Industry News
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Lawsuit Claims Home Builder Propped Up Prices
This class action recently filed in California alleges that the builder fraudulently propped up home prices and sales in a "house of cards" scheme that eventually caused values in its developments to plunge. Yikes. -
Recession, Changing Preferences Driving Smaller Homes
Looks like the trend to building smaller homes is becoming firmly ingrained in the repertoire of home builder offerings, as noted in this report from the Columbus, Ohio market. What’s interesting in this article is how architects and designers describe methods used for the downsizing. -
Home Buyer Credit Critics See Default Risk
As the political pressure builds to extend and possibly expand the first-time home buyer tax credit to all buyers, a growing chorus of critics says the program is a clunker that should be scrapped. Here’s a look at their arguments. -
Forecast Says Home Prices Have Not Bottomed
If you thought home prices were bottoming out, you may be wrong. They're expected to get a lot more “affordable.” Home values are predicted to plunge in 342 out of 381 markets during the next year, according to a new forecast of real estate prices. Here’s the reasoning. -
Stark Realities of Chinese Drywall Liability Set In
Chinese drywall manufacturers have more or less ignored litigation thrown at them in the U.S., and here's how consumers, home builders and government representatives are reacting. -
Building Materials Costs Slide on Weak Demand
The good news is building material prices have been falling amid a decline in global and local demand. The bad news is that home builders aren’t able to take advantage of the current deals because they aren’t able to build homes. -
Lawyers: Chinese Drywall Makers May Ignore Suits
Lawyers representing homeowners and homebuilders who used drywall suspected of causing corrosion and possible health risks say they expect Chinese companies that made the wallboard to ignore hundreds of lawsuits filed against them in U.S. courts. OK, so now what happens? -
Congress May Give New Life to Tax Credit
Will Congress extend the wildly popular $8,000 homebuyer tax credit beyond its Dec. 1 expiration date? Here’s an update on what’s been happening with that in the halls of Congress. -
Return to Housing Peak 10 Years Away
Moody's Investors Service threw cold water on optimistic projections of a V-shaped recovery in the battered U.S. housing market, predicting it could take more than 10 years to get back to boom-level prices. Find out why. -
Census Report: Housing is Less Affordable
While it seems a little difficult to believe considering that home prices across the U.S. are in a major state of depression, Census Bureau statistics are showing that a growing number of the population found housing unaffordable last year. Here are the details. -
Homebuilders vs. Firefighters Over Sprinkler Rules
Firefighters and safety advocates say they could triumph over the "last bastion of America's fire problem" the family home if officials require sprinklers in every new home. However, homebuilders warn it's not that simple and could prove a risky decision during a recession. Here’s the latest on the home sprinkler debate. -
Small is the Next Big in Home Building
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen reports about the latest trend away from the trend away from the McMansion. This article provides more proof that today’s typical home buyer is more interested in other things besides getting lost in a giant house where three-quarters of it goes unused. -
Home Builders Look to be Ahead of the Curve
In spite of the housing carnage that surrounds them, these intrepid home builders in the Eugene, Ore. market are pushing ahead on a new subdivision. Having been through the last recession in the early 1980s, they believe their experiences taught them valuable lessons. Find out exactly what they’re thinking. -
Atlanta Home Builders Zero In on Military Bases
Atlanta area home builders have been invading markets that surround military bases in neighboring states, which are viewed as hot spots in an otherwise challenging housing development environment. Looks like the proverbial cat is out of the bag now for military housing opportunities. -
Design Elements of a Pet-Centric Home
Attention home builders: Sixty-two percent of households have at least one pet, according to the American Pet Products Association. Half of them consider their pets "just as much a part of the family" as others in the household, according to a 2009 Roper poll. So including pet-friendly home features makes sense. "My dogs are my partners, so when we talked to our builder about what we wanted in our house, they were a big consideration," says Jennifer Voss, who hired Orren Pickell Designers & Builders in Lincolnshire to build her Hinsdale house in 2007.
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