The housing market has changed so drastically in the last few years that it can be difficult for builders to stay current with their plan portfolio. Most every builder I work with has old plans they are offering that either need to be reworked or let go. Consumers want drama, open spaces, efficiency of plans, and affordability. The question becomes, when to keep an old workhorse? The answer is simple. If the plan can be brought up to date without changing the foundation perimeter, or the...
Blogs
2 weeks 5 days ago
By: Todd Hallett
2 weeks 5 days ago
By: Bradley Hartmann
Comas :: 2
Broken bones :: 21
Surgeries :: 23
Concussions :: 100+
Stitches :: 300+
You don’t become the greatest vertical ramp BMX rider in history without practicing. When you practice for big air, you learn from big crashes.
I recently watched ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary about Mat Hoffman, “The Birth...
3 weeks 2 days ago
By: Bradley Hartmann
Would you ever use Twitter to announce your family dinner is being served?
Ridiculous question, right?
Wait. Hold that answer….
The question was posed while reading Gary Vaynerchuk’s The Thank You Economy (an enjoyable B+ read on the power of social media in today’s economy). Gary Vee tells a story about a mother tweeting her dinner was ready in an effort to have her...
3 weeks 4 days ago
By: Tim Gregorski
Remodelers, are you ready for more work? The Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) of Harvard University recently unveiled the report, “The U.S. Housing Stock: Ready for Renewal,” which maps out the key areas and demographics that will fuel your remodeling business for the next decade.
Published by the Remodeling Futures Program at...
3 weeks 5 days ago
By: Susan Bady
Art and architecture lovers, rejoice: Tour season is about to begin at architect Philip Johnson’s Glass House campus in New Canaan, Conn. From May to November, the public is invited to view 14 Johnson-designed structures and a variety of paintings and sculpture on the 49-acre campus.
This year’s exhibits include E.V. Day’s SNAP!, a reinterpretation of Da Monsta, the last building Johnson completed on the site. Responding to Johnson’...
4 weeks 2 days ago
By: Bradley Hartmann
His candor surprised me. I’ve never had anyone actually admit it.
But there it was. In digital ink on the email in my Inbox.
The question that elicited the response was direct.
I simply asked a participant in a Red Angle Safety Spanish program if he had used any of our content on the job yet.
...
4 weeks 4 days ago
By: Bradley Hartmann
You know The Golden Rule, right?
He who has the gold makes the rules.
On the jobsite today, there is an inverse to The Golden Rule: He who has the gold gets sued.
When injuries and deaths occur on the jobsite, lawsuits follow… and lawsuits follow money. Whoever has the most dinero will be named in the suit.
...
4 weeks 4 days ago
By: Scott Sedam
It has been long been said that “homebuilding is a local business” and as much as I’d like to think that Lean always transcends locality, that is not always the case. Last week during one of our LeanWeek events in Austin, the head of a drywall installation company asked about using 54” width drywall—aka “stretch board”—in lieu of standard 48” widths for 9’ ceilings. Nine foot ceilings are rampant in Austin and so many other markets these days—unless of course they are 10’. He described how,...
4 weeks 6 days ago
By: Todd Hallett
Like Reese Witherspoon in a romantic comedy, this house flat out exudes charm. It’s a simple ranch that hits all the key marketing hot spots for today’s buyer. The open plan and long site lines also help it to live a whole lot larger than what it is.
Let’s take a closer look:
...
4 weeks 6 days ago
By: Susan Bady
Active-adult communities sure have come a long way. We all know that the massive numbers of baby boomers hitting retirement age want to remain active in their golden years, and they’re very demanding about home and community design. But some of the newer projects coming online are over the top. Think four-star-quality cuisine and state-of-the-art gyms with personal trainers and Zumba classes.
Take, for example, Vivante on the Coast in Newport Beach, Fla. When completed, Vivante will...
