Professional Builder (1993) articles from July 2008

Professional Builder (1993) archives from July 2008

50+ Housing Awards.(construction industry awards)
July 1, 2008... By Kristin Foster and Jennifer Powell, Staff Writers Professional Builder presents the winners of the NAHB 50+ Housing Council's Best of 50+ Housing Awards. Consider the retirement communities of your father's day no more. The gold...

Keep Business Humming.(BuilderMT has introduced the Business Process Management software)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Staff It's All in the Process Staff The latest innovation from BuilderMT is the Business Process Management software. The software provides a platform for studying operating costs by providing the visibility into business...

SWAT or Not.(Customer satisfaction)
July 1, 2008... By Paul Cardis, CEO, Avid Ratings Ignoring difficult customers in favor of pleasing the satisfied ones is a surefire way to destroy your brand. A lot has been said about customer experience management and how builders can reap the...

A Grassroots Charge.
July 1, 2008... Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director The Professional Builder Benchmark and Avid Leadership Conference in October is the time for builders to gather and begin to change the industry from the bottom up. There isn't a builder in the...

Build the Home of Tomorrow Today.
July 1, 2008... Staff A Square Deal Staff Schneider Electric's Square D Clipsal Professional Dimmers are designed to control incandescent and compatible low-voltage lighting from one location. Ideal for tight-space applications, Professional...

Think about it.
July 1, 2008... Staff 1 Construction workers in Chicago's Gold Coast found a human bone on a construction site, the Chicago Tribune reported. Officials told the newspaper it was possible the place where the bone was found might have been a cemetery...

Little Bugs, Big Problems.
July 1, 2008... By Susan Conbere, PATH Partners You can fight termites as you build. Here's a look at termite barriers and pesticide-free termite control. The typical chemical application for termites in new construction is about 282 gallons of...

Knock Profit Killers Dead.
July 1, 2008... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Is business-as-usual tapping your company dry? Put a stop to common operational drains in your organization. You may have heard that home sales are down. What's that? You say you're experiencing a...

Help for Client Credit Woes.
July 1, 2008... By John Rymer, New Home Knowledge Tougher mortgage standards shouldn't mean a loss in sales. Smart programs can get quality but credit-challenged customers qualified. Anyone associated with home building already knows that guidelines...

Managing for Profit.
July 1, 2008... By Serge Ogranovitch, The Potomack Group Streamline your organization for the best returns. A streamlined operation is one that can grow easily and effectively and can build 20 or 200 homes with the same organizational structure. To...

Numbers Don't Lie.
July 1, 2008... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor, Design Accounting for one-fifth of home buyers, single women are a formidable market niche. And they're not waiting for Prince Charming to buy them a palace. Single women are a demographic that's just too...

Small is Beautiful.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)(Editorial)
July 1, 2008... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Smart design and attention to detail make it possible to do a lot with less house. The allure of the McMansion is waning these days. A bigger home that costs more to buy and keep up is not necessarily...

Rising to the Occasion.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)(Editorial)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Far from industrial, these elevators give homeowners a lift without squashing design. Over the last few years, home elevators have come into vogue; they are a key element of universal design and...

Flame and Flow.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)(Editorial)
July 1, 2008... By Mark Jarasek, Senior Editor, Electronic Media Weaving fire and water into outdoor living sparks the imagination and puts a warm glow into the custom home concept. Fire, water, earth and air; they're the classic elements of ancient...

Do the Math.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)(Editorial)(Column)
July 1, 2008... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor From grade school through college, math classes were torture for me. To this day, I get sweaty palms when I have to do anything that involves arithmetic. But for one glorious term in junior high, I did well in...

Keep Your House in Order.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)(Editorial)
July 1, 2008... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor, Design Learn to correctly interpret and analyze financial reports and you'll increase profit margins -- without compromising quality. During lean times, Mike Benshoof's father, a custom builder, would be...

IAQ Issues Certified Clean.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)(Editorial)
July 1, 2008... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor A certified industrial hygienist can help you steer clear of legal woes while ensuring your home buyers stay safe. "Let's face it. This all has to do with lawsuits. That's just how it is," says Dr....

Appliances.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)(briefs)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Staff A Big Intro-Induction Staff The slick design with embedded digital controls and a large, 3,700-watt element that provides heat across 19 cooking zones are the hallmark of GE 's new Monogram Electronic Induction cooktop. Its...

What's New.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)(CentraLite Systems)(briefs)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Staff Ride the JetStream Staff CentraLite Systems ' JetStream is a new lighting control system that can be fully expandable and integrated with other automation products such as thermostats, entertainment systems and security...

Structural.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)(briefs)
July 1, 2008... Staff Trust the Joist Staff ILevel recommends using the new Wolmanized Parallam Parallel Strand Lumber (PSL) in unprotected exterior applications or where structural framing will be exposed to elevated moisture conditions. The...

7 Deadly Sins of Custom Building.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
July 1, 2008... By Tom Stephani, Custom Construction Concepts As we struggle to survive the housing downturn, it's sometimes easy to forget the importance of sound business practices. We could be tempted to make business decisions based on the urgency of...

Accessible Modernism.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
July 1, 2008... By Geoffrey Warner, Alchemy Architects At first blush, many custom home builders might wonder what prefab modular buildings have to do with their work. And until recently, most residential architects would probably wonder the same thing. In...

Know Your Numbers.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(home builders usage financial analysis software)(Editorial)
July 10, 2008... By Craig Guillot, Contributing Editor CRITICAL MANAGEMENT SERIES PART 1 This three-part series details the critical data and reports upper management, sales managers and production managers should watch to run a successful company. ...

Do You Match Up?(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
July 10, 2008... By Michael Kahn, Michael P. Kahn & Associates Are you in upper management? Entering the new world of mergers and acquisitions? Buyers have several questions for you. Since the beginning of 2006, M&A has morphed from complete buyouts by...

News & Moves.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(Technical Olympic USA Inc. appointed John R. Boken)(Excel Homes Buys Oxford Homes Assets)(Stan Ross Appointed the First Distinguished Fellow)
July 10, 2008... By Jennifer Powell, Staff Writer TOUSA to Get New President The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida still has to approve it, but if cleared, John R. Boken will become the CEO and president of Technical Olympic...

Walk this Way.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
July 10, 2008... By Tom Gebes, BuilderMT How one company used restaurant management know-how to make the most of its software systems and implement a virtual 'walk around.' Tired of bad news? Want to hear a dramatic success story that doesn't start...

Housing Slump Might Kill TQM.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(total quality management)(Editorial)
July 10, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor Builders are indicating they don't have time for process mapping. And that, notes Bill in his latest blog, could be their fatal flaw. I had a conversation recently with housing industry management...

Sales Quota.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)( )(Editorial)
July 24, 2008... By Craig Guillot, Contributing Editor CRITICAL MANAGEMENT SERIES PART 2 This three-part series details the critical data and reports upper management, sales managers and production managers should watch to run a successful company. ...

News & Moves.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(Editorial)
July 24, 2008... By Jennifer Powell, Staff Writer FEDS ON PROWL FOR STORM WATER VIOLATIONS Four of the country's largest public home builders recently agreed to pay $4.3 million in fines to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of...

How to Avoid Cracks in 3-Coat Stucco.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
July 24, 2008... By Michael Dickens, BuildIQ We highlight 3 common errors and what you can do to prevent them. Over the last few years, stucco has become a top exterior finish choice for housing giants. However, along with its popularity have come...

Stepping in is the Right Step.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(Editorial)
July 24, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor Bill's blog expounds on the Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae decision. The Bush Administration and Congress proved that when there's enough at stake, bipartisan cooperation is possible, even in Washington, D.C....