Susan Bady I’ve spent two decades reporting on the housing business from both the trade and consumer side. While writing editorials for Custom Builder provides an outlet for my personal views, I only get to do that once in awhile and I'm constrained by space limitations. Now that I can share my thoughts with you a lot more often, I hope you’ll share yours, too. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CustomBuilder. en-us http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611.html Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its Terms of Use Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:54:22 PST http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1240050724.html The American Sustainability Initiative (AmeriSus for short) recently announced that beginning in January 2010, it will place 12,000 affordable... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1650050565.html Here are a few more nuggets I snapped up at the 2009 NAHB Custom Builder Symposium & Design Institute: ** Attendance was down... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/420050442.html Just returned from the NAHB Custom Builder Symposium & Design Institute in San Diego, a lovely place to hold a conference. Some quick thoughts:... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1990049999.html Have you heard the one about the four-year-old who claimed the first-time home buyer tax credit? Russell George, the inspector general for tax... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/230049823.html Home builders, remodelers, architects and homeowners now have a lower-cost option for quality kitchen designs -- Kitchen Design Online, or KDOL for... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/90049609.html The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is one of 20 colleges and universities from around the world competing in the Department of Energy's ... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1800049580.html Remember CityCenter, the $8.5 billion condo/hotel//casino/retail project on the Las Vegas Strip? I first blogged about it in January after ret... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/190049419.html Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal published the results of a very interesting survey that predicted where mobile, educate... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/100049210.html I just want to thank everyone who entered the 2009 Custom Builder Design Challenge for their hard work, creativity and commitment. T... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/70049007.html The Wall Street Journal and other major media outlets reported today that housing starts posted a moderate increase because of a resurgence in... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1140048914.html There's good news for the housing industry in J.D. Power and Associates' 2009 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction StudySM. O... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1730048773.html A representative from Kichler Lighting visited the PB editors this afternoon. I know this is a bad pun, but I can't help myself -- the visit&n... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/40048604.html All those who are scrambling to get your Custom Builder Design Challenge entries in by the 15th can breathe a little easier -- the deadline ha... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1600048360.html If you're interested in entering the 2009 Custom Builder Design Challenge (and I hope you are), remember that the deadline is only two weeks away. ... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1180048318.html Again I wonder, what's the deal with Sacramento? It's such a hotbed of home-building activity and controversy lately. Yes, I did say "home-bui... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/820048082.html There's a new study out that indicates homes located within walking distance of schools, parks, shopping and other amenities are worth more than ho... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1130047713.html Every now and then I check out a Web site called the Home Builder Implode-O-Meter. Whenever I do, I feel like those drivers on the f... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/930047493.html That's the working title of a story I'm writing for the October issue of Professional Builder. It will be a photo essay on new-... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/700047470.html Two discoveries took me by surprise today. Not only is Ava Carberry, vice president of Color Design Art, leaving the firm after 28 y... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/650047265.html What a crazy world we live in. Just this week, I learned that a Chicago property management company was suing a tenant for complaini... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/70047007.html Who would you nominate for Professional Builder's 2010 Builder of the Year? Yourself? A builder you know and admire? Send those names in, folks, be... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1880046988.html If the rumors are true, the Irvine Co. is about to set its own economic stimulus plan in motion. Supposedly, the master developer is goin... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/630046863.html As everyone knows, I'm a Frank Lloyd Wright nut, but that doesn't mean all of his designs are masterpieces. Take, for example, the Lockri... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/1470046747.html The earth is moving for residents of Anderson Springs, Calif., and not in a good way. A geothermal energy project underway in the mountains above&n... http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/930046493.html Excel Homes of Camp Hill, Pa., recently launched a new interactive Web site and blog, Excel Drawing Board, that solicits comments from consumers, a...