| Wall Street Report |
A Halloween rally wasn't enough to bring the major indices into positive terrain for the session ending October 31, 2005. Consumer spending rose 0.5 percent after a drop in the previous month. The Commerce Department also reported a 3.8 percent gain in the gross domestic product for the July through September quarter, growing more than expected in the wake of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
|
| Market Intelligence |
Giant Market: San Diego After unprecedented levels of price appreciation, the San Diego market has returned to normal market conditions. Three factors have contributed to the softening of the market: While some overpriced situations exist, market demand and supply is largely in balance. The 19,400 jobs created in the last 12 months exceed construction levels by 23 percent, which is a healthy de...
|
| From the Editor |
Every consumer press story at the moment seems to be about a slowdown in the housing industry (and don't you want them to shut up with their self-fulfilling prophecies?), the last thing we want to hear out of Washington is that a presidential panel on tax reform is recommending we submarine a housing tradition since 1913 — the home-mortgage tax deduction.
|
| Process Improvement Report |
While the Clean Water Act celebrated its 30th birthday this fall, parts of the country weren't feeling much like celebrating — those in the Gulf regions were dealing with storm water devastation. The magnitude of what happened in Louisiana and Mississippi this summer is clearly not an every day occurrence; however, it does serve as a reminder to builders to ensure they are compliant with ...
|
| Selling Strategies |
As simple as it seems, continuous improvement baffles me. Not because it's hard to understand; I'm baffled that such a simple concept can create so many different interpretations. Maybe it's too simple. In "The Other Ninety Percent," author Robert Cooper explains continuous improvement by comparing the difference between those that compete and those that excel.
|
| CEO Spotlight |
Eric Wittenberg is a third-generation builder and a student of the work hard, play hard school. When he relocated from Southern California to Colorado about five years ago, he left behind his scuba gear, but held on to a personal debt of gratitude for those who helped guide him along the way. He says being people-oriented is critical to his role as president and chief executive officer of McSta...
|
