Professional Builder (1993) articles from October 2008

Professional Builder (1993) archives from October 2008

Open Up!
October 1, 2008... Staff So Smooth Staff Peachtree's new Oak and Smooth Collection doors are available in 6'8" and 8-foot heights in panel styles ranging from flush to nine panels and half lite to full lite, and with intricate scroll top and arch...

Mill About.
October 1, 2008... Staff We're Surrounded Staff Azek and Pella have teamed up to produce new one-piece surrounds for Pella's exterior products. Like Azek's traditional exterior pieces, these resist moisture and insects, and will not rot, warp or...

Austin's New UrbanVillage.
October 1, 2008... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor, Design An ambitious plan for a former airport site positions central Texas to gain thousands of new jobs and much-needed affordable housing. Like everything in Texas, the Mueller master plan is big. Its 711...

True to the Core.(Company overview)
October 1, 2008... Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director Core values and a shared mission are essential for builders to excel and, in turn, be profitable. At the heart of every business is a set of values that decide the company's direction. The values...

Number Crunch.
October 1, 2008... Staff 84,000 The New York Times reports that the economy lost 84,000 jobs in August, bringing the unemployment rate to 6.1 percent, the highest itâ[euro](TM)s been in five years. The announcement marked the eighth straight month...

Blogging for Business.
October 1, 2008... By Paul Cardis, CEO, Avid Ratings For home builders, blogging can create strong communities and boost customer delight. Increasingly, businesses have been blogging as a way to stay connected with both existing and prospective...

Steady Gold.
October 1, 2008... By Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director The 2009 National Housing Quality Award winners fought the market successfully through focused implementation of quality best practices. All of them did so by executing the mundane and keeping tight...

Raving Trades.
October 1, 2008... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor K. Hovnanian's Virginia division has cultivated an enviable partnership with its subcontractors from which nearly all home builders could benefit. Builders strive for raving fans -- customers who can't...

Employee Satisfaction.
October 1, 2008... By Sara Zailskas, Assistant Managing Editor A tough economy hasn't dampened K. Hovnanian - Northern California employees' spirit to satisfy customers and better themselves. You'd expect a company following a year of high attrition to...

New Ways to Connect Builders,Homeowners.
October 1, 2008... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor, Design Looking for a better way to establish an online community with your customers? The Web now has options catering to builders, including LifeAt, a virtual communication platform, or iAccess, a Web portal...

The Secrets of My Sales Success.
October 1, 2008... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Award-winning sales professionals share tips for moving product in any market. New home sales is not for the faint of heart these days. To get a step ahead, many sales professionals are looking for...

Don't Drop the Ball.
October 1, 2008... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor A survey finds sales teams are weak on follow-ups. We're spending millions on our model homes, on landscaping and on the sales center. Yet a recent study from two Denver-area marketing services finds...

The Road to Fair-Share Pricing.
October 1, 2008... By John Rymer, New Home Knowledge Not knowing the market price of your home is costing you. Knowing enough about your competitors can help. One of the consequences of the current housing market is the lack of transparency in new home...

Rutenberg Flies theCoop.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
October 10, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Entrusted with Art Rutenberg's franchise, co-CEOs David Hanrahan and Alan Weiner prepare to dive into new territories. For nearly 30 years, housing industry icon Art Rutenberg, now 81, pioneered...

Adopt The 2001- 2005 Perspective.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
October 10, 2008... By John Burns and Chris Porter, John Burns Real Estate Consulting Location and LTVs will drive when home building turns around to pre-boom prices. When we tell our clients that we expect prices to revert to 2002 or 2004 levels in many...

News & Moves.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
October 10, 2008... By Jennifer Powell, Staff Writer Manufacturer suffering Mounts As Housing Slump Deepens The malaise of the housing industry has now spread to the supply side of the housing industry with the Chapter 11 filing of a well-known wood...

WCI Still Hanging On.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
October 10, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Bill's latest blogs update on WCI and share how one site can help calculate your homes' operating costs. Vultures circling above what's left of Bonita Springs, Fla.-based WCI Communities are not...

Live to Build Tomorrow.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(private equity investments in real estate)
October 24, 2008... By Mark Jarasek, Senior Editor As home builders feel the credit squeeze, the search is on for their next source of capital. One solution might be private equity investors. "Realistically, capital has dried up for home builders," says...

Bailout Doesn't Clear Uncertainty in the Market.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
October 24, 2008... By Sheree R. Curry, Contributing Editor Both presidential candidates have a plan to help homeowners renegotiate mortgage terms but disagree on specifics. The outlook for the housing market remains grim and uncertain, say experts,...

Are You Coaching?(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(training and management of sales executives)
October 24, 2008... By Rick Heaston, R.A. Heaston and Co. Rick urges you to consider how you coach your sales team -- if you're doing it at all. Steve Jamison is a writer. Most people haven't heard of him, but they all know the person he writes for and...

Never say never when it comes to land.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(impact of financial crises on real estate industry)
October 24, 2008... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor The land question is a local one, a source says. At our Professional Builder Benchmark and Avid Leadership Conference this month in Phoenix, I had a conversation with Atlanta-based international developer...