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  • Back to the Future
    The way he sees it, the blueprint for success was simple. "We've gone back in time to the way people used to live," says Greg Whittaker, president of Whittaker Homes. Taking an old idea and bringing it to life for today's home buyer has thrust his firm forward in a way he could never have imagined.
  • Well-Oiled Efficient Machines
    Builders participating in the most recent Harvard Distribution Study significantly downplayed the contribution that improved operating efficiencies have had on their bottom line growth. Yet it's precisely those efficiencies that might end up helping pull them through the current market doldrums.
  • Supersize It
    The sizes of newly constructed homes have grown significantly over the last 30 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of new homes with 2,400–2,999 square feet has grown 75 percent.
  • Market Downturn Deepens
    In many ways, the current housing market slowdown is similar to what happened between 1990 and 1992, although that one had a national economic recession to deepen it. We've avoided that this time — so far.
  • Establishing a Strategic Plan
    If you're like most remodelers, you've been so busy in 2006 you've hardly had time to plan for next year let alone the next three years. The remodeling industry flourished in 2006, and the next three years will bring more growth for the industry, says Gopal Ahluwalia, staff vice president for research at the NAHB.
  • Lighten Your Environment
  • Mr. Optimism
    Toll Brothers Chairman Bob Toll talks about the current housing envrionment and how he is positioning Toll Brothers for what he believes will be a re-ignition of the housing boom.
  • Sell Tough
    There are two kinds of salespeople today: those who don't know how to sell at all and those who do but haven't had to do it for years — and when you don't exercise professional salesmanship, those skills erode.
  • Remember the Basics
    My partners and I are in a fascinating line of work. Every day we get to talk to interesting people from across the country about what's going on in our industry. Here're some things we've run across lately that may help you on the HR side.
  • Better Building Blocks for Better Homes
    ACC can withstand fire and other natural disasters, and since it is lightweight and has its own insulating properties, it can save construction time and energy.
  • Better, Faster, Cheaper
    The idea behind the Open Prototype Initiative — what will be a showcase of four high-quality, economically constructed homes — was to improve the way all homes are built in America. And information learned through the first home and subsequent prototype homes will also be useful for improving in-home treatment of the disabled and older Americans with a desire to age in place.
  • Mod Moves Up
    The Gulf Coast housing crisis created by Hurricane Katrina is churning up innovation on a broad scale, and the solutions taking shape in Louisiana and Mississippi may eventually land at your door, wherever you do business.
  • Skill or Capacity?
    Too often we are focusing only on our skills: what we have or what we lack. We invest tremendous time, money and energy developing new skills and abilities which is important and a vital part of growing as a professional in any arena. But that alone will not solve some of the major issues of growing your business to the next level of success.
  • Protecting Your Backlog
    With rising interest rates and a softening market, many builders face high cancellation rates as customers reconsider and or walk away from their original purchase decision. Although no builder is immune from cancellations, builders and sales agents can use several strategies to minimize cancelled customers.
  • Live Via Podcast
    Taylor Woodrow learned first-hand the impact of implementing off-the-beaten-path marketing strategies.

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