Professional Builder (1993) articles from June 2006

Professional Builder (1993) archives from June 2006

Motivation and Loyalty.
June 1, 2006... By Rodney Hall, The Talon Group The second article in a series dedicated to teaching builders how to retain great employees. Motivated employees tend to be happier employees, and happy employees tend to stick around longer than...

Overcoming with Attitude.(sales person )
June 1, 2006... By John Rymer, New Home Knowledge John Rymer Almost every experienced new- home salesperson I know has dealt with a slow selling period in their career. What do you do to reverse the trend and turn around your sales performance? What...

On-Your-Lot Gets Hot.(new trends in buildings)
June 1, 2006... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Building on scattered sites could seem like easy money to home builders who make their living in high-volume subdivisions. But what they don't know could burn them. Today, many production builders...

Spec Carefully.(unsold new houses grow in number)
June 1, 2006... Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Many builders are discounting to move homes, a reason experts warn spec production should slow The latest data the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD released shows the inventory of completed but unsold new...

Career Help.(Home Builders Institute partners with Beazer Homes, Latinos)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Laura Butalla, Senior Editor The Hispanic population is the largest minority group in the U.S., but no formal effort had been made to recruit Latinos for the residential building industry -- until now. In March, the Home Builders...

How Do You Spell Team?
June 1, 2006... By Paul Cardis, NRS Corp. Using Neighborhood Quality Teams to boost customer satisfaction. There has been a lot of builder buzz surrounding teamwork's ability to boost customer satisfaction with homeowners. But all of the buzz will...

Man's Best Friend.
June 1, 2006... By Scott Sedam, True North Development A lesson in builder/supplier/trade relationships. A strange and sadly touching thing happened today. Our two family pets died within eight hours of each other, both of old age and natural causes....

Common Vision.
June 1, 2006... By Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director For most builders, strategic planning entails sitting on the deck, frosty mug in hand, and daydreaming about what their company could be if they just had enough breathing room to put together a plan....

50 Must-Have Features for Today's Home Buyers.
June 1, 2006... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor What baby boomers, Generation X and echo boomers crave for their new homes Professional Builder surveyed six experts* -- architects, home industry trend experts, and real-estate brokers and designers --...

A Looming Rental Boom?
June 1, 2006... Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Echo boomers and rising rents point to an upswing in the rental housing market, but converted condos may trump it. Central Florida builder Frank Herring Jr. of Faison Enterprises expects a big boom...

Solar energy for everyone.
June 1, 2006... By Scott Shephard, PATH Partners Photovoltaics are not just for sunny states. Many builders assume they need a hot, sunny state to even consider installing a photovoltaic (PV) system. While there is a benefit to being in these areas,...

Product Review: Windows & Doors.
June 1, 2006... By Rhonda Jackson Kolbe & Kolbe Rhonda Jackson Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork connects the past and the present in its Old World Classic windows. These classic windows feature a traditional brass and pulley system with a lever...

Shower Your Clients.
June 1, 2006... By Jennifer Block Martin, Contributing Editor Spas aren't just for specs anymore, experts say. Move over, whirlpools. Soaking tubs, take a hike. The hottest products are called vertical spas, shower towers, performance showers and...

Sprinklers and Storms.
June 1, 2006... Staff Hot Debate The NAHB pays close attention to discussions about mandating residential fire sprinklers (Debate Rages, April 1). Home builders must be advocates for the families who will buy new homes and who are affected by the...

'Give us our Outdoor Rooms'.
June 1, 2006... By Laura Butalla, Senior Editor Outdoor rooms become retreats for busy homeowners. Our lives get busier and busier. We don't have enough time to relax. Tension builds. People get sick. Missing work causes more stress. "The statistic...

New Community Built on Strong Roots.
June 1, 2006... By Ann Matesi, Contributing Editor This builder's architecturally distinctive models cultivate a new crop of buyers for a clubhouse community in a fast-growing corridor outside Chicago. Not long ago, an hour's drive south from...

Survey says.
June 1, 2006... Laura Butalla, Senior Editor An architectural design study discovers demand for more accessibility, mixed-use communities and plenty of family space. In 2005, the American Institute of Architects asked residential architectural firms...

Get everyone involved.(interor design)
June 1, 2006... By Michael Dickens, BuildIQ Improve quality with integrated design process. Giants are constantly striving to meet buyer expectations with exteriors that entice, floor plans that excite and interior spaces that meet the needs of...

Fast-Tracking the Company.(Rayco business model takes Fieldstone Communities Inc. to high ranks)(Company overview)
June 1, 2006... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor CEO Spotlight: Frank Foster Fieldstone Communities' CEO Frank Foster has his Newport Beach, Calif.-based building firm humming in the speedy Rayco business model and climbing Professional Builder's Giant 400...

San Antonio Showdown.(Rayco model used for fast growth by Fieldstone Communities Inc.)
June 1, 2006... Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Our CEO spotlight this issue (page 22) shines on Frank Foster of Fieldstone Communities, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based private builder riding the Rayco model to fast growth, especially in Salt Lake City...

Feast the Eye on Innovation.( more designs coming infor kitchens)
June 1, 2006... By Wendy A. Jordan and Cheryl Cullen Designers and builders talk about the latest and greatest kitchen trends. No wonder today's kitchens are a feast of innovation and style: in houses, they're where the action is in houses. Americans...

One size won't fit all.
June 1, 2006... By Wendy A. Jordan and Cheryl Cullen With ever-changing options, how do builders keep up with the manufacturer trends? New-home buyers have an array of options for outfitting their kitchens: carpet, tile and cabinetry as well as the...

Positioning your company for a fast start.
June 1, 2006... By Michael P. Kahn, Michael P. Kahn and Associates In the April 2006 GIANTS , we anticipated a period of uncertainty that would materially slow the mergers and acquisitions market. While several experts are now describing this period in...

Picking up Speed.(residential real estate market growing)
June 1, 2006... By John Burns, John Burns Real Estate Consulting Markets on the rise within Chicago and Fort Myers. Because many Chicago residents retire in Fort Myers, Fla., we thought it would be interesting to feature both markets. Chicago is an...

New Home Discount Rack.(residential real estate)
June 1, 2006... By Rick Heaston, Contributing Editor Things were bad. I just didn't realize how bad. I'm referring to the state of selling in the home-building industry. No wonder builders feel the way they do -- they have no choice. I last mentioned that...

Building Stocks Lose Momentum.(in stock exchanges)
June 1, 2006... By Margot Crabtree, Trade Trends May's volatility left Wall Street in the red for the month ended May 31, 2006. The Fed raised rates a quarter point at its May 10 meeting, as expected, but the recent release of its notes indicating a June...