Industry News
October 29, 2010
Joseph Carl Homes, a Phoenix-based home builder, was among the properties acquired by Avatar Holdings in a $62 million deal with JEN Partners LLC, a New York-based real estate private equity fund. Joseph Carl Homes is the developer of CantaMia, a 1,...
October 29, 2010
CAX, a Tysons Corner architectural firm based in Virginia, has merged with California-based KTGY Group.
October 29, 2010
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) predicts that 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates will rise to 4.7 percent in the first quarter of 2011, and to 5.1 percent by the end of that year, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Although the...
October 28, 2010
Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 6.6 percent in September, the best rate since June, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department, said a press release by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The number of...
October 28, 2010
NAHB's Remodeling Market Index stays flat in the third quarter, showing no growth in business for remodelers
October 27, 2010
Former Secretary of State and retired Gen. Colin Powell will be the keynote speaker at the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the USGBC announced in a press release.
October 27, 2010
The government will have to continue its involvement in the housing and mortgage markets, as the industry forecast for the next year remains dreary, said Freddie Mac CEO Charles E. Haldeman Jr. The government currently backs nearly nine out of 10...
October 26, 2010
Existing home sales increased 10 percent in September according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), said a report by Forbes.com. There were 4.53 million existing home sales last month, up 10 percent from the 4.12 million sales in August....
October 26, 2010
WD-40, in partnership with Rebuilding Together, is looking for the 2010 Rebuilding Together Tradesperson of the Year – someone who reflects the values of both brands, gives back to the community and adds value to his or her skilled trade industry.
October 25, 2010
The Federal Reserve released a new interim rule on home appraisals that helps to clarify the home appraisal process. Under the guidelines, home builders may ask appraisers to consider additional information about the property being appraised,...
October 21, 2010
Former White House housing finance issue adviser Peter Swire proposed that senior bank officials personally vouch for the quality of their banks’ mortgage documentation process. Swire, now a law professor at Ohio State University, based his proposal...
October 21, 2010
After three years of decline in the market, remodeling is poised for a comeback in 2011, according to the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies
October 20, 2010
BoA announced last week that it plans to continue home foreclosures in 23 states after halting the process to review its procedures and paperwork, The New York Times reported. The move is expected to encourage other lenders to resume the foreclosure...
October 20, 2010
Casa Feliz, an apartment building in San Jose, Calif., was built with environmentally friendly materials, has furniture made from sustainably farmed wood and efficient appliances. But the building wasn’t built for trendy professionals; it was...
October 20, 2010
Housing starts unexpectedly rose 0.3 percent in September, signaling that the real estate market may be stabilizing despite the new foreclosure crisis, the Commerce Department reported. The annual rate rose to 610,000, the most since April and...
October 20, 2010
Apparently 22 stories weren’t enough. Mukesh Ambani, the world’s fourth richest person, is now the proud owner of a 27-story residence in Mumbai, India. The $1 billion structure will be home to Ambani, his wife, their three children and 600 full-...
October 20, 2010
A new look at housing starts based on data from the Census Bureau finds that single-family homes in the U.S. continued to get smaller last year, and the downward trend is likely to last significantly beyond the end of the recession. From a peak of 2...
October 18, 2010
SolarCity, the largest residential solar power provider in California, is now the first such company to offer home energy efficiency improvements as well, according to a report by Fast Company. Under company’s Home TuneUp program, solar lease...
October 18, 2010
A settlement was reached last week for some of the homeowners who filed suit against a Chinese manufacturers over faulty drywall. A New Orleans federal judge signed off on the settlement, in which Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Company agreed to pay...
October 18, 2010
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is planning to observe National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to raise awareness on the dangers of lead, according to a press release on the NARI website. The event will take place Oct. 24...
