Industry News
January 31, 2005
A good wine collection requires more than a storage room with racks. As with the fine wines that it stores and displays, a wine cellar is a delicate balance of elements, all of which can affect the quality and preservation of the wine collection....
January 31, 2005
Most builders understand the importance of managing water around their houses. When putting a water management strategy in place, it takes more than getting the idea across to your teams that wet is bad and dry is good. Problems occur because of two...
December 31, 2004
The pressure of raising impact fees remains the same today as 2001 when a superior court judge ruled California's Orange County violated state law by over-billing home buyers and builders for plan check and inspection fees. The judge ruled that...
December 31, 2004
Researchers at the University of Southern California's Lusk Center for Real Estate find different housing patterns — and lower home ownership rates — among immigrants in 14 cities are emerging as "gateway" centers —...
December 31, 2004
Moser Builders, a custom home builder in Berwyn, Penn., is an up and coming star to watch in the national marketing sky. With its beginnings almost 20 years ago, the regional builder of homes in the Pennsylvania counties of Chester and Delaware is...
December 31, 2004
At Standard-Pacific Homes, managers from each department in the Dallas division are busy improving their overall customer service process. Since September, a newly created Customer Service Management Council meets monthly. At the initial meeting,...
December 31, 2004
The opening of Petco Park, San Diego's new downtown baseball park, was more accessible to San Diego's North County residents, thanks in part to five home builder/developers. From April 5 through October 1, Bosa Development, Barratt American...
December 31, 2004
In 2005, downtown infill housing is hot while cul-de-sacs are not, as traffic congestion has clogged suburbs nationwide, according to Emerging Trends In Real Estate 2005, a report jointly published by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land...
December 31, 2004
Cross this off the list of things that can't be done: Two detached single-family homes on one small, city lot. Cobblestone Homes made it happen in its Sonoma County, Calif., hometown of Santa Rosa. At the Village at Hickory Place, Cobblestone...
December 31, 2004
Smaller builders voice justifiable concerns that GIANTS will buy higher and drive up land costs in an effort to churn ever-more product and keep the cash flowing. Here are a few tips to stay in the game:
December 31, 2004
Today's home builders now seek to include some advanced technology in their homes, according to a new survey of 400 U.S. builders conducted by Parks Associates. Programmable thermostats, security systems, and zoned HVAC systems top the list of...
December 31, 2004
High costs and on-site labor requirements top the list of reasons builders cite for the slow progress of steel framing in the new construction industry. Now FrameMax has introduced a turn-key system designed to eliminate the cost gap between wood...
December 31, 2004
Freestanding, floating floors improves the sound quality in home theaters, however installation of these floors has been time consuming and expensive. U-Boat Floor Floaters from Auralex Acoustics can help shorten the build cycle and reduce the cost...
December 31, 2004
www.energycodes.gov: The U.S. Dept. of Energy has launched the Building Energy Codes Resource Center to link users to energy codes and beyond-code construction techniques and technologies. The site offers detailed information on topics ranging from...
December 31, 2004
As seasons change, the national mood changes from time to time too. With the mood shifts come changes within the home and a shift in the color palette buyers respond to. In order to keep up with the times, paint maker Kelly-Moore constantly changes...
December 31, 2004
Tile has long been the selected material of designers, architects and home owners to provide a rich, luxurious look. How about adding personalized images or photos to create custom tiles? Imagine adding a family portrait to the tiles located in the...
December 31, 2004
Appearing to be recycled from a building long exposed to the elements, Stone Mountain Brick Co. introduces four new veneer styles for its brick and stone. "Used textures" have a slightly worn face with a few random indentations in each brick surface...
December 31, 2004
Health-care costs rank as the most critical issue concerning small business owners, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Businesses and Wells Fargo. Nearly two-thirds of respondents to the 2004 survey...
December 31, 2004
Colleagues who trust each other. Managers who mentor. The chance to develop new skills and advance professionally. These are just some of the basic elements of the price of entry on our annual Best Companies to Work For list. Basic, you say? These...
December 31, 2004
Nearly 20 million people worked at home at least once a week in May 2001, according to the most recent available data from the U.S. Department of Labor. Combined with the number of homeowners who need space from which to manage personal and...
