ProRemodeler Solution - Industry News

• Homebuilders vs. Firefighters Over Sprinkler Rules
  Firefighters and safety advocates say they could triumph over the "last bastion of America's fire problem" the family home if officials require sprinklers in every new home. However, homebuilders warn it's not that simple and could prove a risky decision during a recession. Here’s the latest on the home sprinkler debate.
• Home Buyers Desire Energy Efficiency— But Only At Right Price
  Even though prospective home buyers want the benefits of new, more efficient homes, they are unwilling to pay much more for a "green" home, according to a recent member survey from the National Association of Home Builders.
• Lender Pilots Low-Cost Green Home Equity Loan
  Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank is testing a new home-equity loan and line of credit program in Colorado that offers customers a three-eighths percent rate reduction for qualified "green" home improvement projects. Check it out.
• Woman Carves Niche in Home-Repair Industry
  Remodeling isn’t just a man’s world after all. Here’s a look at a remodeling firm in the Columbus, Ohio area that was started up by a woman. She calls her business “Handimamm,” and some clients say they are more comfortable with a woman doing the handy work in the house. Check it out.
• A Tale of Two Pools
  In this case study two different families wanted something special for their backyard oases. One went for a cleanly modern resort-style pool, the other a faux tropical lagoon. This is how the desires were met for both.
• Boomers Update Homes for Safety's Sake
  This Dallas couple, who are in their early 60s, have remodeled their 1980s-vintage master bathroom and kitchen so that they can use both more easily as they grow older. Here's what they've done.
• Homebuyers Going for the Green
   Green attributes such as energy efficiency and renewable building materials are seeping slowly into the consciousness of local builders and homebuyers.
• How Architects Can Bring Out Best in Older Homes
  It takes a special gift to walk into a house and imagine its possibilities. Most people see a house for what it is. However, only those with that special vision see a house for what it might become. Here’s how architects can assist your clients in the renovation process.
• Drywall Held at Port is Called Into Question
  Thousands of sheets of Chinese-manufactured drywall remain in a Port Manatee, Fla. warehouse, waiting to be purchased. The recent alarm about the safety of some drywall made in China has not helped sales of this stockpiled material.
• What Drives Generation Y Consumers?
  Here's intriguing, in-depth insight to the tendencies and tastes of Generation Y (14 to 31 in 2008) from the Journal of Business Research. This report focuses on the college age segment, but they'll be the next generation of home buyer before you know it.
• Laundry rooms are bigger, better and no longer tucked out of sight
  Given that the average household spends more than 400 hours per year doing laundry, why not make the space in which you spend so much time a bright and happy locale? Doing the wash is no longer relegated to a dark area of the basement along with spiders and concrete walls. With a little bit of planning, a laundry area can be turned into an inviting space that will make this mundane task a pleasure.
• Updating Vintage Homes is Recycling at its Best
  Studies show that older homes can be energy-suckers due to poor insulation. But with some strategic tweaks, renovation experts say any old or historic house can be more energy-efficient without losing its character. Here’s why.
• Drywall firms look for upswing in projects in Idaho
  Large or small, drywall contractors are scrambling to keep themselves and their employees busy. "We don't have a whole lot of backlog," said Leon Kerns, owner of Boise-based Superior Interiors. "We're out there trying to figure out what the market is doing. " On the small side, some drywall contractors are finding more work in remodels and repairs than in new construction.
• Tax credits give homeowners incentive to remodel efficiently
  Question: Is installation of a gas tankless water heater (to replace a storage-tank water heater) tax-credit approved under the economic stimulus package singed by President Obama in February? Question: Is that $1,500 lifetime ceiling for each item under the tax credits for energy efficient home improvements? In other words, is it $1,500 each for the windows, solar panels and tankless water heaters, or is it $1,500 for all improvements combined.
• Stimulus heats up sales: Federal programs for weatherization get home owners and businesses energized.
  With the mild spring months here, furnaces and air conditioners are getting less use than they would in winter or summer. Yet a wave of homeowners is taking action to make dwellings more energy efficient, thanks to increased incentives for weatherization, said Scott Burnett, owner of Burnett Inc. Windows and Siding. "The tax credit has had a great impact on our business," he said.

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