September 2002
Feature
NAHB economists rank housing markets for hotness by comparing residential building permit data with population numbers.
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Randy Banks has been building in Mountain Air Country Club in Burns-ville, N.C., since its inception in 1990, but only in the past two or three years has he enlisted outside help to survey customer satisfaction.
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Superintendent, construction manager or simply builder: By any name, these construction professionals sit squarely at the intersection of cost, quality, customer satisfaction and ultimately a builder’s good name.
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Big, tall and in control, John Matthews dominates his job site in Cloverdale, Calif., where he builds three- and four-bedroom detached homes 90 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
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High-end home building has been Don Lytton's specialty for most of his 25 years running job sites.
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In the first quarter this year, Ed Pettigrew earned the highest bonus Royce Homes has ever paid to a construction superintendent for meeting key objectives.
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John Sias' home building knowledge goes back to 1980, when he built his first home under the tutelage of a general contractor friend.
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On his way to delivering 80 single-family homes this year in Talega, the desirable south Orange County, Calif., master plan, Dave Goudie and his four assistants focus on processes, quality and communication.
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As the number and types of home technologies grow and consumer demand for the same increases, it becomes harder and harder to ensure that your new homes are futureproof.
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Just like their parents, kids these days are savvy. The old rules of model home merchandising for girls -- ballet dancers and cheerleaders -- no longer apply.
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Subscribers to the new eCodes Online service from the International Code Council can download information from more than 13 building codes to their computer.
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Home building is one of the few industries not singing the blues lately. So what’s up with Albert Cummings?
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New homes today must do more per square foot than they ever have before.
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The return of the butler's pantry is making modern entertaining easier than ever.
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A soaring cost of living is making schoolteachers an endangered species in Northern California.
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To understand what kind of superintendent Rusty Wolf is (he recently accepted a promotion to companywide construction manager), it is important to know he was a military man, and not just an ordinary military man.
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At the end of the day, way too many of you are sneaking out the construction entrance with your lights off when you should be cruising slowly down the street you built, waving at everyone and asking that recent close on lot 137 how her youngest...
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The Millennial Housing Commission recently issued a landmark report that recommends creating a homeownership tax credit and establishing a mixed-income multifamily rental production program.
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English/Spanish for Painters & Contractors could make jobs easier for construction superintendents who manage Spanish-speaking trade crews -- especially painters.
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Consistent Message [21]
Owensboro, Ky.-based Thompson Homes is committed to aligning its customer’s expectations with what really happens in home building.
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From three of the authors of 1977’s influential A Pattern Language comes Patterns of Home: The Ten Essentials of Enduring Design.
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With only 75 employees (including a full sales force) handling more than 500 closings a year, Engle Homes’ Arizona division seems the opposite of Ginsburg Development Corp.
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Orestes Hernandez has a deep well of construction knowledge, business savvy and people skills.
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In Bill Davis' voice, there is no mistaking the energy, enthusiasm and passion he has for home building.
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When Del Webb brought its desert homes to the Midwest four years ago to open 6,000-unit Sun City Huntley, it was superintendents such as Tim King who pushed for additional plan adaptations to make them perform better in the Midwestern climate.
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Building 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot homes at a $500,000 price point, Bob Cartledge succeeds by making the most of an ethos and a system that have served his company well through the years.
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Think about the last time your company debuted a new product line -- bigger homes at a higher price point, attached homes for entry-level buyers, a maintenance-free community for empty nesters.
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It would be hard to find another builder in America with a stronger sense of mission than McStain Neighborhoods in Boulder, Colo.
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Like many of his peers, Ross Friedman began his career as a carpenter.
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Please excuse Denver-area builder John Osborn if he doesn’t see the unbridled pursuit of customer satisfaction as something new.
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Southern California Giant Fieldstone Communities has found a new way to maintain strong relationships with past customers and make a buck doing so.
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Before you specify or install your next wood floor, a few minutes on the National Wood Flooring Association’s Web site might be a good idea.
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If the adage 'the best time to ask for money is when you don’t need it' is true, then this is the perfect time for builders to fortify their credit lines.
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Getting Things Done [35]
Personal accountability for results. Without it, there can be great strategies, great people and great operations but no reliable means of execution.
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The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute promotes quality paint as a proven, profitable new home upgrade.
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Satisfaction at any point in a customer’s experience is the sum of perceptions minus expectations, says Paul Cardis, president and CEO of NRS Corp.
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D.R. Stembers has put his experience and trade contractor relationships to work at Paul Taylor Homes, which will close more than 200 homes this year.
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With the help of an assistant and a punchlist person, Kevin Treloar delivers 12 homes a month on average.
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Walking up to an on-site sales trailer can be both overwhelming and underwhelming to potential buyers — overwhelmingly intimidating given the trailer’s sheer size, underwhelming in its lack of appeal and polish (after all, it is a trailer).
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A new Web site, www.smartsites.org [42], assesses the 'smartness' of a property.
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Richard Sewell, director of marketing for KB Home’s Phoenix division, knows it pays to watch how companies outside the industry do things.
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The Family Studio concept from Whirlpool Corp. elevates the laundry room to a spacious, multipurpose, family-friendly place.
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No one on earth knows more about how to make money in the home building business than Lee Evans.
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Barbara Allen, a housing analyst with Arnhold & Breichroeder Inc., is convinced housing price reversals will take the entire economy into a deeper recession as soon as 2003.
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The most effective builders I’ve known in my more than 20 years working in the home building industry not only invest in research, but also have an in-depth understanding of how to apply that research in each of their markets and submarkets.
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Builders on Long Island, N.Y., are market-testing communities before models are built.
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The Pew Internet and American Life initiative found that 40 million Americans, one-third of all Internet users in the United States, have looked for housing information online, an increase of 66% since March 2000.
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Looking to save money and keep your home buyers happier longer on your next new home project?
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So what was wrong with the guaranteed low-price strategy?
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Recessed lighting is tops and track lighting barely registers on the popularity meter, according to a National Kitchen & Bath Association survey of its members on customers’ preferences.
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As the topic of suburban sprawl and anti-growth legislation heats up with the upcoming federal elections, the Sierra Club recently released its second annual report on sprawl.
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The lack of close-in, developable land in San Diego has spawned a downtown infill building boom that has slowly gained momentum the past few years.
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Seeking to restore 'scenic equilibrium' to the shores of Lake Tahoe, the same regional agency that re-cently won a long-running property rights case is flexing its muscle again.
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Paul Douglas, weatherman at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, is marketing a new application for cell phones that provides weather conditions and forecasts, along with Doppler radar images, for any specific site, including job sites.
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Six Ways to Make Hay [57]
Make hay when the sun is shining. That’s how builders are responding to strong demand and low mortgage rates.
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The National Tour of Solar Homes was held October 16, 1999 in 36 states from Alabama to Wisconsin.
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Seven years ago, Hawthorne, N.Y., builder Martin Ginsburg made it his mission to improve customer satisfaction by multiplying contact points throughout his company with buyers.
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Oversize Jumbo Royal Sovereign shingles from GAF Corp. install faster, save material and reduce labor time by up to 40%, the company says.
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A free educational program developed by the NAHB is helping elementary school students learn about the home building process, construction jobs and the environment.
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The Raving Fan Rate [62]
Asking customers if they have actually recommended their builder is an important innovation in the NRS research.
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Using a professional search firm is analogous to identifying and properly managing your personal financial planner. It is that serious.
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With its new KnowledgeWorkx Resource Program (www.alcoatraining.com [65]), Alcoa Building Products seeks to remedy an industrywide problem.
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Enormous fences, hedges, man-made earthen berms and the unadorned backs of new homes form the dull view along arterial roadways in much of suburbia today.
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One of the most valuable benefits of the NHS competition is the insight into the best practices of builders that scored high in customer satisfaction.
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Product Review
The Classic line of stone-coated steel roofing systems comes in two types of tile and shake profiles.
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American Standard [69]
Culinaire 18-gauge stainless steel sinks have a brushed finish.
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American Tool [70]
The Strait-Line laser line generator casts a virtual laser line across any surface.
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Andersen Windows [71]
Standard sizes of the 200 Series gliding window come in full-inch increments to simplify ordering and installation
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Azek [72]
Cellular PVC cornerboards have a miter-locked seam that won’t open, Azek says.
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Bacou-Dalloz [73]
Willson V-Maxx safety goggles are designed for applications involving impact, dust, mist, chemical splash and welding.
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Behr [74]
WaterProofing Wood Protector combines the penetrating benefits and protection of oil-based finishes with the faster drying and cleanup of water-based products.
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Broan-NuTone [75]
GuardianPlus whole-house HEPA air systems cleanse indoor air, eliminating a variety of allergens.
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Bruce [76]
The TrueLock collection of glueless laminate floors includes eight new colors: Heirloom Pine, Western Oak Natural...
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CabParts [77]
Cabinet boxes and casework now can be ordered with Confirmat screw assembly.
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Carrier [78]
The WeatherMaker 8000 gas furnace includes a vent elbow that converts the 13 multipoise positions without other adjustments.
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CertainTeed [79]
Ultra*Duct Gold rigid duct board for HVAC systems features an airstream facing de-signed to reduce nuisance dust during fabrication.
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Cooper B-Line [80]
Bridle ring saddles combine the convenience of a bridle ring with a cable-bearing surface for all communications cabling.
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Daltile [82]
Terra Antica porcelain tile for floors and walls is designed to simulate terra cotta with color variation from tile to tile.
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Delta Faucet [83]
Two height-adjustable jets on the Monitor 1800 jetted shower system let the spray angle adjust to the user’s height.
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Delta Machinery [84]
The MS350 10-inch miter saw integrates a front bevel lock system onto the miter action shaft at the front of the saw, so the same shaft that locks the miter action also locks the bevel mechanism.
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Delta Machinery [85]
The MS350 10-inch miter saw integrates a front bevel lock system onto the miter action shaft at the front of the saw, so the same shaft that locks the miter action also locks the bevel mechanism.
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DeWalt [86]
The company's new router system includes a 1 3/4-horsepower, 11-amp, fixed-base router;
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Enerjee [87]
Automix 20 is an electronic temperature control with night setback to actuate three- or four-way Termomix valves for radiant floor heating and radiator or fin-tube base-board applications.
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Estimating Systems [88]
Users of Pulsar estimating software now can pull reports that highlight specific information, such as cost of materials only, total cost of labor (with or without materials) or an hourly labor cost breakout.
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Generac [90]
Ultra Source portable generators are available in two wattage ratings, 12,500 and 15,000.
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Grafted Coatings [91]
KTM Stain & Grain finishing kits are designed to give the look of real wood to steel, fiberglass and molded doors and trim.
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Grohe [92]
By combining shower head and body spray functionality, Freehander offers 18 spray combinations
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Hansgrohe [93]
The Pharo Prestige Panel SL, a pre-plumbed, wall-hanging shower panel, has a 55-inch hand-shower hose built into its aluminum body.
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Harris Tarkett [94]
Made of Appalachian lumber, Compass pre-finished solid flooring comes in two widths and 20 SKUs.
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Heat-N-Glo [95]
The Gateway B-vent fireplace’s vent can be terminated vertically or horizontally, ena-bling placement anywhere in a home.
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The metal Dryerbox installs between studs behind a dryer to collect and house the flex exhaust hose.
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Jacuzzi [98]
The curvature of the Summer Rain walk-in shower keeps water in while eliminating the need for a door.
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Jenn-Air [99]
Stainless steel, curved-glass wall ovens are available in 27- and 30-inch sizes in single and double formats.
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Klein Tools [100]
The 2000 Series of cutting pliers comprises side-cutting and diagonal-cutting models for ACSR, screws, nails and most hardened wire.
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Knauf Fiber Glass [101]
Summit blowing insulation is a virgin white fiber glass that is low-dust, retains fire-resistant properties for the life of a home, and won’t support corrosion or microbial growth, Knauf says.
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