-Built Home 6,501 Square Feet and Over At 8,500 square feet, this trio of buildings, set by a pond in a Montana river valley, expresses the architect and client's...

Tied to the Landscape.(Wine Country Residence the facility)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best in Pacific Region: Gold Award for Best One-of-a-Kind Custom-Built Home 4,001 to 6,500 Square Feet Distinctively modern with a Southwestern flair, this home hugs gently rolling terrain that is dotted with vineyards. Rugged...

Happy Landing.(Conner Residence, Best in Pacific Northwest Region facility)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best in Pacific Northwest Region: Platinum Award for Best One-of-a-Kind Custom-Built Home Up to 4,000 Square Feet Sited only a few feet from the shore of Lake Washington in the Seattle suburb of Renton, this home captures the...

Values Are Not Created Equal.
February 1, 2008... By John Rymer, New Home Knowledge To create a home buyer, your sales staff must understand your customers' values first. How much would you be willing to pay for Barry Bonds' 756 home run baseball? Yes, that's the baseball that Barry...

Silver.(Public notice)
February 1, 2008... Staff Best Single-Family Detached Home up to 1,800 square feet Project Name: Stonegate West Village Homes âa[logical not]' The Claridge Location: Aurora, Ill. Designer/Architect: BSB Design, Palatine, Ill. Builder:...

Platinum.(Three-65 at Victoria Gardens, Best Single-Family Attached Home)
February 1, 2008... Staff Prairie Style Homage Staff Best Single-Family Attached Home Targeting young professionals and empty nesters with its hip, urban flats and townhomes, Three-65 at Victoria Gardens pays tribute to Prairie style...

Regional.(Private Residence the facility)
February 1, 2008... Staff Clean, Bright and Modern Staff Best in North Atlantic Region: Gold Award for Best One-of-a-Kind Custom-Built Home Up to 4,000 Square Feet Located in a historic Philadelphia suburb, this contemporary home replaced a...

Cisneros takes on the affordability issue.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
February 1, 2008... By Henry Cisneros, CityView Henry Cisneros, former HUD secretary, describes workforce housing's importance - and why it offers home builders a golden opportunity. The first of a three-part series addressing the top issues affecting...

CEO Spotlight: Sheryl Palmer Rising Star.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(Merger of Taylor Morrison and Taylor Woodrow)(Editorial)
February 1, 2008... Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Sheryl Palmer is not yet a housing industry icon, but the new CEO of Bradenton, Fla.-based Taylor Morrison is quickly gaining celebrity status. After all, she's got clout. Taylor Morrison now claims...

Welcome to the Recovery.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(Editorial)
February 1, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business The big rebound starts here. By clicking into the new electronic Housing Giants , you've just exponentially increased your access to the information that will drive the next housing boom. You may...

What Affordability Says About the Market.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
February 1, 2008... By John Burns and Chris Porter, John Burns Real Estate Consulting Good news: Fewer markets are severely overpriced. What does this mean for housing's giants? Astute builders carefully monitor affordability in their markets, which is...

News & Moves.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
February 1, 2008... Staff Gerry Boeneman is the new division president of Ryland Group's Jacksonville, Fla., operation. Boeneman, 37, had been division manager and vice president of operations in that division. He replaces Jeff Agar , who was named president...

Housing the Workforce.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
February 22, 2008... By Sean Burton, CityView Sean Burton, COO of CityView, explains how builders can collaborate with governments to advance workforce housing. Affordable Housing Series Part I: A national perspective Part II: Planning and public...

Texas Downturn Just A Blip?(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
February 22, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Here's what Bill's saying about the housing industry in his blog, Ear to the Ground. Mike Inselmann , president of Houston-based housing research firm Metrostudy , says Texas markets are still...

News & Moves.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
February 22, 2008... By Jennifer Powell, Staff Writer Ohio-based giant M/I Homes has pulled out of the market in West Palm Beach, Fla. Robert Schottenstein , chief executive officer and president, reported the company has sold more than 3,700 lots for $82...

Answer Your Customers' Needs.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
February 22, 2008... By Rick Heaston, R.A. Heaston and Co. Home buyers follow a decision path. Can you detect what they need from you and when? Think about all of the different products you've purchased in your lifetime, and think about all of the...