Jul 17 2008 10:32AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

To the reader from Tennessee who wanted to know if there are any providers of solar or wind power technology east of the Mississippi, the answer is yes. Check out Gamesa, a manufacturer of wind turbines based in Philadelphia, and SunTechnics Energy Systems, a provider of solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, solar water pumps and small wind power equipment based in Paoli, Pa. SunTechnics is a division of the Conergy Group, a German company that is the largest installer of solar PV in the world.

The source of this information is Tom Tuffey, director of the PennFuture Center for Energy, Enterprise and the Environment in Philadelphia. Solar is just starting to catch on in P...Read More

Jul 10 2008 9:24AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

The results of a survey by Sullivan Group Real Estate Group Advisors caught my eye this morning. Builders attending Sullivan's spring 2008 seminar series were canvassed about their expectations for a housing market recovery and plans to survive and thrive during the downturn. The seminars took place in San Diego, Las Vegas and Sacramento.

Combined results from all three seminar locations show that most respondents (38.4%) believe the housing market will start to recover in spring 2009. About one-fourth peg spring 2010 as the most likely time frame. Not many envision light at the end of the tunnel by fall or winter 2008. They seem to be in sync with the economists and housing experts who don't see things improving for at least another year.

Asked ...Read More

Jul 2 2008 8:55AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (1) |

Here's a twist on the housing downturn that gives new meaning to the phrase "hitting bottom."  While I was at PCBC, I learned there are now startup companies that buy appliances, cabinets, plumbing fixtures and carpeting from homeowners facing foreclosure. They warehouse the items, then track the foreclosure and sell the goods back to whoever buys the foreclosed home at an installed package price. My source overheard the owners of one such startup talking about how profitable it was for them.

I'm not sure if this practice originated and is confined to California, which accounts for roughly 20 percent of all foreclosure cases in the U.S., or if it's happening elsewhere. Comments are welcome, especially if you can corroborate the story.

Jul 2 2008 7:59AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

Does anyone out there know of a supplier of PV solar, wind or hydro generators east of the Mississippi -- or is solar product distribution currently exclusive to the western United States? One reader has asked about this and frankly, I'm a little curious myself. Thanks in advance for your help.

Jun 26 2008 7:46PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (1) |

At PCBC this afternoon, I had an interesting conversation with Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, chairman of the California Energy Commission, who was in San Francisco to educate builders about the New Solar Homes Partnership. This program, part of Governor Schwarzenegger's California Solar Initiative, provides financial incentives to builders to encourage the construction of new solar homes. The goal is to install 400 megawatts of solar electricity on approximately 160,000 new homes.

It's no surprise that there's such a big push for solar energy in California, with its sky-high utility rates. There is evidence that high-performance solar systems can reduce electric bills by up to 50%. The cost of solar is coming down, the technology has advanced significantly, and home buyers are more ac...Read More

Jun 19 2008 1:38PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (1) |

I never dreamed that something as innocuous as a shower curtain could stir up controversy. But here it is: an organization called the Center for Health, Environment & Justice recently issued a report that vinyl shower curtains sold at major U.S. retailers emit toxic chemicals that have been linked to serious health problems.

The Vinyl Institute was quick to counter with its own report stating that vinyl shower curtains are not harmful and that the CHEJ's research is nothing but scare-mongering. And the latter report is pretty scary. It claims that the shower curtains have high concentrations of chemicals that are linked to liver damage as well as...Read More

Jun 13 2008 8:59AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

“American homes are getting smaller.” How many times have you heard that one? But now it might actually be true. In the AIA Home Design Trends Survey for the first quarter of 2008, 33.5 percent of architects reported that home sizes are declining, compared to 15.5 percent who said they were increasing. In addition, 12 percent of respondents observed that two-story foyers, higher ceilings and other features that expand interior volume were on the decline. (Read the survey analysis here.)

“It’s very much a nationwide trend now to scale down homes,” said Marianne Cusato, a New York City-based architect known for her Katrina cottages, in a recent e-mail. ...Read More

Jun 6 2008 11:00AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

I see that San Francisco voters approved Proposition G -- meaning that Lennar Corp. can move ahead with a huge redevelopment project in San Francisco. Lennar plans to build as many as 10,000 homes on the site of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and adjacent Candlestick Point area. (Read about it here, here and here.) It's said to be the biggest redevelopment effort in S.F. since World War II.

Under Lennar's plan, up to 3,500 of the 10,000 planned units will be affordable to low- and moderate-income households. The project also includes large tracts of commerc...Read More

Jun 6 2008 7:59AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

May 29 2008 8:12AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (4) |

Great rooms with two-story ceilings have been a staple of large suburban dwellings for 15 years now, but will we start seeing less of them in new homes? Certainly they make a grand statement in a model presentation. Once the awe wears off, though, homeowners discover such rooms can be hard to live with.

High-ceilinged rooms are costly to heat and cool, difficult to clean and paint and often noisy, acting as an echo chamber. (Let's not even talk about washing the second-story windows.) It's no surprise that, given the current state of the housing and mortgage markets, buyers -- especially those with young children -- are more concerned about maximizing their square footage than impressing their friends. Where better to add a bedroom, playroom, exercise ro...Read More

May 22 2008 1:34AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

I've read a lot about Frank Lloyd Wright's life and work, including Meryle Secrest's excellent biography, and I've watched the Ken Burns documentary several times. But if you're interested in a rather unique interpretation, read "Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan. This novel, published in 2007, is an account of the romance between Frank and his mistress, Mamah Borthwick Cheney -- told from Mamah's perspective. Since Mrs. Cheney didn't leave behind much documentation of the relationship, it was left to the author to fill in context, nuances, events and conversations.

This is no tawdry romance novel, folks. Horan paints a vivid picture of the times and the emotional life of the architect and the woman who gave up so much for him. They eventually ...Read More

May 21 2008 10:55AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

Greetings, and welcome to my blog! 

As lead editor of Custom Builder magazine, I stay on top of who's who and what's what in the business of building custom homes, and my editorials are crafted accordingly. While this blog is housing-themed, it won't always be related to custom building. I'll be expressing opinions on all kinds of things -- projects I'm working on, events I've attended, industry trends, books, movies, why Frank Lloyd Wright is the greatest American architect ever... etc. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to your comments. Let's get a dialogue going. 

May 15 2008 9:31AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

What's the deal with Sacramento? I realize it's only one of many hard-hit housing markets, but lately I get the impression that builders in that city are particularly stressed.

In the past two months, I've read about the collapse of Dunmore Homes, a 55-year-old family business, and builders who are millions of dollars behind in their property tax payments. A few days ago, I received an email from California's State Water Resources Control Board about Shea Homes. The company illegally discharged dairy wastewater containing manure from a development site into a storm drain leading to the San Jacinto River. The discharge was exacerbated by an explosion at the site, which occurred when the contractor struck a pressurized natural gas line. (See photo at ...Read More

May 8 2008 8:59AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (1) |

I've gotten a lot of e-mails about the Custom Builder Design Challenge. Most people seem genuinely interested and ask for clarification of the program requirements.

But a few are apparently offended by the very existence of the Challenge, not to mention the $25 we're charging per entry. One gentleman in particular -- whose name I won't reveal -- called it "design exploitation." In his opinion, this would be a worthy competition only if Custom Builder was prepared to build the winning design "or offered a prize that would cover the the design costs for at least one of the submitting teams." He then asked to be removed from the magazine's subscription list.

I was really perplexed by this e-mail. In creating a competition based on purely speculative designs, we hoped ...Read More