January 2011
Feature
In today’s tough new-home sales environment, the absolute competence of a home builder’s sales organization has never been of more critical importance. Sales and management expert Bob Schultz outlines 11 strategies for transforming your home...
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Sure, the past five years have been chaotic and the prospects for 2011 don’t exactly look entirely sunny. But there are plenty of builders and developers that are planning for growth this year by doing anything but the status quo. We reached out to...
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This month kicks off Professional Builder's House Review collaborative, where a group of leading architects and designers present their best concepts and design solutions to the challenges faced by home builders. In this installment, our design team...
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Going green doesn’t have to cost more. Experts at the NAHB Research Center have identified design and construction tactics that builders have used to minimize the cost premium for green.
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Architects and builders are getting a jump on the coming wave of household consolidation. Here are the most significant design trends in multi-generational homes being built today, along with some prototype designs for future home buyers.
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This past September, we wrote extensively about the state of builder and buyer financing, which no doubt is one of the most-difficult challenges home builders face today. For weeks after the issue had hit our readers’ desks, I received nearly a...
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Understanding the mechanics of shower systems is vital to creating a great user experience, according to kitchen and bath design expert Paul Greenspan. He offers advice on shower system design and specification, including when to use a thermostatic...
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Lean implementation requires a new mindset when it comes to measurement of the design and building process. What builders measure, and how, can make all the difference in finding and improving efficiencies in the home building process, writes Scott...
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When this magazine was launched as Practical Builder in the spring of 1936, the outlook for Americans and the rest of the world was far bleaker than what we face today. Back then we were in the throes of an extended economic downturn that would only...
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With the right price and the right location, the numbers on any unfinished house or neighborhood can look like a great deal. But the key to making money on partially completed projects is thorough due diligence and an incredibly clear understanding...
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When it comes to specifying window systems for new-home projects, energy efficiency and price are the top considerations among home builders, according to a December 2010 survey of Professional Builder readers. Nearly eight in 10 survey respondents...
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Product Review
Delta Group, one of the world’s largest providers of switching power supplies and DC brushless fans for the electronics industries, has adapted its ultra-quiet DC brushless motor design for its new collection of Breez Ventilation Fans.
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In November, we wrote about the new line of sustainable bricks from CalStar Products. The company also recently debuted a new collection of pavers for residential applications. Both products are competitively priced with traditional paver and brick...
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Owens Corning is taking its tried-and-true EcoTouch fiberglass insulation line to a new level of green with the introduction of PureFiber binder technology.
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