ProRemodeler Best Practices - Industry News

• Boomers Update Homes for Safety's Sake
  This Dallas couple, who are in their early 60s, have remodeled their 1980s-vintage master bathroom and kitchen so that they can use both more easily as they grow older. Here's what they've done.
• Expert: Roommates Represent the Wave of the Future
  Here’s an emerging trend that home builders might want to keep an eye on. A recent university study on "multigenerational cohabitation” has found that increasingly large numbers of people who aren’t related to one another are sharing living accommodations. Wonder what that might do to traditional floor plans.
• 'Cool Roofs' Offer a Tool in Fight Against Global Heat
  Relying on the millenniums-old principle that white objects absorb less heat than dark ones, homeowners are embracing ''cool roofs'' as one of the most affordable weapons against climate change.
• Remodeler Uses Reliability, Quality to Get Jobs
  This remodeling firm in the Boise, Idaho market almost never puts in the lowest bid on a project. Instead, they rely on professionalism and communications skills to impress clients, winning jobs despite its north-of-rock-bottom bids. Here’s how they do it.
• How Architects Can Bring Out Best in Older Homes
  It takes a special gift to walk into a house and imagine its possibilities. Most people see a house for what it is. However, only those with that special vision see a house for what it might become. Here’s how architects can assist your clients in the renovation process.
• Green Innovation Initiative for 2009 Launched
  Illinois Congresswoman Melissa Bean has re-introduced her Green Initiative, a program that would provide a variety of generous tax incentives for green building. Here are the details.
• Remodeling Despite Recession: Smaller Projects Get Go-Ahead
  The home remodeling business is being remodeled. The housing bust and financing crunch have affected the entire housing industry, including the practice of remodeling. Contractors say homeowners are forgoing larger projects, instead favoring smaller fixes.
• Owners love their basement escapes
  The basement has become a hub of activity for all family members. It's also a space that's relatively easy to remodel without having to add a structure to the home or knock down walls.
• Couple fighting builder in lawsuit; Home renovation `not up to code'
  Jim and Michelle Cormier had grand dreams for their Elm Street home when they hired a contractor to start a major renovation project in 2001. Almost eight years and $100,000 later, with their savings depleted, the couple said they and their four children are living in an unfinished job site, unable to enjoy the renovation. The Cormiers have filed a lawsuit against the builder they hired, but are also angry at the city for signing off on what they feel is substandard work.
• New Lives for Old Firehouses
  The rebirth of the old Fire Station No. 2, built in 1921, is not uncommon in Madison. Buildings once housing six other fire stations have been renovated for other uses, including apartments, office space, a theater company and even a church.
• Tax credits give homeowners incentive to remodel efficiently
  Question: Is installation of a gas tankless water heater (to replace a storage-tank water heater) tax-credit approved under the economic stimulus package singed by President Obama in February? Question: Is that $1,500 lifetime ceiling for each item under the tax credits for energy efficient home improvements? In other words, is it $1,500 each for the windows, solar panels and tankless water heaters, or is it $1,500 for all improvements combined.
• Insurance Upgrade Helps Homeowners Go "Green" After a Loss
  Let your customers in on this one, too. If a home is damaged or destroyed, homeowners may want to rebuild with "green" materials and processes, but the additional cost can be prohibitive. Now, homeowners can obtain insurance through the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies that will pay to rebuild using environmentally friendly materials.
• Wood is Good for Home Building
  Whether it is in structural products, or in staircases and cabinetry, where fabricated products sometimes boast lower cost and more strength, wood maintains its popularity. Here's why.
• Economic Slowdown Stalls Remodeling Activity
  The residential remodeling market continued its slump during the third quarter of 2008, according to the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI). Take a look at the current numbers.
• Design-Build Firm Creates Energy Division
  Here’s an interesting business diversification idea. This Cambridge, Mass. firm has launched what it calls a Renewable Energy Division in order to add a new dimension to their business, and meet what it sees as an emerging market

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