Latest in projects

Fee Hike Worth Its Wait in Golden State
on November 30,2003 in Feature

Builders faced with a permit fee hike might want to resist the urge to rush in plans before it takes effect.

3-D Software Models Land Uses
on November 30,2003 in Feature

It has been compared to the video game SimCity, but at $4,995 a pop, CommunityViz 3-D simulation and modeling software is no toy.

Fast-Track Fire Sale
on October 31,2003 in Feature

Rebuilding a damaged community demands teamwork and speed.

Strategy Cuts Carrying Costs
on October 31,2003 in Feature
Land acquisition and development play prominently in the strategy of Ryland Homes’ Orlando, Fla., division, whose sales have doubled or nearly doubled for three years running.
Court Temporarily Halts Builder-Friendly Land Policy
on October 31,2003 in Feature

Until recently, landowners could sell wildlife lands to the federal government for a market value so fair it rivaled the profits from developing that land.

Web Site Lets Builders Trade Cut, Fill Dirt
on October 31,2003 in Feature

Dirttogo.com is a Web site to remember if you run into problems with too much cut or too little fill.

Erosion Controls Hit Smaller Sites
on September 30,2003 in Feature

Production builders have dealt with storm-water runoff erosion controls for more than a decade. Now, regulations that went into effect last spring are snaring even custom builders on sites as...

Hybrid Firms Help Expanding Builders
on September 30,2003 in Feature
Two Florida firms might be a harbinger of things to come in many housing markets as national builders continue to expand.
Owl Listing for the Birds
on September 30,2003 in Feature

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 1997 listing of the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl as endangered was 'arbitrary and capricious' and...

Street Connectivity Required
on August 31,2003 in Feature

Local officials are counting streets and intersections to gauge whether the index of street connectivity satisfies local requirements.

Audubon-Certified Golf
on August 31,2003 in Feature

WCI Communities achieved the first U.S. gold-level certification from the Audubon Signature Cooperative Sanctuary Program at its Raptor Bay Golf Club in Florida.

How to Check Market Feasibility on the Fly
on August 31,2003 in Feature
Above all else, determine two factors during the feasibility or “free look” period of a land purchase agreement
Little Houses in Big Sky Country
on August 31,2003 in Feature

In less than a decade, transplanted Californian Perry Ashby has helped change the Missoula, Mont., new home market for the better.

Off-Load Your Brownfield Risk
on July 31,2003 in Feature

One of the biggest impediments to doing a deal for brownfield land revolves around future liabilities and who retains that risk.

Storm-Water Compliance Documents
on July 31,2003 in Feature
Steps thousands of builders need to take to cover themselves as states await federal approval of storm-water procedures.
Partnering All the Way
on July 31,2003 in Feature

Under terms of a rolling option agreement, William Thomas Homes was required to take down finished lots under a predetermined time line. Because it owned a 50% stake in the land development...

A Backdoor Project Management Deal
on July 31,2003 in Feature

In exchange for managing the building and sales of all remaining units in the first two phases, Menke and Hunihan were able to control and profit from land they never owned.

Incentive-Based Agreement
on July 31,2003 in Feature

Milestone is strictly a development firm, and the lots for the 40 'stacked' townhomes, if secured, will be sold to one of two home building Giants that are regular customers.

How to Control Land Without Owning It
on July 31,2003 in Feature

Five builder-developers demonstrate a few of the many ways cash-free and cash-lean deals get done.

How to Avoid Storm-Water Limbo
on July 31,2003 in Feature
Steps thousands of builders need to take to cover themselves as states await federal approval of storm-water procedures.