Patrick L. O’Toole is editorial director and publisher of Professional Builder, a 77-year-old publication that is read by 112,000 builders each month. In this capacity, he is also responsible for the editorial direction of Professional Remodeler magazine and HousingZone.com. Previously, O’Toole served as editor and publisher of Qualified Remodeler magazine. He started his career as a reporter for the Associated Press in Chicago. He holds a B.A. from Miami University and a masters degree in journalism from Columbia College.
Six months ago we asked Bob Toll, the executive chairman of Toll Brothers, how he saw the market recovery playing out. Back then the home building market was clearly improving, but the extent and path of the recovery were hazy. He predicted strong demand, very limited supply, and almost shockingly he projected that prices would double in two years...
Recent house-price gains and a shrinking backlog of homes for sale suggest that we are at the front end of a seller’s market. This new reality is as much a surprise as was the unexpectedly strong rise in new-home sales during 2012.
Meanwhile, builders with lots in “A” locations are finding ready buyers, but not as many as they would normally...
A few years ago, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) initiated a lobbying effort to get Congress and the administration more focused on fixing housing. They called it Fix Housing First. At the time, billions were being spent on stimulus, and the industry argued that more needed to be done to jump-start housing. ...
Richard Dugas, the CEO of PulteGroup, did not want to throw cold water on the party, but he deserves credit for at least pointing out that housing still faces a number of regulatory and financial obstacles as the market recovery begins to get traction. Such was the tidal wave of positive energy and good news at a recent housing investor conference...
Every so often, when a number of positive changes occur right on top of each other, it makes sense to communicate them directly to you, our readers. This month, I am pleased to highlight several significant changes and improvements to Professional Remodeler magazine and HousingZone.com.
First, when you turn the page, you will see the face of our...
SAN FRANCISCO -- One of my first stops on the PCBC show floor was to visit my friend Dave Wilson of Liners Direct, a manufacturer of acrylic bath products that is pushing the innovation envelope in many ways.
In December the company launched its Build-A-Bath iPad application that helps builders, remodelers and consumers mix and match styles and...
Notes from PCBC 2011
SAN FRANCISCO – This annual conference and trade show for builders hosted by the California Building Industry Association for more than 40 years has certainly seen frothier times. In 2004 and 2005, exhibits sprawled across three large show floors. This year, it fits neatly into one hall anchored by a bedrock stable of...
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- This spring offered the opportunity for Professional Builder editors to make educational presentations in 30 markets around the country. We supplied the builder-segment education for the series of Pro Expos sponsored by a coalition of building industry partners. We chose our two topics carefully, and ended up with one...
Several of us at Professional Builder are traveling the country this spring, speaking at The Pro Expos presented by Pella. The events are being held in 30 cities. For us, it is an invaluable opportunity to connect with builders, architects, and developers and to hear their strategies and tactics for managing through the downturn.One of the...
On a snowy Washington morning last December, a group of us from Professional Builder had the privilege of spending a couple of hours with NAHB chief lobbyist Joe Stanton and key members of his staff. The purpose was to conduct an interview, which appeared in PB in February. Our aim was to simply get an update on upcoming issues facing builders. We...
