Professional Builder (1993) articles from November 2008

Professional Builder (1993) archives from November 2008

These Appliances are Cookin'!
November 1, 2008... Staff Strictly Professional Staff We've shown you the Professional Series ranges, now here are the wall ovens. Thermador's Professional Series ovens offer homeowners the true look and feel of restaurant-style cooking, with an...

Manpower vs. Horsepower.
November 1, 2008... Staff Snip, Snip Staff The new M8R and M9R Vertical Snips are equipped with specially-designed, angled blades that allow for much greater reach and maneuvering in overhead and other awkward, hard-to-reach areas. Wiss' USA-made...

Prime Property.
November 1, 2008... By Mark Jarasek, Senior Editor, Electronic Media This infill project in a mature suburban setting puts a blend of buyers at the center of everything. As we stepped out the doorway of a duplex model, a colleague who has been reporting...

How Bad? How Long?
November 1, 2008... Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director Neither reliable reports nor experts can predict the recovery, but it's likely it'll get worse first. Let's rip off the Band-Aid as soon as we can. Whenever I talk with someone in the housing...

Number Crunch.
November 1, 2008... Staff 19M According to the U.S. Census Bureau, data from 2007 reveal that more than 7.5 million people, or 15 percent, of homeowners with mortgages are spending half their income or more on housing costs. But 38 percent of homeowners...

Develop Land or Buy Lots?
November 1, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business It's an easy question in the short run. But can you really make conversion to the land-light NVR model of operations stand up over the long haul? Even with the primary focus on surviving the...

California Builders Applaud Impact Fee Legislation.
November 1, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Battered by an unprecedented housing slump, California's home builders can take heart that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state legislature now recognize builders need relief from the huge burden of...

Essential Loyalty.(Company overview)
November 1, 2008... By Paul Cardis, Avid Ratings Avid Award winners leverage customer loyalty to survive the housing slump. Whether you're selling more homes than you can reasonably build or struggling to get rid of high inventories, nothing sustains a...

Measure Your Listening Skills.
November 1, 2008... By John Rymer, New Home Knowledge Learn how to measure if you are really hearing what's important to your customer. Every sales professional knows that listening is the key to great salesmanship. But how good are your listening skills?...

Best New Exterior Products.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
November 1, 2008... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor Your homes must look pristine all the way from the street to the doorknob. Here in the Best New Exterior Products section, we evaluated and chose the latest products from the industry's top manufacturers...

Build More on Less with Smart Design.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
November 1, 2008... By Rocky D. Rockefeller, Rockefeller Partners Architects It's a bad market, but luxury properties in the desirable urban coastal communities of Southern California continue to be built and sold. As an architect who has designed luxury homes...

Taking the Green Path.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
November 1, 2008... By Tom Stephani, Custom Construction Concepts "Green, green, green!" NASCAR spotters have long been shouting this at their drivers, via their radios, every time the green flag flies during a race. It seems that the same urgent message is...

Drive-Through Design.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
November 1, 2008... By Jennifer Powell, Staff Writer These garage doors spice up the look of custom home garages without losing functionality. You've designed a beautiful home. But does your garage door do it justice? Keep these garage door styles in mind...

See the Light.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
November 1, 2008... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor, Design In a 25,000-square-foot home, a lighting designer might be tempted to go over-the-top with gadgets and special effects. Instead, Ron Hainer opted for practicality. The owners of this Michigan home...

The Last Detail.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
November 1, 2008... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor, Design No one knows for sure who coined the expression "God is in the details." It was a favorite aphorism of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, though some believe writer Gustave Flaubert was the originator....

Green Expectations.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
November 1, 2008... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor How can custom builders ensure they deliver the green home their customers want? The first interactions between a custom builder and a client are exciting: The client's decision to sign a builder is...

Products: What's New.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
November 1, 2008... Staff Good King Carbide Staff The King Carbide blades by Vermont American are designed to work with 6-1/2-inch standard or wormdrive circular saws. The 27250 blade is made for rip or cross-cut, but it produces cleaner and finer...

It's OK to Be Vain, Vanities.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
November 1, 2008... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor One place your home buyers won't skimp on is the bathroom vanity. And that's where custom home builders can turn designers loose. Ultra-luxurious bathrooms are a must-have for homeowners who aren't on a...

Success Stories.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
November 10, 2008... By Paul Cardis and Scott Himelhoch, Avid Ratings It's time for some good news. Here are a few examples of home builders who thrive amid an industry in crisis. There's a lot of bad news about our industry and the economy, and the casual...

A Teacher in Private Equity Land.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
November 10, 2008... Michael P. Kahn, Michael P. Kahn & Associates Right when business looked bleak, Michael shed some home-building light on private equity investors. A little over 2 years ago I woke up one morning and realized my mergers and acquisition...

News & Moves.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
November 10, 2008... By Jennifer Powell, Staff Writer A retreat in Materials Prices? Wall Street's financial meltdown and the tightening of credit throughout the economy are combining with the collapse of oil prices to cut the legs out from under the spike...

Right software, right time.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
November 10, 2008... By Tom Gebes, BuilderMT One builder is surviving the downturn better thanks to software that cuts cycle time and makes staff more productive. 'When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail.' That common expression explains the...

Glimmer of Hope in Florida.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
November 10, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business A supply and demand equilibrium: Could it be true? One builder reports good news. Here's a little silver lining to the clouds over Florida: One builder believes the housing market in Southwest...

Mortgage Check.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
November 24, 2008... By Sheree R. Curry, Contributing Editor Chances are, you're offering incentives. But are they documented correctly on your mortgage applications? If your processes are wrong, you could be committing mortgage fraud. Foot traffic is...

News & Moves.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
November 24, 2008... By Jennifer Powell, Staff Writer New Mortgage Aid Plan changes rates, terms Federal officials and mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced a plan that borrowers would get reduced interest rates or longer loan terms to...

Fire 'em Up.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
November 24, 2008... By Michael Dickens, BuildIQ Use fireplaces to offer home buyers comfort, energy efficiency and good indoor air quality. In today's tough market, it's smart to take advantage of any opportunity to gain an edge over your competition. One...

Don't give up on developing land.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
November 24, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor Do what you need to remain flexible, Bill says in his latest blog. Many builders I've spoken to over the past few months have told me they've stopped looking at acquisition deals for raw land and suspended...